# URGENT! DH accidentally gave 1 tbsp of tylenol to DS instead of 1 TSP



## AprilM (Sep 11, 2007)

Ok, I am so mad right now I am fuming. I didn't even want DH to give tylenol, but DS spiked a fever, and gave him tylenol when I was gone. I can live with that, but the dosage is 1 TEASPOON (160 mg) and DH accidentally gave DS 1 TABLESPOON which would be 480 MG!!!

I am writing this through my tears. I called Poison Control, and they said that dosage is not toxic, and I even called my pedi's office, who confirmed DS could take as much as 10 teaspoons before toxicity occurs.

But I am still worried to death! Has anyone ever done this by accident before? I am about to divorce DH! (not really...but I am super mad...like steam fuming out of my ears mad)









Do you think I should be worried?


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## User101 (Mar 3, 2002)

No, I don't. Poison Control really does know what it's talking about.







And try not to be too angry with your husband. Mistakes happen.


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## Tway (Jul 1, 2010)

My friend's DS ate a bunch of children's Tylenol cause he thought, of course, they were candy. My friend called Poison Control and they reassured her that the children's version has a very, very low dose of medicine in it. Later on, she took DS to the hospital anyway, and the nurse gave her crap for not bringing him in right away--until the doctor reassured the nurse that Poison Control were THE authority on the subject.

Her DS was just fine. No worries!!


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## hillymum (May 15, 2003)

It's happened in this house too. Poison control really does give good advice. Trust them! Give your dh a lesson on giving out meds (including checking expiration dates!) and then forgive him. Poor guy really tried to do the right thing. I bet he feels rotten!


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## MountainMamaGC (Jun 23, 2008)

When you calm down, go give your DH a hug. He is a parent too, and he was trying to do his best. I bet he does feel really bad.


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## sapphire_chan (May 2, 2005)

And buy something that measures in mL so DH doesn't have to guesstimate when he's worried enough to dose your DS.


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## lifeguard (May 12, 2008)

A frustratingly easy mistake to make. We always use the dropper 'cause it's easier to measure in mL than by a tsp/tbsp plus it's easier to get ds to take it with the dropper.

When you're figuring out dose are you using the age guideline or weight? Weight is a better way to go - if I go by age for ds the dose is half of what it should be for his weight.


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## AprilM (Sep 11, 2007)

Thanks for the reassurance. I know I need to forgive my husband. But he called me when I was gone *specifically* to ask me if he could give DS tylenol, and at first I said no. He kept pressing the issue so I told him he could give 1/2 a dose. Grrrr....

I know he feels like crap. Not to be a complainer, but my husband honestly NEVER listens to me. He *hears* me, but most times he couldn't repeat back what I said to him. He tells me he has undiagnosed ADHD, but I think it's selective. I think the sound of my voice must sound like those "Waa Waa" voices of the adults on Charlie Brown.

Anyway, DS is sleeping, I, because I am a worrier, probably won't get much sleep tonight.
But thank you ladies for chiming in. I love my DH, but lately feel like I want to ring his neck.


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## AprilM (Sep 11, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *lifeguard* 
A frustratingly easy mistake to make. We always use the dropper 'cause it's easier to measure in mL than by a tsp/tbsp plus it's easier to get ds to take it with the dropper.

When you're figuring out dose are you using the age guideline or weight? Weight is a better way to go - if I go by age for ds the dose is half of what it should be for his weight.

I have always just dosed by the guidelines on the bottle. DS is 24 pounds, teetering on 25. I normally just use my cooking teaspoons for meds. And I always thought 2 teaspoons equal 1 tablespoon. But tonight I find out that 1 tablespoon is THREE teaspoons! (I filled my tablespoon up twice, both times it only took 2 teaspoons...I am stumped







)

How do I figure out what his appropriate dose would be?


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## tbone_kneegrabber (Oct 16, 2007)

you dose by *weight* and only ever give medicine from a medicine dropper or syringe, never from a spoon.


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## odenata (Feb 1, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *tbone_kneegrabber* 
you dose by *weight* and only ever give medicine from a medicine dropper or syringe, never from a spoon.

You can often pick these up for free from a pharmacy, although usually children's meds come with a syringe/dropper.

If not, they are just a dollar or two in the children's section at a drugstore and definitely worth having.


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## confustication (Mar 18, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *AprilM* 
He kept pressing the issue so I told him he could give 1/2 a dose. Grrrr....


It really isn't a great plan to under-medicate any more than it is to over-medicate. Give the proper dose by weight when it is needed. Also, only use a proper dosing device- a syringe is ideal at that age.

Also, why would your husband need to ask you for permission? I think you should both sit down to discuss some family guidelines and practices about medications so this won't happen again.

As for worrying- don't worry, Poison control really is a fabulous resource, they know what they are talking about. Get some sleep or take some time to reconnect with your DH who doesn't need your anger heaped on his guilt.


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## sapphire_chan (May 2, 2005)

Tell your dh to research how to safely give kids medications and teach you how to do it.


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## karne (Jul 6, 2005)

If you are ever really worried, you can go to the er and they will draw blood levels-if there has been too much tylenol they'll have you come in and administer an antidote of sorts. We found this out when one of mine was younger and ate some "tic tacs" (tylenol). It was heart stopping, but fine in the end. It does take a lot of children's tylenol to do harm. Actually-we never give it anymore. I prefer Motrin if anything is ever necessary.

A note about the half dose--it's really not worth doing. You are giving an ineffective dose of medication so whatever issue you want to remedy won't be helped, and your child will have gotten unnecessary meds. It's not really worth doing.


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## AprilM (Sep 11, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *karne* 
If you are ever really worried, you can go to the er and they will draw blood levels-if there has been too much tylenol they'll have you come in and administer an antidote of sorts. We found this out when one of mine was younger and ate some "tic tacs" (tylenol). It was heart stopping, but fine in the end. It does take a lot of children's tylenol to do harm. Actually-we never give it anymore. I prefer Motrin if anything is ever necessary.

