Wow! Hyland's Teething Tablets are a miracle!!

[peasprout]

After enduring a week of sudden inconsolable crying spells, I bought some Hyland's Teething Tablets based on the recommendations on these boards. I had tried liquid ibuprofen and baby Orajel, but neither did a thing for her. This morning at 4am DD woke up screaming and arching her back. I gave her three tablets and less than thirty seconds later, she stopped crying altogether!! She was even playfully hitting us on the face and laughing (which didn't go over too well with DH considering how early it was!) I'm so amazed at how these tablets work!! If it weren't for these boards, I would never have heard of them and would still be using regular conventional pain relievers! Thanks so much everyone! It's literally been a week of the same kind of screaming and this is the first time she's ever calmed down like this! But my question is this. I'm assuming she's irritable because of she's teething (she's one and still no teeth), but she's also been sick this past week and I'm not sure if it's teething related or not. So is it ok for her to take teething tablets if she isn't in fact really teething? Thanks again!

[NEVE and TRISTAN]

x

Neve
AKA "mama2be"-forgot password
and Baby Boy Tristan born @UNC
Feb 25, 2003
Brother to 3 pups "gees" and 2 kitties

[cchavez]

You can buy them at Walgreens. They do have a small effect on Diego when he is teething.

[heidi_timms]

Are these sort of like aspirin or like something to teethe on? I've never heard of them.

~Heidi
Mom to Kailey Ashlin
4/27/03

[McQ]

Please tell us more about this wonder.

Allison
~ mommy to Declan 3.24.03

[jojo2324]

LOL, unfortunately, they do not have the same effect on Gannon!! I wish! :)

I am always amused though, by the disclaimer they have on the bottle:

Please note, if your baby has been crying or has been very upset, your baby may fall asleep after using this product because the pain has been relieved and your child can rest.

I'm sure they put that there so that parents don't think their poor babies have been knocked out by these little pills, but I still think it's funny. The same with the Signing Time DVDs, when she talks about how signing can "virtually eliminate" the terrible twos. Those are some pretty concrete words, and when applied to *my* kiddo, probably don't stand a chance. Sigh. :)

[flagger]

http://www.drugstore.com/qxp38156_333181_sespider/hylands/teething_tablets.htm

Belladonna is an active ingedient in Hyland's Teething tablets. It is a neurotoxin known to cause blindness.

I would never give any product containing belladonna to Cocoa.

[MelissaTC]

Whole Foods carries a variety of Hyland's tablets.

[jojo2324]

Hyland's is a homeopathic remedy. They also make a teething gel. I actually found some on sale at KMart several weeks ago; I think it was $2 for a bottle of pills. Unfortunately for us, the pills don't really seem to do much for Gannon, but I do smear his gums with the gel some nights before bed.

The only problem I have with the tablets is that they are supposed to be dissolved under the tongue, something I find to be virtually impossible with a little kid. I can barely pry his mouth open to see if he's even getting teeth! So I just pop 'em in his mouth and he chews them. Maybe that's why they haven't worked for me. (You can also dissolve them in water and give that via a teaspoon.)

[sntm]

i've been thinking about getting some after hearing all the fan mail on them, but was a little worried when i saw "belladonna" in the ingredient list. i'm assuming the dose is small enough that the risk of side effects are minimal, but belladonna can have some powerful and dangerous side effects in high enough doseages. any pharmacists out there? hope to pick the brain of a pharmacist friend next week. and what do they mean by coffee cruda? caffeine?

at any rate, i would not go over the recommended doseage! i like naturopathic meds (belated thanks to Rachel for Bach's Rescue Remedy) but remember that "natural" does not always mean "safe."

edited to add:
saw flagger posted at the same time i did! belladonna is used medically also (i've prescribed B&O suppository for urinary tract pain/spasms) but definitely has some potent side effects. it's all doseage though -- in high enough doses, tylenol can cause complete liver failure (which is why tylenol is the stupidest way to try to commit suicide -- i've seen several teenage girls on transplant lists for that reason)

will post an update if i talk to my pharm friend.

shannon
not-even-pregnant-yet-overachiever
trying-to-conceive :)
PREGNANT! EDD 6/9/03
mama to Jack 6/6/03

[heidi_timms]

Let us know when you talk to your friend Shannon! I'm anxious to hear if these are in fact safe or not.

