You can give your child paracetamol and ibuprofen on the same day. But do not give your child these medicines at the same time, unless a doctor, nurse or pharmacist tells you to.
For example, if you give your child a dose of paracetamol and they're still in pain or have a fever after 1 hour, you could try giving them ibuprofen.
Paracetamol and ibuprofen work in different ways.
Paracetamol is usually best for some types of pain, including headache and stomach ache.
Ibuprofen is usually best for reducing redness and swelling (inflammation), including from teething and toothache.
Both paracetamol and ibuprofen can reduce symptoms associated with fever.
Ask your GP or pharmacist for advice on how to use these 2 medicines together if you are unsure.
Do not give your child more than:
- 4 doses of paracetamol in 24 hours, at least 4 hours apart
- 3 doses of ibuprofen in 24 hours, at least 6 hours apart
Other medicines containing paracetamol
Paracetamol is an ingredient in lots of medicines that you can buy. For example, some cough and cold medicines. Check the ingredients carefully.
Important
Do not give your child another medicine with paracetamol in it. There is a risk they can overdose.
Non-urgent advice: Find your patient information leaflet
Your patient information leaflet is the leaflet that comes with your medicine. You can find a digital version of the leaflet online.