A note about the half dose--it's really not worth doing. You are giving an ineffective dose of medication so whatever issue you want to remedy won't be helped, and your child will have gotten unnecessary meds. It's not really worth doing.

What makes you prefer Motrin over Tylenol...out of curiousity. About the 1/2 doseage issue, it has always worked for me in the past, it was actually recommended to me by my chiro who normally doesn't suggest giving Tylenol for fevers. He said if I must give Tylenol, usually a 1/2 dose will bring the fever down a bit. It's always worked here.


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## pbjmama (Sep 20, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *tbone_kneegrabber* 
you dose by *weight* and only ever give medicine from a medicine dropper or syringe, never from a spoon.

Agree with this. I only give meds from the device with the medication for children. I guess if I lost it I would get one from the pharmacy. Incorrect dosage of medication is incredibly common.


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## A&A (Apr 5, 2004)

I would be livid at my dh, too!!


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## confustication (Mar 18, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *AprilM* 
What makes you prefer Motrin over Tylenol...out of curiousity. About the 1/2 doseage issue, it has always worked for me in the past, it was actually recommended to me by my chiro who normally doesn't suggest giving Tylenol for fevers. He said if I must give Tylenol, usually a 1/2 dose will bring the fever down a bit. It's always worked here.

Motrin is a better anti inflammatory in my experience. Additionally, while ibuprofen can be harder on the stomach, tylenol is harder on the liver. In some cases, it works to alternate meds every 4 hours particularly if the medications are used regularly or for an extended period.

Because over-the-counter dosing is so safely controlled, the half dose really isn't necessary, and doesn't have a benefit. Instead, it may be less effective or last for a shorter period of time, but there was no benefit to the smaller dose- it isn't significantly safer than the appropriate dose.


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## AprilM (Sep 11, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *confustication* 
If you interpreted it that way, I apologize. I was simply wondering why if it is a big issue to you, you don't have some guidelines about it so there is a clear 'if the fever is over x or he seems uncomfortable for y amount of time' concept. I know in our family medications are handled by whichever parent is with the child at the time, with an agreement that while we don't like medicating excessively, there is a time and a place. We don't medicate for just a fever unless it is over 103, and we don't medicate for discomfort unless other comfort measures fail. It's kind of like standing orders in a hospital, but it keeps things clear for us. We also keep a medication log in the med cupboard and whenever a medication is given we write it there. It really cuts the risk of a missed communication.

As for being angry, I get it, but try to see it from his point of view. I know I would feel like poo if I made a mistake like that, and having my partner angry at me would make it all so much worse. Taking it in stride as a learning experience together (after all, you were using the wrong item with which to measure and under-dosing, so you learned from this as well) will probably lead to less of his tuning you out in the long run.

DH and I are first time parents, we don't have written out guidelines or a medication log. good idea tho. We haven't really had to give DS much in the way of meds yet, so it really hasn't come up much.

I am confused about one thing...what is the difference between a cooking teaspoon and a syringe/dropper teaspoon? Are they different amounts?

As far as underdosing, like I said, it's worked for us.


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## Theoretica (Feb 2, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *annettemarie* 
No, I don't. Poison Control really does know what it's talking about.







And try not to be too angry with your husband. Mistakes happen.

This. So sorry mama, what a heart stopper for you and your DH! Poison Control is our best friend around here. I had a kid guzzle mouthwash, another one pried open a bottle of children's tylenol, and another sucked on a Sharpie. FWIW...when it says nontoxic, it really means it.







Poison control has always been awesome as a resource.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *AprilM* 
Thanks for the reassurance. I know I need to forgive my husband. *But he called me when I was gone *specifically* to ask me if he could give DS tylenol, and at first I said no. He kept pressing the issue so I told him he could give 1/2 a dose.* Grrrr....

I know he feels like crap. Not to be a complainer, but *my husband honestly NEVER listens to me*.

It's frustrating to feel like our partners don't listen to us, but can I gently suggest that you didn't exactly listen to him either? He wanted to give Tylenol, you 'said no'. Then you acquiesced to a half (ineffective) dose. Yes, there was a dosing mistake, and I completely understand being freaked out. But he can't learn to be a competent parent until he has the opportunity, without anyone granting or revoking permission. You learned to be an awesome mom through your own methods of trial and error, so he'll figure out what works for him.

Do you ask him if it's ok to give medication to your child? If you do, what if he said no?

I can't imagine requiring my DH to ask my permission to give the kids Tylenol. Sure, he'd let me know if he gave them some, and what it was for, but to ask me as if *I* made the final decision? Nope. I have to trust him to parent them, that includes OTC medications.

I hope you are able to let go of the anger soon, I don't blame either of you for being upset, verrrrry stressful to think of what 'might' happen.


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## AprilM (Sep 11, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Theoretica* 
Then you acquiesced to a half (ineffective) dose.


Like stated previously, half doses of tylenol have always done the trick for us in the past. I can't see how half dosing could possibly be a bad thing. We have primarily used the half dose method for DS when he was teething and in a lot of pain. It worked very well. Half the dose means less work for the liver.

FWIW, DH asked me if I thought it be a good idea to give DS tylenol to bring his fever down because I know a lot more about taking care of DS when he's sick than my husband does, as he is at work all day and I am a stay at home mom.

Yes, I always inform him of my decision to give DS tylenol or anything for that matter, but DH is not confident enough in that area to make a decision like that. He really doesn't know what he's doing. I will probably be ripped a new one for saying that, but it's true. There is really no way to sugar coat it or make it sound *gentle*.

This thread has somehow turned into a counseling session for DH and I, can we please just stick to the medication issue? Dh and I are fine. thanks


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## CookAMH (Jun 2, 2008)

I would trust the poison control.

If you think about it, higher doses of pain relieving meds are given in some circumstances - more pain doesn't mean that the body tolerates more, it just means that a safer level of more is warranted to deal with heavier pain. Now, this isn't the case with your child, but what I'm trying to say is the body can handle up to a certain level just fine, and if poison control said not to worry, then let it go and move on. It was only 3x the 1/2 dose too, far from 20x [a half dose].

