<s>[INST] When my child gets a fever, I heard it’s best to alternate acetaminophen and ibuprofen. Is this true? [/INST] During most illnesses, I think it’s best to find one medication your child will easily take and use that medication according to its labeled use. Although the results of a few studies have suggested fever reduction was slightly greater when using both medications, the risk of making a mistake while alternating fever reducers is higher than the increased relief your child may experience by using this method.

However, if your child’s fever is not coming down to a level of comfort with one medication alone, both may be used. If you choose to alternate, medication can be given every three hours. For example, acetaminophen at noon, ibuprofen at 3 pm, acetaminophen at 6 pm, etc. Make a chart to mark down the time each medication was given, and share it with all caregivers. Again, alternating two fever reducers is not needed for most illnesses. Source: KC KIDS DOC. Link: https://kckidsdoc.substack.com/p/fever-a-quick-guide-for-parents. Field: Infectious Disease. Disease: Fever </s>