bonjela

Cunning Stunt

I feel terrible. I have been using bonjela on my babys gums for about a month now. The tube said it could be used on babies over 4 months of age so I didn't think it was the version that there have been concerns about. But it turns out that it is - it's just that it was the old packaging. Bonjela changed their packaging in 2010 and renamed the 'dangerous' version to 'bonjela adult'.

--- and yet I managed to buy a tube in the outdated packaging in March this year from a supermarket in Ireland and have been using it for my baby - now I have one more thing to worry about !

So just a warning to anyone who is going to buy bonjela - make sure you get the one that is now called 'bonjela teething gel' for babies from 2 months and not the regular bonjela that says babies from 4 months.

Strip

What is the concern with bonjela 4 months plus, this is the first I heard of this and I only bought a tube a couple of weeks ago in a large pharmacy

Cunning Stunt

the concern is with the ingredient 'salicylates'. There's a press release from 2010 here. I bought the old pack pictured on the top left which has been changed to 'bonjela adult'.

http://www.bonjela.co.uk/press_release.php

could it be that this packaging change was not implemented in ireland, only in the Uk?

Strip

Thanks for the warning , we didn't use it yet so again thanks

nikpmup

Oh my God! I have two tubes of bonjela, both say teething gel, but are from 4 months and have Choline Salicylate in them! I'd never heard of any issues - I'll be dumping them and getting the other ones tomorrow!

nikpmup

I'm very confused though, the packaging is almost identical to the new teething gel packaging in that press release.

Ocean Blue

There are two different types of bonjela packaging here but the products are the same. It's purely a marketing thing really. Both the 'teething gel' and the regular gel are suitable from 4 months plus. The issues you refer to apply to the UK only it seems.

http://www.medicines.ie/medicine/580/SPC/Bonjela+Oromucosal+Gel/

http://www.medicines.ie/medicine/15425/SPC/Bonjela+Teething+Gel+Oromucosal+Gel/

Cunning Stunt

The tube I bought says on the tube itself ''contains salicylates'.
That press release says that the ''bonjela baby teething gel'' does not contain salicylates - so there must be a difference.

Ocean Blue

Cunning Stunt wrote: »

The tube I bought says on the tube itself ''contains salicylates'.
That press release says that the ''bonjela baby teething gel'' does not contain salicylates - so there must be a difference.

But that press release was not for Ireland. Look at the second link in my last post. That's the official SPC for Bonjela Teething Gel in Ireland. It still contains choline salicylate in Ireland.

nikpmup

Cunning Stunt wrote: »

The tube I bought says on the tube itself ''contains salicylates'.
That press release says that the ''bonjela baby teething gel'' does not contain salicylates - so there must be a difference.

The same with mine, says bonjela teething gel, but also contains salicylates - 8,14%

Cunning Stunt

Thanks OceanBlue - do you know why these changes have not been implemented in Ireland? Surely if the ingredient is of concern in UK, it should be removed from the Irish product aswell??

nikpmup

I would have thought that would make sense!

Ocean Blue

http://www.imb.ie/EN/Safety--Quality/Advisory-Warning--Recall-Notices/Human-Medicines/Topical-salicylate-Salicylate-products-Products-for-oral-use-in-children.aspx

Update from the Irish Medicines Board from when that issue was reviewed a few years ago. They do not believe there was cause for concern when the products were used sensibly. So no change in formulation in this country.

nikpmup

I've always used it sparingly but will be even more careful from now on I think.

Cunning Stunt

I am gonna buy the UK version without the salicylates, just for my own peace of mind. You can get it on chemist direct - a uk site so I hope it's the right product.

http://results.chemistdirect.co.uk/search?w=bonjela+teething

vibe666

Funny, they change bonjela for babies there, but not here, but in the same breath you can't get calgel here, but you can there.

It's a shame, it's also invaluable, much better than bonjela imho and really does the trick.

contrary_mary

I remember that case in the UK- there was quite a bit of media coverage at the time. As far as I remember the child had ingested the equivalent of 4 tubes in one day. Maybe I'm wrong but I definitely remember thinking "how?" at the time! I would not be at all concerned about normal usage.

vibe666 wrote: »

Funny, they change bonjela for babies there, but not here, but in the same breath you can't get calgel here, but you can there.

It's a shame, it's also invaluable, much better than bonjela imho and really does the trick.

Calgel isn't banned here, the company who manufacture it have just made a commercial decision not to apply for a license or to market it. That's the problem with being a small country with a small market - it's the same situation with many products. There is a product available otc in pharmacies called medijel which has the same ingredients as calgel.

nikpmup

contrary_mary wrote: »

I remember that case in the UK- there was quite a bit of media coverage at the time. As far as I remember the child had ingested the equivalent of 4 tubes in one day. Maybe I'm wrong but I definitely remember thinking "how?" at the time! I would not be at all concerned about normal usage.



Calgel isn't banned here, the company who manufacture it have just made a commercial decision not to apply for a license or to market it. That's the problem with being a small country with a small market - it's the same situation with many products. There is a product available otc in pharmacies called medijel which has the same ingredients as calgel.

I didn't realise medijel was the same as calgel, it's the business for mouth ulcers.

contrary_mary

nikpmup wrote: »

I didn't realise medijel was the same as calgel, it's the business for mouth ulcers.

I'm not 100% sure of the dosages so check with the pharmacist but it's definitely lidocaine too.

I agree lidocaine is a great local anaesthetic. I use anbesol for mouth ulcers and tyrozet lozenges for a bad sore throat - both brilliant but neither are suitable for babies of course! I haven't looked into bonjela versus medijel/calgel just yet as I'm still pregnant but I must investigate. No medicine is risk-free but I think if you stick to the dosage recommendations with bonjela you can't go too far wrong.