Quote:


Originally Posted by *AprilM* 
This thread has somehow turned into a counseling session for DH and I, can we please just stick to the medication issue? Dh and I are fine. thanks

You brought up the relationship strife, so it's gonne get some feedback









I think plenty of people weighed in to give the overall answer to not worry, Poison Control knows what they are talking about, and go easy on your husband. He loves his child and I have no doubt he's feeling rotten for having messed up, and that is hard for a guy to admit. I have learned that I need to be VERY specific in some things with DH - I think a lot of it is gender and not stupidity. I understand that if this ended up being more serious, your anger would be more justified and you could go on with it, but just let it go.


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## ssh (Aug 12, 2007)

That panicked adrenaline feeling is horrible isn't it. Poison control is great though. "Ask a Nurse" is good to call for other health issues, like high fevers and putting food up their nose. I am the one to give medicine to DD in our family too. Mainly because if only one person gives her medicine she can't ever accidentally get more than one dose. We also just use ibuprofen, because Tylenol can be very toxic taken at the wrong dose. The toxic amount is too close to a therapeutic dose for my comfort, at least in the adult strength pills.


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## ~Charlie's~Angel~ (Mar 17, 2008)

OH this thread made me think of a good one.

When DS1 was under a year (maybe 10 months?) He was at my MILs and before I got there, he had a mild fever and was teething. when I got there, she said she had some chewable childrens tylenol she had given him. Im like, OH, ok (my husband had been there, so she asked him first







)

So we are all sitting around, DS1 is playing. And it dawns on me. SIL is 15. Why is she still taking chewable childrens tylenol? So i ask, MIL says, she doesnt anymore, i just still had some left over. Um, what is the expiration date on that stuff if SIL is 15!?!?!

yea, 2001. I almost threw up.

SIGH!


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## karne (Jul 6, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *AprilM* 
What makes you prefer Motrin over Tylenol...out of curiousity. About the 1/2 doseage issue, it has always worked for me in the past, it was actually recommended to me by my chiro who normally doesn't suggest giving Tylenol for fevers. He said if I must give Tylenol, usually a 1/2 dose will bring the fever down a bit. It's always worked here.

For my kids, motrin (ibuprofin) has been more effective, and seemed to last longer. I can't honestly remember the last time I used tylenol.


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## mamazee (Jan 5, 2003)

I agree that undermedicating isn't a good idea, and hopefully this will prompt you and your dh to come to an understanding of when medication is appropriate.


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## Latte Mama (Aug 25, 2009)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *confustication* 
Motrin is a better anti inflammatory in my experience. Additionally, while ibuprofen can be harder on the stomach, tylenol is harder on the liver. In some cases, it works to alternate meds every 4 hours particularly if the medications are used regularly or for an extended period.

Because over-the-counter dosing is so safely controlled, the half dose really isn't necessary, and doesn't have a benefit. Instead, it may be less effective or last for a shorter period of time, but there was no benefit to the smaller dose- it isn't significantly safer than the appropriate dose.


This.
Also as a PSA, I don't use the dosing guidelines on the packages but Dr. Sears site as he goes by weights as has a much better range.

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/8/t089101.asp

Chart is at the bottom of the page. He has one just like it for motrin too.


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## confustication (Mar 18, 2006)

Here's a neat write-up about dosing errors with the wrong spoons etc.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/0...he-wrong-dose/


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## Super~Single~Mama (Sep 23, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *AprilM* 
Thanks for the reassurance. I know I need to forgive my husband. But he called me when I was gone *specifically* to ask me if he could give DS tylenol, and at first I said no. He kept pressing the issue so I told him he could give 1/2 a dose. Grrrr....

I know he feels like crap. Not to be a complainer, but my husband honestly NEVER listens to me. He *hears* me, but most times he couldn't repeat back what I said to him. He tells me he has undiagnosed ADHD, but I think it's selective. I think the sound of my voice must sound like those "Waa Waa" voices of the adults on Charlie Brown.

Anyway, DS is sleeping, I, because I am a worrier, probably won't get much sleep tonight.
But thank you ladies for chiming in. I love my DH, but lately feel like I want to ring his neck.









Being a parent is tough - but your DH doesn't need your permission to give your ds medicine when he's sick. He's just as much his parent as you are, and as long as he tells you how much and when so that you don't double dose on accident, he can decide that he needs medicine.

If you were out of the house, you weren't there. Maybe your ds needed the tylenol - mine does sometimes when he spikes a fever (and his ped has told to always give meds when ds has a fever b/c he's prone to febrile seizures - but I don't do it for low grade fevers).

Cut him some slack - he was home alone with a sick kiddo. Thats not fun, and its not easy. And it's pretty easy to mess up a dose when kid is crying or cranky and you're trying to get it quickly so that you can comfort them.


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## Amatullah0 (Apr 7, 2009)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Barbie64g* 
OH this thread made me think of a good one.

When DS1 was under a year (maybe 10 months?) He was at my MILs and before I got there, he had a mild fever and was teething. when I got there, she said she had some chewable childrens tylenol she had given him. Im like, OH, ok (my husband had been there, so she asked him first







)

So we are all sitting around, DS1 is playing. And it dawns on me. SIL is 15. Why is she still taking chewable childrens tylenol? So i ask, MIL says, she doesnt anymore, i just still had some left over. Um, what is the expiration date on that stuff if SIL is 15!?!?!

yea, 2001. I almost threw up.

SIGH!

I think my concern would have been, is the chewable stuff even made in doses small enough for a 10mo?

Is the expired stuff even harmful? From what I remember, expired meds lose strength, so the worst that would happen is the meds arent as strong?


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## Super~Single~Mama (Sep 23, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *AprilM* 

FWIW, DH asked me if I thought it be a good idea to give DS tylenol to bring his fever down because I know a lot more about taking care of DS when he's sick than my husband does, as he is at work all day and I am a stay at home mom.

Yes, I always inform him of my decision to give DS tylenol or anything for that matter, *but DH is not confident enough in that area to make a decision like that. He really doesn't know what he's doing.* I will probably be ripped a new one for saying that, but it's true. There is really no way to sugar coat it or make it sound *gentle*.

