# toddler ate TUMS help!!!



## txgal

My best friends toddler just ate @ 3-4 TUMs regular strengthn. Does she need to take him to the ER? He is 19 mo. and @23 lbs.


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## Mavournin

Call poison control. They will tell you if you need to go to the ER, and will arrange transport if you do.


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## tboroson

Call poison control just in case... but I'm 99% sure he's fine. Tums are just calcium carbonate, no actual drugs in there from what I recall. It'll be good for his bones


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## Mama Coltrane

My DS1 ate a few a year back or so. They said it wasnt a problem- that MANY would have to be eaten for it to be an issue.


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## tug

i agree with tboroson. we have given both our kids a tums for the calcium and it think it's possible that both my ds and my dd ate more than one at least one time...


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## txgal

Thanks, I knew you all could help. She called poison control and they said not to worry. He would have to eat more than 20 to do anything.

Just an FYI , I told her to call poison control to begin with, but she was afraid, because she had called them a few months ago, after the same child got some of his grandmothers medicine. She didn't want to be on file so to speak. But they didn't ask for any major info, just first names and zip code. Just in case anyone is ever worried about that.


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## USAmma

So glad all is okay! Yeah she would have to eat a ton of them to have it hurt her. She may be a little constipated the next time she tries to do bm, but other than that she'll be fine.


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## GenomicsGirl

Glad that you called Poison Control. Just as a side note, I give my ds 1-2 Tums a day as a Calcium supplement (he's 18 months and 20 lbs).


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## Fyrestorm

So glad everything seems okay!!!

Quote:


Originally Posted by *GenomicsGirl* 
Glad that you called Poison Control. Just as a side note, I give my ds 1-2 Tums a day as a Calcium supplement (he's 18 months and 20 lbs).

My Chiro mentioned (while I was pregnant and having WICKED reflux) that tums is NOT a good calcium suppliment because calcium need a semi acidic environment to absorb correctly and tums eliminates the acid that it needs.

I didn't research this, because it was irrelevent to me at the time, but you might want to look into it.


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## Periwinkle

Oh good glad everything's OK. I was about to post Tums are ok at that dose. (So are Colace pills and Mylicon Drops in case anyone's wondering.)







:

Yes... we've gotten better at hiding our "harmless" OTC products that we carry around loosely in our diaper bags.


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## LoveMyLil'B

My DS ate some when he was about 18 mo. I called Poison Control and they said it was OK. Just know you're not the only one.


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## pookel

My kid ate nearly half a bottle at the same age and we called poison control. They said he should be fine, might have a stomach ache and some constipation is all. They were right, he was fine but a little uncomfortable for a while.


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## Monkeyfeet

Having a few every day caused me to have kidney stones. I would not suggest eating them routinely.


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## Monkeyfeet

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Fyrestorm* 
So glad everything seems okay!!!

My Chiro mentioned (while I was pregnant and having WICKED reflux) that tums is NOT a good calcium suppliment because calcium need a semi acidic environment to absorb correctly and tums eliminates the acid that it needs.

I didn't research this, because it was irrelevent to me at the time, but you might want to look into it.

yes, my dr said the same thing.


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## Ruthla

I don't think taking tums daily as a calcium supplement is a good idea, even though I know it's been suggested by some doctors for that purpose.

However, I wouldn't worry about a toddler having a handful once in a while- not the greatest idea, but not particularly poisonous either.


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## sntm

They can also cause metabolic disturbances ("milk alkali syndrome") by altering the pH of the stomach too much. Not a good choice for daily calcium supplement.


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