~Heidi
Mom to Kailey Ashlin
4/27/03

[sntm]

dissolving under the tongue just gets them absorbed faster. unless stomach acid deactivates something in them, but i'm guessing no since you can dissolve them in water also.


shannon
not-even-pregnant-yet-overachiever
trying-to-conceive :)
PREGNANT! EDD 6/9/03
mama to Jack 6/6/03

[flagger]

With all due respect, Shannon,

JMHO I would never give or take anything containing belladonna nor give it to my child no matter how small the dosage is. The risks are just too great.

[sntm]

That's your decision and that's fine. But I don't want anyone to misunderstand and think that belladonna is some sort of poison. It's related to benadryl. It's a drug and like all drugs, has risks and side effects. In the appropriate doseages, the risk of adverse effects is minimal. In overdoses, it can be dangerous, somewhat more than but just like any other drug. I haven't seen any references to neurotoxic blindness. Where did you see that?

For the record:

(from Micromedex)

NORMAL DOSAGE (PEDIATRIC)
A. ORAL
1. Belladonna tincture contains 27 to 33 milligrams of belladonna leaf alkaloids per 100 milliliters volume. The usual pediatric oral dose of belladonna tincture is 0.1 mL/kilogram (0.03 mg/kg of belladonna leaf alkaloids) in three divided doses per day, or 2.5 mL/square meter (0.75 mg/m(2) of belladonna leaf alkaloids) in three or four divided doses daily. Pediatric dose should not exceed 3.5 mL per day (Olin, 1997; McEvoy, 1997).



3.3 ADVERSE REACTIONS
3.3.2 CARDIOVASCULAR
A. TACHYCARDIA
1. Tachycardia may be seen as an anticholinergic side effect of BELLADONNA (USPDI, 1994).
3.3.3 CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
A. CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM EFFECTS
1. EXCITEMENT, AGITATION, DIZZINESS, LIGHTHEADEDNESS, DROWSINESS, and CONFUSION are all potential adverse reactions to BELLADONNA (USPDI, 1994).
B. SEDATION
1. Sedation may occur as an anticholinergic side effect of BELLADONNA (USPDI, 1994).
3.3.4 ENDOCRINE/METABOLIC
A. HYPERTHERMIA
1. ELEVATED BODY TEMPERATURE may occur as an anticholinergic side effect of BELLADONNA (USPDI, 1994).
3.3.5 GASTROINTESTINAL
A. DRY MOUTH
1. XEROSTOMIA may occur as an anticholinergic side effect of BELLADONNA; chronic reduction in salivary flow may result in DENTAL CARIES and PERIODONTAL DISEASE (USPDI, 1994).
3.3.6 KIDNEY/GENITOURINARY
A. DYSURIA
1. URINARY RETENTION may occur with BELLADONNA use (USPDI, 1994).
3.3.8 OCULAR
A. OCULAR EFFECTS
1. MYDRIASIS, PHOTOPHOBIA, and BLURRED VISION may occur with BELLADONNA (USPDI, 1994).
3.3.12 OTHER
A. OVERDOSE See POISINDEX(R) Management "ANTICHOLINERGIC POISONING"

(from Ford's Clinical Toxicology 2001 -- I can email anyone a copy of the whole chapter if you are REALLY interested)

Chapter 56 - Anticholinergics and Antihistamines (H1 Antagonists)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
KATHLEEN A. DELANEY
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Essentials
• Altered mental status, from delirium to coma
• Amnesia
• Peripheral antimuscarinic effects (some or all may be present):
˚ Dry flushed skin

˚ Dry mucous membranes

˚ Hyperthermia

˚ Tachycardia

˚ Dilated pupils

˚ Decreased bowel sounds

˚ Urinary retention

• Normalization with physostigmine (contraindicated with electrocardiographic [EKG] conduction abnormalities or if cyclic antidepressant toxicity is suspected)

shannon
not-even-pregnant-yet-overachiever
trying-to-conceive :)
PREGNANT! EDD 6/9/03
mama to Jack 6/6/03

[flagger]

>That's your decision and that's fine. But I don't want
>anyone to misunderstand and think that belladonna is some sort
>of poison. It's related to benadryl. It's a drug and like
>all drugs, has risks and side effects. In the appropriate
>doseages, the risk of adverse effects is minimal. In
>overdoses, it can be dangerous, somewhat more than but just
>like any other drug. I haven't seen any references to
>neurotoxic blindness. Where did you see that?