This thread has somehow turned into a counseling session for DH and I, can we please just stick to the medication issue? Dh and I are fine. thanks

The only way for him to learn is to do it himself, make mistakes and learn from them. I'm sure you've made mistakes as a parent too - we ALL have! I have, I'm far from perfect, and I don't expect my ex to be perfect either.


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## mamalisa (Sep 24, 2002)

Can a share a funny story about overdosing meds?

Before we had kids I came down with a horrible horrible flu. It hurt to breathe, I had an awful cough, high fever, body aches, just sooo sick. My dh took me to the dr where they gave me a cough syrup and some other stuff (no clue, I was so sick). He takes me home and stays home from work to take care of me. He's the one giving me all my meds because I can't even get out of bed. A few days later, I'm feeling better, he goes to work and I get up to take my medicine and eat something. I look at the dosing info on the cough medicine and it's 1teaspoon. He'd been giving me 1 tablespoon for the last few days. The whole reason he didn't go to work was because I was so out of it and the reason I was so out of it is because he was drugging me! It was hilarious (once I came out of my cough syrup haze).

I'm glad your little guy is ok. Poison control is the authority on these things, listen to them. Give your dh a break and just make the rule that you double check the doseage every single time you give medication. That's what we do and it works.


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## lach (Apr 17, 2009)

We had a similar thing happen, and my ped said that our DD would basically have had to drink the entire bottle before there became any real safety issue. It's really not a big deal. If there were any children's medication where a bit of an over dosing were a real health issue, I can guarantee you it would be pulled off the market immediately. Things like this happen all the time.

Poison control is good people: they really know what they're talking about. It's a great resource.


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## dakotablue (Jun 21, 2009)

My Dh and I check in with each other when giving any kind of meds or new foods. (Or I retroactively tell him what I have done) We too are first time parents. I understand everyone saying he is just as much of a parent, but men generally trust women more with children issues and in truth until he gets the hang of it I am the authority over certain things, like diet DS is allergic to dairy and wheat and soy. Dh still doesn't know all the names for the ingredients that he can't have. He is learning and truthfully the only reason I know is because I used to work with children who had the same allergies. When he feels comfortable making those decisions he will make them.

I'd be mad, but the same way Dh was made at me, and I myself, when I cooled down rice to give to DS, but was in such a hurry I didn't feel the hot pocket left in the rice. Honest mistake, anyone could do it. Doesn't change how scary it is.








I totally get OP where you are coming from. and Yes I'm sure that a few kids down the road Dh may be able to make those kinds of decisions and that he won't make the same mistake again.

Oh and half doses have worked in my house for fever, with Motrin though, Tylenol doesn't seem to work on Dh, I or DS.


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## Toolip (Mar 7, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Tway* 
My friend called Poison Control and they reassured her that the children's version has a very, very low dose of medicine in it.

I haven't read the whole thready but I wanted to clarify that children's Tylenol is less concentrated but _infant_ Tylenol is MORE concentrated than adult Tylenol.


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## sunnygir1 (Oct 8, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *lifeguard* 
A frustratingly easy mistake to make. We always use the dropper 'cause it's easier to measure in mL than by a tsp/tbsp plus it's easier to get ds to take it with the dropper.

When you're figuring out dose are you using the age guideline or weight? Weight is a better way to go - if I go by age for ds the dose is half of what it should be for his weight.

I agree about dosing by weight so you don't give too much, but I usually give a half dose to my kiddos, and it still works.

We don't do meds often, and if I have a killer headache that doesn't respond to natural remedies I'll take one aspirin (instead of the two recommended on the bottle) to take the edge off so I can fall asleep.


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## claras_mom (Apr 25, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *AprilM* 
I have always just dosed by the guidelines on the bottle. DS is 24 pounds, teetering on 25. I normally just use my cooking teaspoons for meds. And I always thought 2 teaspoons equal 1 tablespoon. But tonight I find out that 1 tablespoon is THREE teaspoons! (I filled my tablespoon up twice, both times it only took 2 teaspoons...I am stumped







)

How do I figure out what his appropriate dose would be?

A little off-topic....I think that the measuring spoons are more accurate for dry items than for liquids, just as (strictly speaking, as if I always do this!







) one should use a different type of measuring cup for flour than for, say, milk. (Though Alton Brown would say we should all be weighing our dry ingredients and not measuring them).

For most cooking applications, the difference isn't that critical....but I gotta say, you make me want to go test my measuring spoons!

What you've experienced does explain why a lot of liquid meds--even for adults!--come with the measuring cap, with explicit warnings to use that and not anything else.

/OT


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## elmh23 (Jul 1, 2004)

OP, go to the pharmacy and ask for a children's med syringe. They make giving the meds so much easier (I still use it when my 5 year old needs meds.) And they only hold 5mls (which I recall as being 1tsp, but don't take my word for it on that) so there is a less likely chance of over dosing.


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## gbailey (Mar 10, 2009)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *AprilM* 
DH and I are first time parents, we don't have written out guidelines or a medication log. good idea tho. We haven't really had to give DS much in the way of meds yet, so it really hasn't come up much.

*I am confused about one thing...what is the difference between a cooking teaspoon and a syringe/dropper teaspoon? Are they different amounts?*

As far as underdosing, like I said, it's worked for us.

I've found that it is at least with the spoons in our apartment the full teaspoon amount is less than the syringe amount and/or the measuring cup that comes with the medicine.

Sorry for the experience you had but fortunately, your DC is okay.


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## AprilM (Sep 11, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *thyra* 
Being a parent is tough - but your DH doesn't need your permission to give your ds medicine when he's sick.

Actually, since he NEVER treats DS when he's sick, he DOES need to ask me. Like I said before, DH has no clue how to treat a sick child. He is at work all the time, and since I am home with DS all day everyday, I am the one who takes care of it.

So until DH is knowledgeable and confident in making those kinds of decisions, he needs to ask me. AND...he has NO PROBLEM asking me. It's not some kind of power struggle between us. It's just common sense for where we are right now in our knowledge of taking care of DS.

