As great as Bonjela is in relieving oral pains such as an inflammation or mouth ulcers, the Bonjela mouth gel is known to have negative side effects that can be fatal, and is therefore NOT RECOMMENDED to be used on children below the age of 16.
Parents, do take note. The next time your children complain of mouth ulcers, do not simply apply Bonjela on them. You need to know the risk you are exposing your young children to when using Bonjela excessively. There is a reason why its recommended dosage is once in 3 hours at the very least, and you should not exceed the dosage recommended.
Read more about why Bonjela is a threat to children’s health below.
Why is Bonjela dangerous to children under 16 years of age?
Here’s a warning released on NetDoctor’s website regarding the use of Bonjela:
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has recommended that topical products containing choline salicylate (the main active ingredient in Bonjela and Bonjela cool mint gel) should no longer be used by children and adolescents under the age of 16 years. This advice is purely a precautionary measure, based on a theoretical risk if these products are overused in children. If you have previously used Bonjela or Bonjela cool mint gel on your child you should not worry – there is very little risk of an adverse reaction. Bonjela and Bonjela cool mint gel continue to be suitable and safe treatments for adults over 16 years of age. For more information and advice talk to your pharmacist, dentist or doctor. The new age restriction does not apply to Bonjela teething gel, which does not contain choline salicylate and is still suitable for teething babies aged over two months.
The active ingredient mentioned above, choline salicylate, apparently increases the risk of developing a potentially fatal disease called Reye’s syndrome. To understand what Reye’s syndrome is and how severe it can be, read this excerpt:
Reye’s syndrome is a potentially fatal disease that causes numerous detrimental effects to many organs, especially the brain and liver. It is associated with aspirin consumption by children with viral diseases such as chickenpox. The disease causes fatty liver with minimal inflammation and severe encephalopathy (with swelling of the brain). The liver may become slightly enlarged and firm, and there is a change in the appearance of the kidneys. Jaundice is not usually present. Early diagnosis is vital; otherwise death or severe brain damage may follow.
Source: WikiPedia
The company marketing Bonjela has also recently made known of this link of choline salicylate to Reye’s syndrome and has advised against the use of Bonjela for people under the age of 16. You can read about Bonjela’s release here.
Is Bonjela safe to be used by pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers?
NetDoctor’s article states that it is usually safe for pregnant women to use this product provided that they do not exceed the recommended dosage. However, it is recommended that pregnant women who are approaching the end of their pregnancy should avoid using Bonjela.
As for breastfeeding mothers, do take note that this substance may pass through your milk, albeit in small amounts. It is said to have no adverse effects on nursing babies, but you should exercise precaution anyway and check thoroughly with your doctor. As a safety measure, perhaps you can ask for alternative medicines that do not contain choline salicylate.
Pass on this information about the use of Bonjela!
Now that you are aware of the facts and possible risks of using Bonjela, pass it on to others who may not know and help to prevent anyone from falling victim to Reye’s syndrome, no matter how small the risk may be now.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Hey, thanks for this, I didn’t know that. I used Bonjela quite a lot when I was young cause I was having ulcers all the time (it runs in the family) but thankfully I got lazy and stopped using it for quite a long time and definitely didn’t use it when I was carrying Hayley.
Thanks for taking the effort to warn others about this. As usual, I can’t be 100% sure of what I read on the Internet, but I will check it out.
Amy, no problem. Glad to be sharing the info. Now that you know, it’s good to take precaution for Hayley’s sake.
Adino, yes by all means do find out more about it. If you have more info to share, we’ll all be glad to read it
hey i get ulcers all the time im 14 & i use bonjela adult like loads ive gone through like a whole tube of it in a week or so?