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Michaela Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 25 2005 Location: Washington
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Posted: Oct 30 2006 at 7:33am | IP Logged
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We had a big scare here last night.
Nathan got into the medicine cabinet, opened the Children's Motrin, and drank the bottle.....less two doses I had given Olivia. (This wasn't the reg size bottle, it was the next size up)
DH and I were so scared of what could happen & upset he would do that. Child proof caps don't work on a six year old. He wanted some "sweet syrup". Ugh. I started getting him dressed to head to the ER, but DH was able to reach poison control who advised us it's not necessary unless a child his age/size drinks two bottles. If it would have been children's tylenol, it would have been a different ending.
The person also told DH that it's very common for them to get calls about children drinking entire bottles of meds that have the fruity or bubble gum flavor.
So, after we all calmed down (even though DH was very calm on the outside) we announced to our kiddoes that the bubble gum or fruit flavor meds are gone.
In the future, they can expect that foul tasting stuff.
I've been checking on him all night, it's 5:30 a.m. here so he's still sleeping, but all seems well.
Thanks be to God that it turned out the way it did.
__________________ Michaela
Momma to Nicholas 16, Nathan 13, Olivia 13, Teresa 6, & Anthony 3
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kingvozzo Forum All-Star
Joined: March 28 2005 Location: Maine
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Posted: Oct 30 2006 at 7:49am | IP Logged
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Thank God he's ok. This has always been a huge fear of mine. It's especially troubling to me that, not only do they make the meds so tasty, but they often make them look just like candy. Like those "feel better bear" lollipops. Yikes! is all I can say.
After reading your post, I'm wondering if they even make children's meds in "regular" non-yummy flavors? My oldest, ds8, has just gotten big enough to take the smallest doses of adults meds.
__________________ Noreen
Wife to Ed
Mom to 4 great kids and 10 sweet ones in Our Lady's arms
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kjohnson Forum All-Star
Joined: July 26 2006 Location: N/A
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Posted: Oct 30 2006 at 7:57am | IP Logged
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Michaela wrote:
The person also told DH that it's very common for them to get calls about children drinking entire bottles of meds that have the fruity or bubble gum flavor. |
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It doesn't surprise me that the person at poison control said this. My 2 yo dd ate quite a few pieces of ExLax last summer and ended up in the ER on an IV. She obviously thought the drug was a chocolate bar, just like some of the bubble gum and fruity syrups seem like a sweet treat. My little one calls the fruity stuff "candy medicine." It's amazing how good they make it taste.
The pediatric ER doctor (at a major Dallas hospital) told my dh that this happens all the time. We just opted to move our meds from our medicine cabinet (my dd was a precocious climber) into a cabinet in our bathroom, well out of reach. A great scenario would be a cabinet with a lock, but we had to settle for height.
I'm so glad to know that your little one is ok. It's a very scary experience.
__________________ In Christ,
Katherine
Wife to Doug and Mother of 6
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amiefriedl Forum Pro
Joined: Feb 15 2005 Location: N/A
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Posted: Oct 30 2006 at 9:01am | IP Logged
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My sil's family, with 9 very active children, kept their meds in a locked sentry safe in their bedroom. No kidding.
__________________ In Christ the King through Mary our Mother,
Amie
Blessed with an awesome hubby and Mom of ds10, dd7, dd3 and dd 10months.
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lapazfarm Forum All-Star
Joined: July 21 2005 Location: Alaska
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Posted: Oct 30 2006 at 9:30am | IP Logged
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Wow. That is just scary. Thank God it was not Tylenol.
__________________ Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
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Sarah Forum All-Star
Joined: Aug 17 2005 Location: N/A
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Posted: Oct 30 2006 at 11:25am | IP Logged
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amiefriedl wrote:
My sil's family, with 9 very active children, kept their meds in a locked sentry safe in their bedroom. No kidding. |
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That is such a good idea! I'm going to do that. My kids love motrin and I don't think you can get motrin liquid without the good flavor. yikes!
We just can't be vigilant enough, can we?
I'm so glad he's okay. That is so scary!!!
__________________ Six boys ages 16, 14, 11, 7, 5, 2 and one girl age 9
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mary Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 17 2005 Location: N/A
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Posted: Oct 30 2006 at 12:57pm | IP Logged
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wow, how scary. i'm glad your boy is alright.
we keep our meds in a locked file cabinet that i keep in the coat closet. sometimes i get lazy and forget to lock it back up - thank you for the reminder.