Quote:

I understand everyone saying he is just as much of a parent, but men generally trust women more with children issues and in truth until he gets the hang of it I am the authority over certain things
thank you!

Quote:

The only way for him to learn is to do it himself, make mistakes and learn from them. I'm sure you've made mistakes as a parent too - we ALL have! I have, I'm far from perfect, and I don't expect my ex to be perfect either.
Yes people need to make mistakes to learn, but sorry Thyra, not a mistake like that. That's the kind of thing you need to learn WITHOUT making the mistakes first.

Quote:

This.
Also as a PSA, I don't use the dosing guidelines on the packages but Dr. Sears site as he goes by weights as has a much better range.

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/8/t089101.asp

Chart is at the bottom of the page. He has one just like it for motrin too.
Thank you for that link. According to this chart, 1 teaspoon is right where we should be.

Quote:

That panicked adrenaline feeling is horrible isn't it.
Hell yes! It's the worst I have felt in a LONG time.
Thank you for the 'Ask A Nurse' info, I will look that up.

Quote:

OP, go to the pharmacy and ask for a children's med syringe. They make giving the meds so much easier (I still use it when my 5 year old needs meds.) And they only hold 5mls (which I recall as being 1tsp, but don't take my word for it on that) so there is a less likely chance of over dosing.
I need to do that. We actually DO use a medicine syringe most of the time, but the ink has worn off from washing it, so that's why he used our measuring spoons.

Quote:

I agree about dosing by weight so you don't give too much, but I usually give a half dose to my kiddos, and it still works.
Works here too. Until someone can provide me with some proof that underdosing is dangerous, I will continue to do it. It's effective, and it works, how can giving LESS of a medicine be harmful?









Quote:

You brought up the relationship strife, so it's gonne get some feedback
Sorry i even brought that up. Can we just stick to the topic of meds from here on out please. thank you.

thanks to all of you for sharing your own stories about over dosing...or dosing with expired meds....too! it really helps to know you are not alone in making mistakes. and while we all DO make mistakes, these are the kinds of mistakes that can tear our worlds apart.

I think this thread can be incredibly useful to other people who have done the same thing by accident. Let's keep it ON TOPIC so that usefulness does not wear off.


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## Drummer's Wife (Jun 5, 2005)

I'm glad your little one is okay. I totally understand being worried, especially since you didn't know if it would be a toxic amount of tylenol or not.

I do think that posters are responding about you being upset at your DH because of how you wrote about him/the situation in your posts. If you had just said, "help! my baby was given too much medication and I'm concerned", or similar, and left the emotions out about blaming your DH, then obviously you would have a bit more sympathy and no one offering marital advice.

Many of us have BTDT regarding being unnecessarily angry at our DP's for parenting issues - even health related ones - and so it's hard to sit back and not say, hey, give the guy a break. He's only human, and he is just as much of a parent as you are. yk?


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## AprilM (Sep 11, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Drummer's Wife* 
I'm glad your little one is okay. I totally understand being worried, especially since you didn't know if it would be a toxic amount of tylenol or not.

I do think that posters are responding about you being upset at your DH because of how you wrote about him/the situation in your posts. If you had just said, "help! my baby was given too much medication and I'm concerned", or similar, and left the emotions out about blaming your DH, then obviously you would have a bit more sympathy and no one offering marital advice.

Many of us have BTDT regarding being unnecessarily angry at our DP's for parenting issues - even health related ones - and so it's hard to sit back and not say, hey, give the guy a break. He's only human, and he is just as much of a parent as you are. yk?

Understood. My bad for expressing my anger about DH. For everyone who thinks I am being irrational, I am NOT still angry at my husband. My husband and I are fine. In fact, we just made plans to have a date night.

The main topic of this thread is an overmedication issue. Apologies if I brought personal feelings into it about how I *was* feeling.

Please can we stop debating about this and just talk medication?


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## starling&diesel (Nov 24, 2007)

Just going to chime in here with my paramedic hat on ... when we go to overdose calls like this, we always suggest that COUPLES SHOULD DESIGNATE ONLY ONE PARENT TO EVER GIVE MEDICATION because I can tell you that far more often than the OP situation is when one parent gives a dose (say, after bathtime) then the kid toddles off for story and snuggle with the other parent, who gives a dose then, not even five minutes after the first.
If that parent is not home, then obviously, exceptions are made.


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## catballou24 (Mar 18, 2003)

I am so sorry you had to experience this. It is never a good feeling when our children's health is at stake. I am also very happy that you and your DH worked through it, sounds like you two did a good job communicating about it!









I would like to ask that everyone remember that this thread's topic is really about dosage issues rather than the OP's relationship with her DH. It is very understandable that we all get irritated with our partners from time to time and when something like this happens our feelings for our DC will over-ride most other feelings. I know I've vented about my DH many times and he is absolutely wonderful as a partner and a father







. I'm sure he's vented about me too!







It sounds like the OP and her DH are just fine, so let's stay on topic with the medication issue. Thanks for everyone's input!!


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## Super~Single~Mama (Sep 23, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *starling&diesel* 
Just going to chime in here with my paramedic hat on ... when we go to overdose calls like this, we always suggest that COUPLES SHOULD DESIGNATE ONLY ONE PARENT TO EVER GIVE MEDICATION because I can tell you that far more often than the OP situation is when one parent gives a dose (say, after bathtime) then the kid toddles off for story and snuggle with the other parent, who gives a dose then, not even five minutes after the first.
If that parent is not home, then obviously, exceptions are made.

Thats a great idea! I'm a single mom, but if I'm ever paired again this will be our rule - or maybe a little sheet next to the meds with a marker so we can write down who gave what when?


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## Super~Single~Mama (Sep 23, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *AprilM* 
*
Yes people need to make mistakes to learn, but sorry Thyra, not a mistake like that. That's the kind of thing you need to learn WITHOUT making the mistakes first.
*

Umm...it wasn't a deadly mistake. I've od'd on tylenol MYSELF - not for my son, for ME - and I didn't die. I think if my ex accidentally od'd our son I would call PC just to make sure - since I think its pretty common sense that it's not going to kill him (or even harm him since the doses are WAY lower than what could possibly cause harm - I thought everyone knew that? Or is it just b/c I have a chem minor that I know that?)