Baby 411 - Ari Brown, MD and Denise Fields 2003 P. 70, 351, 374

My problem with it is that herbal teething remedies are not regulated by the FDA, so you really don't know what you are getting. All natural as you said, does not mean safe. I happen to err on the side of caution on this issue. The risk of damaging the nervous system with a known neurotoxin is just not something I am willing to take.

I will freely admit that I do lots of "old school" things that many consider risky and not safe, but this is just something I felt strongly about and wanted to share. It is ultimately up to each individual parent to choose what works best for them.

I will get on a soapbox about an offshoot of this, no matter how your ped feels about alternative therapies, I think it is always important to share what you have given to your child for the risk of caustic drug interaction.

[sntm]

>My problem with it is that herbal teething remedies are not
>regulated by the FDA, so you really don't know what you are
>getting.

> no matter
>how your ped feels about alternative therapies, I think it is
>always important to share what you have given to your child
>for the risk of caustic drug interaction.

excellent points. thanks, i should have mentioned those.

shannon
not-even-pregnant-yet-overachiever
trying-to-conceive :)
PREGNANT! EDD 6/9/03
mama to Jack 6/6/03

[sntm]

well, i talked to two pharmacists i know and neither were familiar with how the dosing was listed but both were wary (as pharmacists and as parents) about giving it to kids. so i decided to investigate further and have emailed the company to get more information.

did learn that apparently homeopathic drugs ARE regulated by the FDA, not as nutritional supplements but under a separate homeopathic pharmacopeaia and i have not figured out what that specifically means (do they make them do safety testing? do they have to report any/all adverse effects? do they do quality control checks?)

too much real work to do right now, but will continue to investigate!


shannon
not-even-pregnant-yet-overachiever
trying-to-conceive :)
PREGNANT! EDD 6/9/03
mama to Jack 6/6/03

[houseof3boys]

Thanks for looking into all of this Shannon. I am eager to learn what else you come up with. :)

[Karenn]

Yes, thanks Shannon. I've been curious about this for the longest time!

[heidi_timms]

Thanks again Shannon! I had been waiting to hear as well. Let us know if you find out anything else.
~Heidi
Mom to Kailey Ashlin
4/27/03

[sntm]

Thank you for your inquiry regarding Hylands Teething Tablets.

Our Hyland's Teething Tablets is a homeopathic medicine manufactured in accordance with the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States that utilizes Belladonna prepared as a 1:1000 dilution of the whole plant, of which only 0.0003% is the toxic Belladonna alkaloids. Prepared in this form, a 10 lb. child would need to ingest 6 entire bottles of the 125 tablets at one time before they could possibly experience the first side effect of dry mouth. The 3X (.065 mg) represents one part active ingredient per 1000 parts lactose.

We look forward to being of continued service.

Sincerely,
Patricia Phillips, R.N.




sounds like they should be safe, even assuming the worst quality assurance standards. still haven't decided if i will use them or not, but hope it reassures those who do!

[KMommie]

Thank you so much! I was beginning to worry that I had put DD at risk, and yet... I still wanted to use them since they worked for us! Thanks for doing the research and sharing the info!! I can now make a more informed choice.

Jeannie
mommy to Kiki 4/18/03

[houseof3boys]

Thanks Shannon. I am going to continue using them sparingly for Ryan when he seems to have teething pain since they seemed to work for us.

I appreciate your dilligence in checking into all of this! :)

[ethansmom]

Shannon,

Thanks so much for the follow up. I ran out yesterday to purchase the tablets after reading your post, and am happy to report they worked wonders for us!! I'll certainly ask his ped about them, but they saved us on a holiday weekend!

[peasprout]

Yes, thanks for your research. I was starting to feel like a horrible mother, but then I talked to a pediatrician who said anything in excess is harmful. She's even known of problems associated with using too much Orajel (and you can even die if you drink too much water!) I knew the wonderful posters on this board wouldn't have steered me wrong in their recommendations. Thanks again!