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Karen E. Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 27 2005 Location: N/A
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Posted: Oct 30 2006 at 3:35pm | IP Logged
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Yikes, how frightening. Thank the Lord he's okay. A few years ago, I moved our meds to a cupboard in the kitchen, high up, above the sink. Dh and I are the only ones who can reach them (well, 13yo dd can now, too, but I don't worry about her. )
__________________ God bless,
Karen E.
mom to three on earth, and several souls in God's care
Visit my blog, with its shockingly clever title, "Karen Edmisten."
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teachingmom Forum All-Star
Virginia Bluebells
Joined: Feb 16 2005 Location: Virginia
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Posted: Oct 30 2006 at 11:47pm | IP Logged
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An inexpensive alternative to the safe is what we've used to lock up our meds--a plastic tool box from Home Depot with a combination lock, kept in a hall linen closet.
So glad all is well, Michaela!
__________________ ~Irene (Mom to 6 girls, ages 7-19)
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Caroline Forum All-Star
Joined: March 04 2006 Location: California
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Posted: Oct 31 2006 at 9:00am | IP Logged
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Oh my goodness! I'm so glad your little one is okay.
__________________ Devoted Wife to and Mama to three beautiful boys and another little boy due in September, and two beautiful souls in heaven
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Cay Gibson Forum All-Star
Joined: July 16 2005 Location: Louisiana
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Posted: Oct 31 2006 at 9:24am | IP Logged
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Glad he's okay, Michaela.
__________________ Cay Gibson
"There are 49 states, then there is Louisiana." ~ Chef Emeril
wife to Mark '86
mom to 5
Cajun Cottage Under the Oaks
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Dawnie Forum All-Star
Joined: Aug 30 2005 Location: Kansas
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Posted: Oct 31 2006 at 12:02pm | IP Logged
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Glad your son is okay, Michaela...that sounds like something my kiddos might do...
Why is Tylenol worse than Motrin? Did the doc tell you what would happen if a child drank a bottle of Tylenol?
With everything that they can get into to, or get hurt doing (riding a bike, etc.), sometimes I think it's a wonder that any children survive to adulthood!
Holy Guardian Angels, watch over and protect our dear children!
Dawn
__________________ Mom to Mary Beth (99), Anna (02), Lucia (04), Clara (06), and Adelaide Victoria (2/28/09)
Visit my blog!Water Into Wine:Vino Per Tutto!
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lapazfarm Forum All-Star
Joined: July 21 2005 Location: Alaska
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Posted: Oct 31 2006 at 12:07pm | IP Logged
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Dawn
Tylenol overdose can cause liver damage. I don't know if this is true of motrin, but since poison control did not become alarmed I assume not.
Here is an article on Tylenol overdose, which is very common.
Tylenol overdose
__________________ Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
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Michaela Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 25 2005 Location: Washington
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Posted: Oct 31 2006 at 4:04pm | IP Logged
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I really like the suggestion of locking the medications up. I thought they were past the age that I'd have to worry about it. Height means nothing, more challenge is more fun to Nathan. I've had to speak to my kiddos for climbing on counters to reach the cabinet above the refrig where we keep the treats.
The tylenol article was very good....this sentence jumped out at me:
Partly because it is so easy to obtain, acetaminophen causes more overdoses and overdose deaths than any other drug in the United States.
I thought the Motrin causes liver damage & intestinal bleeding as well. Thankfully, I was wrong.
__________________ Michaela
Momma to Nicholas 16, Nathan 13, Olivia 13, Teresa 6, & Anthony 3
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lapazfarm Forum All-Star
Joined: July 21 2005 Location: Alaska
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Posted: Oct 31 2006 at 8:33pm | IP Logged
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One thing my dh told me (he used to be an ER Nurse and Paramedic)is that folks often make the mistake of thinking the Tylenol infant drops are lower strength than the children's Tylenol, when actuallly it is just the opposite. The Infant Tylenol is actually higher strength because it is concentrated, made that way so you can give a smaller volume dose. People think they have to give MORE infant Tylenol to an older child (reasoning that, after all, it is for infants, so it must not be very strong...) and end up overdosing their child.
__________________ Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
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