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## TanyaS (Jun 24, 2003)

I od'd on tylenol as a toddler. As in I nearly died. But I ate an ENTIRE bottle of those baby tylenol chewables that were used in the 70s. My stomach was pumped twice.

My point is that 3 times the normal dose isn't anywhere near the entire bottle. Poison Control knows what they are talking about, so trust their answer.


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## texaspeach (Jun 19, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *elmh23* 
OP, go to the pharmacy and ask for a children's med syringe. They make giving the meds so much easier (I still use it when my 5 year old needs meds.) And they only hold 5mls (which I recall as being 1tsp, but don't take my word for it on that) so there is a less likely chance of over dosing.









and they're usually free







the next time you're somewhere with a pharmacy, ask for one.


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## AprilM (Sep 11, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *thyra* 
Umm...it wasn't a deadly mistake. I've od'd on tylenol MYSELF - not for my son, for ME - and I didn't die. I think if my ex accidentally od'd our son I would call PC just to make sure - since I think its pretty common sense that it's not going to kill him (or even harm him since the doses are WAY lower than what could possibly cause harm - I thought everyone knew that? Or is it just b/c I have a chem minor that I know that?)

Nope. I didn't know that. Maybe it's because you have a chem minor that you are privileged with that knowledge. Sorry, but I wouldn't call it *common sense* at all that an adult dose of tylenol couldn't kill or harm a 2 year old.

And...it _could_ have been a deadly mistake. So, no, those are not the kind of mistakes I would want to make to learn anything.


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## AprilM (Sep 11, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *texaspeach* 







and they're usually free







the next time you're somewhere with a pharmacy, ask for one.

Will do!


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## AprilM (Sep 11, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *starling&diesel* 
Just going to chime in here with my paramedic hat on ... when we go to overdose calls like this, we always suggest that COUPLES SHOULD DESIGNATE ONLY ONE PARENT TO EVER GIVE MEDICATION because I can tell you that far more often than the OP situation is when one parent gives a dose (say, after bathtime) then the kid toddles off for story and snuggle with the other parent, who gives a dose then, not even five minutes after the first.
If that parent is not home, then obviously, exceptions are made.

This is EXCELLENT advice! Thank you. What a tragedy it would be to accidentally overdose your child because you didn't know your husband or wife had already medicated them. Communication is DEFINITELY key so irreversible mistakes are not made.


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## lach (Apr 17, 2009)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *AprilM* 
This is EXCELLENT advice! Thank you. What a tragedy it would be to accidentally overdose your child because you didn't know your husband or wife had already medicated them. Communication is DEFINITELY key so irreversible mistakes are not made.

I know that you're upset about this situation, and I'm certainly not advocating doing anything but following the recommended dosage on the package, but I can't think of any medication designed for children that a double dose of would result in a "tragedy." Or, really, much of a difference whatsoever.

Gently, I think a little bit of perspective is really in order. It's really not _that_ big a deal that this happened.


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## GoBecGo (May 14, 2008)

OP we always (well, usually) half-dose too. My rule of thumb is if she is hot but under 38.6C and still able to play even if a bit subdued then she gets a half dose, and if she's unable to play due to feeling ill or hotter than 38.6 then i give her a full dose, and i rotate paracetamol and ibuprofen every 4 hours so she's getting 8 hours between each dose of each individual drug.

We recently had a trip to ER with a VERY sick little girl (my 4yo). She had some sort of virus and it gave her mesenteric lymphadenitis (inflamed lymph nodes in her tummy basically). She was in SO much pain, couldn't walk, was vomiting and utterly miserable and getting dehydrated. The ER doctor there told me to give her full doses of the drugs for the next 24-48hours IF her fever remained and to reduce to half dosing for 24hours after the fever had gone, to prevent the inflammation getting bad enough to cause that kind of pain again.

I hope you feel better now. My DD once sucked on a stain devil (stain remover). She was fine, but XP was SO SO mad with me. I was like "you wanna beat me up about this, get in line behind ME!" i felt like crap. Even now i feel guilty about that one, i had left it where she could reach it, naively believing for some reason she WOULDN'T.


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## AprilM (Sep 11, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *GoBecGo* 
OP we always (well, usually) half-dose too. My rule of thumb is if she is hot but under 38.6C and still able to play even if a bit subdued then she gets a half dose, and if she's unable to play due to feeling ill or hotter than 38.6 then i give her a full dose, and i rotate paracetamol and ibuprofen every 4 hours so she's getting 8 hours between each dose of each individual drug.

We recently had a trip to ER with a VERY sick little girl (my 4yo). She had some sort of virus and it gave her mesenteric lymphadenitis (inflamed lymph nodes in her tummy basically). She was in SO much pain, couldn't walk, was vomiting and utterly miserable and getting dehydrated.

I hope you feel better now. My DD once sucked on a stain devil (stain remover). She was fine, but XP was SO SO mad with me. I was like "you wanna beat me up about this, get in line behind ME!" i felt like crap. Even now i feel guilty about that one, i had left it where she could reach it, naively believing for some reason she WOULDN'T.

Thank goodness she was ok! I can imagine how you must have felt. Probably similar to my husband after he gave DS the tylenol the other night. Mistakes happen so quickly and easily. We had a terrible tragic accident in my family when I was very young, my brother was run over in our driveway by another family member. It happened SO quick, and it changed our lives forever.

Quote:

The ER doctor there told me to give her full doses of the drugs for the next 24-48hours IF her fever remained and to reduce to half dosing for 24hours after the fever had gone, to prevent the inflammation getting bad enough to cause that kind of pain again.
I knew I wasn't crazy about the half dosing issue. Thanks for sharing your story.


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## 2boyzmama (Jun 4, 2007)

I think you were very smart to call Poison Control, and smart to follow their advice. I have never EVER heard of them steering anyone wrong.

