Medications
Here is a list of the commonly used Over-The-Counter medications and their doses. You will also find a description of
what the medication is used for and when to use it.
TYLENOL (ACETOMINOPHEN): This medication is used to help lower body temperatures during febrile illnesses. It is also
used to control pain (such as with ear aches, headaches, sore throats, teething pain, etc).
TYLENOL / ACETOMINOPHEN (Dosed every 4-6 hours)
Weight:
Milligram
Dosage
Infant
Children’s Children’s soft Junior strength
Drops
liquid
chews
Caps or chews
80mg/0.8ml 160mg/5ml
80mg each
160mg each
5-8 lbs
40mg
½ dropper
(.4ml)
¼ tsp
(1.25ml)
N/A
N/A
9-10 lbs
60mg
¾ dropper
(.6ml)
1/3 tsp
(1.8ml)
N/A
N/A
11-16 lbs 80mg
1 dropper
(.8ml)
½ tsp
(2.5ml)
N/A
N/A
17-21 lbs 120mg
1 ½ droppers ¾ tsp
(1.2ml)
(3.75ml)
N/A
N/A
22-26 lbs 160mg
2 droppers
(1.6ml)
1 tsp
(5ml)
2 tablets
1 tablet
27-32 lbs 200mg
2 ½ dropper
(2ml)
1 ¼ tsp
(6.25ml)
2 ½ tablets
33-37 lbs 240mg
3 droppers
(2.4ml)
1 ½ tsp
(7.5ml)
3 tablets
38-42 lbs 280mg
3 ½ droppers 1 ¾ tsp
(2.8ml)
(8.75ml)
3 ½ tablets
43-53 lbs 320mg
4 droppers
(3.2ml)
2 tsp
(10ml)
4 tablets
54-64 lbs 400mg
Use Liquid
2½
5 tablets
tsp(12.5ml)
2 ½ tablets
65-75 lbs 480mg
3 tsp
(15ml)
6 tablets
3 tablets
76-86 lbs 560mg
3 ½ tsp
(17.5ml)
7 tablets
3 ½ tablets
87-95 lbs 640mg
4 tsp
(20ml)
8 tablets
4 tablets
>95 lbs
Give
Adult
Dosage
1 ½ tablet
2 tablets
ADVIL / MOTRIN (IBUPROFEN): These medications also help to lower fevers during febrile illnesses and help with pain
control (ear aches, headaches, sore throats, teething pain, etc). In addition, they are used to relieve pain associated with
inflammation (muscle aches, sprained ankles, back pain, etc). Dosed every 6-8 hours.
Weight:
Milligram
Dosage
Pediacare drops
50mg/1.25ml
Advil/Motrin Drops
50mg/1.25ml
Children’s liquid
100mg/5ml
Chewable
Junior strength Caps
Tablets 50mg
or chews 100mg
each
each
9-10 lbs 25mg
½ dropper (0.625)
1/3 syringe (0.625ml) N/A
N/A
N/A
11-16
lbs
50mg
1 dropper (1.25ml)
2/3 syringe (1.25ml)
½ tsp (2.5ml)
N/A
N/A
17-21
lbs
75mg
1 ½ dropper (1.25ml
1 syringe (1.875ml)
+ 0.625ml)
¾ tsp (3.75ml)
N/A
N/A
22-26
lbs
100mg
2 droppers (2 x
1.25ml)
1 1/3 syringe
(1.875ml + 0.625ml)
1 tsp (5ml)
2 tablets
1 tablet
27-32
lbs
125mg
2 ½ droppers (2 x
1.25ml + 0.625ml)
1 2/3 syringe
(1.875ml + 01.25ml)
1 ¼ tsp (6.25ml) 2 ½ tablets
33-37
lbs
150mg
3 droppers (3 x
1.25ml)
2 syringes (2 x
1.875ml)
1 ½ tsp (7.5ml)
38-42
lbs
175mg
3 ½ droppers (3 x
1.25ml + 0.625ml)
2 1/3 syringes (2 x
1.875ml + 0.625ml)
1 ¾ tsp (8.75ml) 3 ½ tablets
43-53
lbs
200mg
4 droppers (4 x
1.25ml)
2 2/3 syringes (2 x
1.875ml + 1.25ml)
2 tsp (10ml)
54-64
lbs
250mg
Use liquid or tablets
Use liquid or tablets
2 ½ tsp (12.5ml) 5 tablets
2 ½ tablets
65-75
lbs
300mg
3 tsp (15ml)
3 tablets
76-86
lbs
350mg
3 ½ tsp (17.5ml) 7 tablets
3 ½ tablets
87-95
lbs
400mg
4 tsp (20ml)
4 tablets
> 95 lbs
Give
Adult
Dose
3 tablets
4 tablets
6 tablets
8 tablets
1 ½ tablet
2 tablets
Our office is no longer recommending any OTC cold or cough preparations for our patients for the treatment of
colds and coughs. There is little evidence that these medications work to help with your childs symptoms and they can
actually be harmful in some cases. We recommend only symptomatic care with nasal saline and suction, raising the head
of your child's bed, providing plenty of fluids, and honey .
If your child is experiencing allergy like symptoms, such as a clear runny nose, sneezing, or itchy watery eyes, we
may recommend using an antihistamine, such as Benadryl (also known as Diphenhydramine), Claritin, Alavert (also
known as Loratidine), or Zyrtec. Please call before given Benadryl to children under the age of 2 unless sepcifically told
us use it is there can be contraindications to its use. These medications will also help your child if she is experiencing an
itchy rash, poison ivy or eczema.
BENADRYL (Dosed every 6 hours)
Weight
Liquid
Tablets
(pounds)
12.5mg/5ml
12.5mg each
17-21
22-32
33-42
43-53
54-64
65-75
76-86
>86
3/4 tsp
(3.75ml)
1 tsp (5ml)
1 1/2 tsp
(7.5ml)
2 tsp (10ml)
2 1/2 tsp
(12.5ml)
3 tsp (15ml)
3 1/2 tsp
(17.5ml)
4 tsp (20ml)
Use liquid
Chewable
Tablets 25mg
each
NA
1 tablets
1 1/2 tablets
NA
NA
2 tablets
2 1/2 tablets
1 tablet
3 tablets
3 1/2 tablets
4 tablets
2 tablets
CLARITIN / ALAVERT (Dosed once daily)
Age of Child Dose
2 years – 6 years 1 tsp once daily
> 6 years of age 2 tsp or 1 reditab (10 mg tab) or 1 pill (10mg tab)
daily

The dose of Zyrtec/ Cetirizine depends on age as below:
6 - 12 months of age: 2.5 mg given once daily (maximum dose 5 mg daily)

12 - 24 months of age: 2.5 given once or twice daily (maximum dose 5 mg daily)

2 - 6 years of age: 2.5 - 5 mg given once daily (maximum dose 5 mg daily)

Over 6 years of age: 5 - 10 mg given once daily (maximum dose 10 mg daily)
Zyrtec comes in a 1mg/ml solution (so 2.5 mg = 2.5 ml). There is also a 10mg/ml oral drops preparation
(so 5 mg is 1/2 ml).
Make sure you check the strength of the solution.
What are the side effects of zyrtec and claritien in toddlers and infants?
The most common side effect of Cetirizine is sleepiness. Children can also cause a dry mouth, nausea,
vomiting or diarrhea and even abdominal pain.
Serious side effects such as hepatitis or bronchospasm (respiratory distress with wheeze) are rare.