Home Symptoms Infant colic

Infant colic — what to take?

Colic = intense, inconsolable crying, over 3 hours/day, 3 days/week, over 3 weeks, in a healthy infant under 3 months. Cause not fully clarified (GI immaturity, dysbiosis, overstimulation).

3 recommended OTC drugs
4,387 pharmacies available

OTC — no prescription

What you can take for infant colic

Informativ. Nu înlocuiește sfatul medicului. Consultă medicul sau farmacistul înainte de a lua orice medicament.

Recognition

Paroxysmal crying, in the evening, red-faced baby, flexion of legs on abdomen, gas expulsion. Onset at 2-3 weeks, peak at 6 weeks, spontaneously resolves at 3-4 months.

Non-pharmacological measures (first line)

  • Positioning on the mother's arm tummy-down (or on the father's arm).
  • Rhythmic motion (rocking, walking).
  • White noise (vacuum cleaner, hair dryer).
  • Swaddling for small babies.
  • Gentle abdominal massage clockwise.
  • Apply warmth (not hot) on abdomen.
  • Burping after each feed.
  • Check breastfeeding technique — latch, pauses.

OTC treatment

Simethicone (Sab Simplex, Espumisan) — dissolves gas bubbles. Modest evidence, but total safety. 20-40 drops with each meal.

Probiotics — Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 — best evidence, 5 drops/day (BioGaia), significantly reduces crying time after 3-4 weeks.

Dill/chamomile tea — traditional, but small amounts and limited (should not replace milk).

Elimination of cow milk proteins — from mother's diet (if breastfeeding) or switch to hypoallergenic formula — useful in 10-15% of colic cases.

What to avoid

  • Overfeeding or underfeeding.
  • Herbal remedies with alcohol.
  • Medications based on phenobarbital, belladonna.

When to consult the pediatrician URGENTLY

Crying associated with fever, projectile vomiting, blood in stool, lethargy, food refusal, weight loss, abdominal distension, sudden abnormal crying — may be intussusception, strangulated hernia, infection.

Medical disclaimer: the information in this guide is for informational purposes only and does not replace medical or pharmacist advice. For diagnosis and treatment consult a healthcare professional.

Nights, weekends, holidays

24/7 pharmacies for infant colic

Infant colic doesn't wait for office hours. If you need a medicine at 2 AM or on a weekend, open the map with the 24/7 filter on and find the nearest on-call pharmacy. Major cities have several round-the-clock pharmacies — the per-city pages below list them all, with address, phone and verified opening hours.

Call ahead before you leave, especially at night — on-call schedules can change and stock for some prescription items may be limited between deliveries.

Search the pharmacy

Medicine categories for infant colic

Step by step

How to find a pharmacy fast for infant colic

Open the interactive map and grant location permission — you'll immediately see pharmacies sorted by distance, each with its opening hours and a one-tap route in Google Maps. If it's night or a weekend, switch on the 24/7 filter to keep only the on-call ones. For infant colic most of the listed remedies are over the counter, so you can walk in without a prescription, but check stock and prices first to avoid wasted trips.

If you have a preferred active ingredient (paracetamol, ibuprofen, etc.), search it in the comparator before you leave — you'll see which chain has it cheapest near you and whether it's in stock. For chronic prescriptions, save your favourite pharmacy in the app and turn on hours notifications — it saves unnecessary trips, especially when treatment for infant colic runs over weeks.

When to see a doctor

If any of these signs appear, consult a doctor — OTC treatment is not enough:

  • Crying associated with fever
  • Repeated projectile vomiting
  • Blood in stool
  • Lethargy, apathetic baby
  • Food refusal, weight loss
  • Marked abdominal distension
  • Sudden, intense crying associated with pallor

Frequently asked

Common questions

How long does colic last?
Onset 2-3 weeks, peak 6 weeks, spontaneous resolution 3-4 months. Critical phase for parents — endure with help and rotations.
Do probiotics really help?
Yes, L. reuteri DSM 17938 has the strongest evidence — reduces crying time by 50% after 3-4 weeks in breastfed babies.
Do I have to eliminate dairy from my diet?
Only if cow milk protein allergy is suspected (eczema, blood in stool, severe reflux). Elimination 2-3 weeks, observe effect.
Is it my fault that the baby is crying?
No — colic appears in healthy babies with competent parents. The phase is transitory. Ask for help, don't blame yourself.

See also

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