My son recently was caught drinking from a bottle of liquid children's motrin. It had a dosing funnel on top, so he wasn't getting much out of it, but I couldn't remember how much of it had been used. I called PC, we talked through the strength of the meds, how many ozs were left in the bottle, what he weighed, etc and they determined that he would be fine. It was very nerve wracking though!!

The rule of only one parent ever dosing meds is a smart rule, one we follow in our house. However that rule is exempt if that parent is not home. BUT...and this is important...neither of us ever dose meds without writing it on the large white board we have in our kitchen. We write down the time, the dose, and the reason (including what the fever was if that's the reason for dosing).

And although neither of us holds the trump card with decision making, my husband does tend to defer those decisions to me because I am the most familiar. He is actually the stay at home parent, but will often call to do a symptom check if he thinks a child is sick. Not all the time, I have come home before and seen on the board that he gave meds without telling me, which is fine, but most of the time he will consult with me. Mainly because he knows I have more suggestions for dealing with illness that he might not have thought of; and also because I often think more logically (for example, if it's 4pm, I will give Tylenol which lasts about 4 hours, then I"ll give Motrin right before bed which lasts up to 8 hours and will get them through the night better than Tylenol. If he had given Motrin at 4pm, then the fever would spike again in the middle of the night) Husband doesn't always think of things like that.

I'm glad your ds was okay!! I bet your husband will be ultra careful with meds from now on, unfortunate that a scare had to happen to make you both more aware of med safety, but that's life with kids!


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## GuildJenn (Jan 10, 2007)

For the OD, poison control is the best - and yeah I think this can happen to anyone.

I actually think the best prevention is to give your DH MORE responsibility, not less, and to reinforce that he's a great dad for being on top of making his child comfortable and that everyone makes mistakes.

But as a practical tip, when our child is taking medication, we keep the bottle on top of a piece of paper or index card with the dose and log of times given, temperature or reason, etc, and we only use a dropper or the cup on the top. The advantage too is that if you have to go the hospital you can just scoop the whole thing up so they can see what you've been giving.

For the under-dosing we were advised not to do that - it's not effective, doesn't help the child in any way (like somehow it's better to have half - it's not) and can make later dosing difficult because two half-doses half the time apart is not going to work.


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## KayTeeJay (Jul 22, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *lach* 
I know that you're upset about this situation, and I'm certainly not advocating doing anything but following the recommended dosage on the package, but I can't think of any medication designed for children that a double dose of would result in a "tragedy." Or, really, much of a difference whatsoever.

Gently, I think a little bit of perspective is really in order. It's really not _that_ big a deal that this happened.

This. I have a 20 month old son and honestly OP, no snark intended, this would barely blip my radar of things to panic over. If he were an infant, say, under 6 months, I would be more concerned. But an adult dose of Tylenol? Hell, there are probably worse things in the beef from the tacos we had for dinner tonight, kwim? At any rate, I'm sorry you were so scared--hugs to you and your DS.


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## lach (Apr 17, 2009)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *AprilM* 
hmmm...well, that's good for you and your household..... I suppose, but here, we worry about things like over medication. It's scary to think it wouldn't phase you if you accidentally gave your 20 month old son 3 times the amount of meds he was supposed to get, but like said before, to each their own...









Of course it's normal to be freaked out at first. But you did the right thing and called poison control and they said it was fine. I think what is a little confusing is why you were quite so angry at your DH, and why you continue to be so upset about this so many days later now that you know that it's fine.

I'm very glad everything is fine. As I said earlier, we did have a similar experience. And, yes, I was worried. But it's just a learning experience for all involved. I just think that you shouldn't be too hard on your DH. He made an honest mistake and it turned out to be no big deal.


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## babydanielsmom (Jan 18, 2008)

the one thing that has helped me keep track of meds is make a chart of when / how much I gave them. And NO your Dh was not crazy to call you about the tylenol. I know that my Dh would call just to bounce the idea off me b/c I am the SAH parent and would know my Lo"s moods better Kwim. Glad everything is ok.


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## AprilM (Sep 11, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *babydanielsmom* 
the one thing that has helped me keep track of meds is make a chart of when / how much I gave them. And NO your Dh was not crazy to call you about the tylenol. I know that my Dh would call just to bounce the idea off me b/c I am the SAH parent and would know my Lo"s moods better Kwim. Glad everything is ok.









Right on. I am the SAH parent in our household, so I just know more about my DS's moods as well. I can tell when he is not feeling right when no one else notices. It just happens that way because we spend so much time with our LO's. There is no inappropriate micromanagement of my DH going on here. Just plain ol' common sense.

We will be adopting a med chart soon, as well as picking up some med syringes at the pharmacy. Some of the posters have had excellent suggestions on this thread.

Depending on the nature of the following posts , I might need to take a break from this thread for awhile. I really don't want this thread to focus on anything other than mismedication issues, so hopefully we can all get past the fact that I initially got angry with DH and focus on useful information that will help others with this issue.


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## mkksmom (Mar 24, 2008)

I underdose sometimes. I myself will not take Tylenol very often, and when I do, I take 1 pill (a half dose) and it works. Why put more medicine in my body than needed? It really does work. For fevers, I do give the full dose if it's high enough or really if the child is cranky enough. I will let a temp under 102 go without meds if the child is happy.

In our house, I do the meds, but I think that the whiteboard/log idea is a good one now that we have 2 kids. My friend's husband was tired and gave decongestant instead of Tylenol once and another time gave a dose of Tylenol in the middle of the night after my friend had already given it-- and this mistake actually happened twice. 3 strikes and you're fired if you ask me. DH and I like our system of just 1 person being in charge.

I would definitely need to vent after an overdose. I've been on forums for a while, so I do feel like I'd probably call my best friend and vent. April, I bet you'll probably do that now too.







Seriously though, you don't need to respond any more. Tone of voice is lost on the internet, so sometimes it can bring on responses that you wouldn't expect. Your LO is fine, you let off steam by typing rather than smacking your hubby and the situation turned out fine.


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## catballou24 (Mar 18, 2003)

Went ahead and moved this over as it is focusing on medication and health issues. I would ask anyone responding in this forum to please try to keep it on that topic rather than any personal relationship the OP has with her DH..thanks so much!!!


