Dh overdosed my SN DC at hospital now

[Worried20]

My dh has given my non verbal dc 4 times the dose of his medicine. He fell asleep and it was only when I jokingly said you haven't given him his sleep meds have you? That he realised he had given him 30mg instead of 7.5mg of a med he takes to control his adhd.

He has been monitored but won't tolerate heart monitors even while asleep.

I am at home with other dc as I don't drive and hospital 12 miles away and didn't want to put other dc at risk.

I'm so angry, worried and upset. Not only for the careless and insane overdose but for putting him at risk of catching Covid -19.

He has moved to a ward to keep monitoring. Dh has been obsessively working from home, was the one job of giving a drink with meds in too much to ask while I fixed my other dc breakfast.

What the hell can I do assuming this is ok for my dc. I have never ever made such an error. I'm not perfect but he has really fucked up.

[Angelw]

Op, sorry that you’re going through this, hope it leaves no lasting effects. Mistakes happen

[itsgettingweird]

But if he took the medicine not in a drink why does it matter how he takes it from his mum?

The DH realised he'd given wrong dose. Knowing he has another medication of 30mg in the evening shows it was a genuine mistake and mix up and has a foundation to how it could have happened.

I hope you get them both home soon. I'd suggest from now on having a board or timetable somewhere with time, medication and dose and you cross it off or sign your name next to it when it's done. People usually have a timetable and system but this will have changed recently. You need to find a way to ensure these changes don't cause mistakes.
My own ds being home has meant we've both forgotten his mid morning meds a few times because he has this usually at school during break time.

[1forsorrow]

Nurses etc don't get sacked (usually) for medication mistakes. There would be no nurses left. Very true but you also need staff, nurses or carers, to be honest and open about it. Covering up a med error could be fatal so as soon as someone realises you need them to speak up.

[Kaykay066]

Children’s nurses check drugs in twos always due to small amounts and margin for error id be lying if I said I haven’t made a mistake in calculations but the other nurse picks it up or vice Versa.

Work together to make sure it doesn’t happen again, discuss how it happened and why and what you can do to prevent similar mistakes. We are all human but you don’t want a repeat of this error or worse so he needs to know he has to be on his game with your child’s medication. If you always do it then he won’t get the chance to get it right if you’re ever not there. I hope your son is ok, and if the ward he’s on is like ours just now no covid -19 positive kids are near those with non related illness we have 2 separate wards and have split our staff so we won’t look after both.

[rwalker]

Sounds like he's coming through it thanks god.
TBH can't imagine how your DH must feel I get you anger but think he doesn't need tell he's fucked up .

[CustardySergeant]

If your son has to have his medicine mixed into a drink and your husband hadn't given him a drink, how did he administer the overdose?

[Worried20]

Sorry if I was confusing, he hadn't given him a drink. Usually his first drink would contain his meds. Dependant on the time he woke up. So dh made him his first drink of the day which also contained the overdose of medication.

He did this after I asked if he had a drink or meds. Dh has got up , given dc iPad and not given a drink ( with or without meds )

[Zaphodsotherhead]

I'd say it would depend on your DH's reaction. If he's apologetic and admits that he needs to take more care next time with medication, then it's all well and good, genuine mistake.

If, like my XH who managed to leave the lid off the Calpol bottle so my DD could drink the whole lot and then backtracked, tried to make it her mistake (she was THREE!!!) and then my fault (for not 'teaching her not to drink stuff out of bottles') then it's much worse.

Wishing your DS a speedy recovery and no ill effects.

[MovingTowardsANewPositivity]

*CustardySergeant maybe his Dad gave him a drink with his meds in when OP reminded him he hadn’t given him a drink and because he was rushing made the mistake and gave the morning meds but in the evening meds dose?

OP has said her dh wouldn’t have done it on purpose so it was a genuine mistake and hopefully it will be okay, and he will be home safe soon. I’m not sure all the speculation is helping OP who is worried enough and wanted to vent so she didn’t vent at her dh, who from what OP has said will be feeling awful and guilty already.

[LynetteScavo]

Don't be too harsh on your DH, it was an accident.

I did hear about a boy who fell asleep in school because he'd been given too much adhd medicine. It was told as a funny story, so he obviously wasn't harmed, but I've no idea by how much he's had too much.

There's no point in posters saying what the DH should have done. That's bloody obvious with hindsight.