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## purplepaisleymama (Jan 31, 2007)

I am sorry that this happened, it is always super stressful to me when the kids are not feeling well and to add a dosing mistake I would not be feeling so great myself! I can say that though most over the counter meds would not be dangerous unless they were given in huge amounts our youngest child was on meds that could cause major damage if given in amounts much more than the dosage that was prescribed. One of the meds that he was on was very strong and he had to have an ekg to check his heart before the meds were started and he had to have periodic tests to make sure that his heart was not being affected. He has also been on meds that were potentially damaging to his liver and had to have monthly tests to check how he was tolerating them.

Our older children have not taken meds, with the exception of our daughter having lyme and ehrlichiosis and she had abx. We are not a medicine happy family, our son has JRA and a bunch of other issues and the meds were to make his life easier and help him to be able to function every day. He is not on any meds now but I can say that I am soooo much more relaxed now without the whole med schedule.

One thing that worked for us in regards to the dosing and being confident that he was getting the correct amount and at the correct time was to keep his meds in pre-filled syringes ( the same ones that you can get for free at the pharmacy) if they were the .5ml size they would fit in a tall medicine bottle ( the kind that you have to push and turn to open). Four syringes would fit in one bottle and I would put a shipping label on the outside of the bottle, keeping a pen or pencil in the bottle (it would fit in the cinter of the syringes) and I would mark the dosage and time on the label....... we managed years with no med mistakes.....unless you count the pharmacy making a dosing mistake that I thankfully caught BEFORE I used it..... he was mistakenly given almost 10 times the dose he was prescribed and it would have been damaging to a full grown adult..... I was not happy..... so I am extra vigilant in checking meds now.


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## KatWrangler (Mar 21, 2005)

Haven't read all the posts...

My 2 year old drank half a bottle a couple of months ago.














I immediately called Poison Control and they reassured me, it was fine. The nurse and I figured out approximately how much she had. They called me back an hour later to make sure she was okay.

Poison Control is great. I don't know what I would do without them.









Not sure if this was mentioned or not. But you can write on your *bathroom mirror* with an erraseable marker or pen the dosages and times you give meds to anyone in your house. Especially when giving meds during the night when you are sleepy.


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## mbravebird (May 9, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *KatWrangler* 
Not sure if this was mentioned or not. But you can write on your *bathroom mirror* with an erraseable marker or pen the dosages and times you give meds to anyone in your house. Especially when giving meds during the night when you are sleepy.

What a great idea!!


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## aslyn (Dec 12, 2007)

We RARELY ever give medications..but we have a chalkboard on the wall (small old fashioned thing) and if we have to give anything we just write down the date/time we gave it..before we had that we used to leave a sticky note on the box of motrin with the day/time..this works in our house because *I* am extremely forgetful of times so if I leave and dh is home with a scik kid he knows how much i gave and when..we always follow the box, and never 1/2 dose it just seems a waste to only help them partially.


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## GoBecGo (May 14, 2008)

I don't get why people think that half a dose is not effective. The dose on the box i have says "for babies aged 3 months to 1year one to two small (2.5ml) spoonfuls up to 4 times a day." So is one a half dose? or is half a 2.5ml spoon a half dose? And do we imagine that there is a magic weight that ALL babies between 3months and 1 year fit into which means that dose is enough, not too little, not too much? For some people (depending on boy weight and composition how fast the liver metabolises the medication) a "half" dose will be completely effective - if the pain is gone what is the benefit of giving more? The dosing of OTC medication is VERY random anyway - it's the same dose for a 1 year old as a 6 year old - do they weigh the same? And yes it seems this stuff is so safe they can drink half a bottle and suffer no consequences.

I do understand that people want to do right with drugs, and i would never advocate half-dosing with prescribed medications of any kind, but really, i can't see why logically it's wrong with OTC painkillers.


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## Toolip (Mar 7, 2008)

I'm confused too. I have no idea where that idea comes from. I understand wanting to give enough so it works but if less works, that's fine. Like you pointed out, other medications it might be a problem, but not OTC pain meds


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## redvlagrl (Dec 2, 2009)

We had a similar thing when DD was about 9 mths old. DH forgot to shake the Tylenol and she had a full dose. We called TeleHealth and they tranferred me to the pharmacist where they calculated the amount of drug. it was fine.

Incidentally, we never give Ibuprofen unless absolutely necessary (like when DD had Pneumonia) because it's a relatively new drug and it's quite strong. Acetominophen has been around for a looong time so its long term effects are known. We don't use drugs very often anyway, but there have been some interesting write ups on ibuprofen being used too frequently.


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## [email protected] (Sep 7, 2010)

There are true "non-responders" to Tylenol. It doesn't work for everyone. Personally, ibuprofen has always been my preference for myself & my child. I am very cautious to give any drug to my child, and of course administer NSAIDs only if needed for pain and/or high fever.

There is nothing wrong with taking a _smaller_ dose of an NSAID than recommended by the weight chart. In fact, the best choice is to take the smallest effective dose. If that's 1/2 what the weight chart states & the kid's fever or pain is reduced to comfortable levels, then that's all the kid needs. It's a judgment call on your part.


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## KJoslyn78 (Jun 3, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *starling&diesel* 
*COUPLES SHOULD DESIGNATE ONLY ONE PARENT TO EVER GIVE MEDICATION*









This

My DH and I do this... 1 parent does the medication (or tells the other what time, written down and verbally, if they can not do it themselves). It's not always me, and not always him... but what we do is the first to start giving medication, handles it until the child is done (fever broken, antibiotics done, etc). The only med we don't do this with is our son's daily Zyrtec during his allergy season, that's always my job.

Also, Poison Control IS the authority on all things poison. When Dr offices and ER use PC as THEIR point of reference, then I know it's a source i can trust (like when i had to frantically call 3 times cause my at the time 2 yr old dd ate and ENTIRE stick of secret deodorant... yeah - 1 stick will just make you throw up a bit, but isn't toxic otherwise)


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