[Yogawoogie]

I know you are angry with him but I can imagine he’s pretty angry at himself anyway.
We all make mistakes. It’s a pretty big cock up but he everyone makes mistakes.
I’m a nurse and have made medication errors. Luckily it turned out okay but I’ve learnt from it. Your DH won’t make that mistake again.

Hope your DS is better soon.

[NamechangeOnceMore]

Please be kind to your husband, @Worried20. He is probably feeling under a lot of pressure if he's having to work from home when he doesn't usually, especially if he's the breadwinner and knows that your family depends on his income. From your description, this clearly wasn't deliberate, and as others have said, medication errors are incredibly common in hospitals and care settings. If he rarely gives your child's medication, then it's not at all surprising he got it wrong. Perhaps, once this has all blown over, you could talk to your husband about how he plans to make sure this never happens again.

Is there a backstory here? Do you feel he doesn't pull his weight in relation to childcare generally? Do you both work full-time, but he does little/no child stuff and you do loads?

[Ginfordinner]

Goodness. What a worry for you. I hope he is OK

Is there any possibility at all, when things return to normal, that you could learn to drive? Then you wouldn't feel so helpless.

[thedancingbear]

I've nothing but sympathy for the OP

and horror at the posters implying that her DP has tried to murder his own fucking son. Just about the most offensive thing I've ever read on here.

[BeetrootRocks]

Christ I would go mental.
Don't understand why others are all oh poor DH.

[category12]

It was neglectful, not an "accident" - he was supposed to be doing the basics for his non verbal son. Instead he just gave him an iPad and didn't look after his basic needs, like a drink and his meds. When this was pointed out, he gave the child an overdose. Presumably he's tearing his hair out and kicking himself harder than OP could, in which case, she doesn't need to add to it - let's hope so, but you can't just hand-wave the poor dear's lapse.

[JingsMahBucket]

@SavageBeauty73
I once drugged the wrong twin! Mistakes happen.

This sounds like a hilarious beginning to a story! 😂

[AmelieTaylor]

@Worried20. I hope your DS is home soon!

What has your DH’s reaction been?

I understand people are human & make mistakes, but I don’t understand how you accidentally out 30mg in his drink instead of 7.5mg - how did he do that?

Please don’t worry about Covid I’m sure the hospitals are doing everything necessary to keep the children’s wards & those nurses well clear of Covid. I’m sure the nurses are as careful about keeping the kids in their care safe as the parents are.

[PenCreed]

I know someone who was on liquid medication, mixed up the bottles and accidentally took a triple dose of lithium. Lithium is pretty toxic, they threw it back up almost as soon as they got to A&E and were monitored overnight. This was an adult, in good mental state at the time, just picked up the wrong bottle first. It happens. Your DH probably feels horrific, and I imagine you're both incredibly distressed by it - I hope your DS is none the worse and that you're able to talk through what happened calmly and productively.

[ScouseMar]

Is he generally useless and incapable of doing simple tasks (so that you have to do them)? Or was this just a one- off fuck-up?

My reaction to him would depend on the above.

[x2boys]

Not sure some of these replys are helpful and I say this as a former Nurse and the parent of a disabled non verbal child ,the most important thing i s the Op,S son is ok ,mistakes do happen even to the best of us I'm sure the Op,s dh is horrified by what's happened

[Justaboy]

When DD3 was around 3 or 4 year s old she didnt feel to well and knowing that Calpol fixed all manner of things asked for some which she was duly given.

She then worked out that if you had more then you'd feel better quicker so she manged to climb up via a chair onto the kitched worktop and managed to help herself to the remaing box at the top of the cupboard and then retired to her room we found her later fast asleep.

It was only when all the opened packets or shachets were found in the kitchen bit we realised what had happened.

Well the lady from the posions agency was very reassuring she did a few calculations based on age and bodyweight seemed our little one had gone quite near a dangerours point but she was fine afterwards no lasting damage!

So if a 3/4 years old can cock it up then so an older man can too, be kind to him i'm sure he's feeling very awkaward over what happened:!

[Branleuse]

is it melatonin?

I hope everythin is ok

[CustardySergeant]

"So if a 3/4 years old can cock it up then so an older man can too"

You can't be serious. You wouldn't expect more from an adult than you would from a 3/4 yr old?

[SleepingStandingUp]

Don't understand why others are all oh poor DH. because we're assuming he accidentally overdosed his son, not on purpose, not to piss off his partner oor yet to kill him son and must be feel bloody shit. If he swans in, glibly comments on hwo he got away with it whilst sharing memes on I'll kids, fair enough, get the kid away from him