DH gave Melatonin to the WRONG child

[NotTheOnlyPomInTheVillage]

For background, we have had a very stressful couple of days. Due to COVID-19, we have had to shut our business and we are not entitled to any government help (we are in Australia). We have also been given notice on our apartment but have nowhere to go as we do not have a deposit for a new apartment due to our business shutting down.

We have 2 DC: an older teen DS with ADHD and a younger DD without ADHD. DS is on 3 x the normal dosage of Melatonin to ensure that he sleeps. This is on prescription.

For some inexplicable reason, DH went to give DS his Melatonin but gave it to DD instead. We are now terrified about what will happen. There is no medical helpline here, so we don't know what to do.

We have done some Googling and we can't find anything that says it's dangerous for DD, but we are still freaking out. Does anybody have any knowledge of this? He gave her 3 ml.

Just to add, this is most unlike DH. He is always calm and controlled and never makes mistakes like this. He is really upset and keeps asking himself over and over again how he could make such a mistake. I know it's just the stress we are under so I'm not cross with him. I just want to ensure that DD is going to be OK.

Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks.

Relax. There’s no chance of any side effects other than a deep sleep.

I'm sure it will be fine. It's a natural hormone so would probably be excreted pretty quickly. Would probably feel a bit sleepy. DS is on melatonin and his psychiatrist is happy with us upping the dose as we see fit.

Phone a pharmacist perhaps? It's easily done when you're frazzled. The only reason it hasn't happened in this household is because we only have one child 😆😜.

Thanks for the replies. All pharmacists are closed now so there’s no one to call.

Googling melatonin overdose just gives a few unpleasant side effects like nausea and diarrhoea, and maybe nightmares. How old is she? "Doses between 1-5mg can cause seizures in young children" would be the only part that would worry me.

Wtf was your DH thinking. Stress or no stress giving any medication to the wrong child is so dangerous!!

It’ll be fine, in most countries you can buy it in health food shops (a bit like holland and barrett) the UK are the odd ones out by requiring a prescription.

There is Healthdirect you can call:
[[tel:1800%C2%A0022%C2%A0222
1800 022 222]]2_.

Rang them when my husband was bitten by a redback spider!

I'm not any sort of medic, but I'm extremely confident your dd will be fine. People produce melatonin naturally, and I'm sure a safe dose for your ds will also be safe for your dd. At most it might throw off her sleep patterns for a couple of days. Obviously don't do it again, but also don't worry.

She’s 7. It is so unlike DH. I’ve never known him do anything stupid and we’ve been together 20 years.

She will be ok, she will likely just have a good nights sleep. Try not to worry.

Are you always this uptight? It’s a naturally occurring substance you can buy over the counter. FGS calm down and have one yourself!

@wantmyboobsback, calling them now... hope your DH was OK, that sounds terrifying.

Just to add, DS has been taking melatonin since he was 3 and his paed said he can have 10mg a day on bad days.

I’m sure she will be fine. The dosage for melatonin varies wildly from child to child so there’s clearly quite a safe margin of error.

And as for this spectacularly unhelpful comment Wtf was your DH thinking. Stress or no stress giving any medication to the wrong child is so dangerous he clearly wasn’t thinking at all was he, and it was a genuine mistake which can happen to anyone (even HCP make medication mistakes!)

Winnie, you can't get it over the counter in some countries, like the UK, it's a controlled drug. Stop being so bloody mean.

It most certainly isn’t a Controlled Drug! And you can absolutely buy it in the U.K!

What do you mean no one to call? Have you tried the poinsons information line there? They are open 24/7 and take calls from people, not just medical personnel. Weigh your daughter before calling, so they can give accurate advice. Best of luck x

www.health.gov.au/contacts/poisons-information-centre

These are controlled drugs!!!

www.release.org.uk/law/list-controlled-drugs

I hope your DD is ok, keep us posted.
My DH was totally fine,it was NYE, so he just had a few more beers, I think the time of year, the spider being small and most likely dehydrated meant that it didn't deliver much venom, his leg was just a little sore and swollen.

@PaquitaVariation there was a thread this week where a DH killed the family cat overdosing her where he didn't read the bottle properly. I guess that just stuck in my mind. Whilst the situation here isn't dangerous, it's the absent mindedness that would worry me. The wrong child ffs I mean really

How could it possibly be safe for one child and not the other? They have they same physiological makeup, whatever their other issues.

Call the poisons hotline 131 126

Eviction notices are unenforceable for now

It’s classed as a medicine in the UK and as such you can’t buy it over the counter. It can be prescribed unlicensed which is why some of us have it for our children. My son take 7mg a night and has done for 15 years.

Don’t worry op, we all make mistakes when we’re tired and stressed, I’m sure she’ll be fine after a long sleep.

If your teen is on 3ml and this is 3 x stronger than normal melatonin, I think you are doing right in asking for medical advice.

I normally ascribe to 'melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone so giving it as a medicine is just adding what is already missing', but my son(9) takes 2mg tablets x 2 which would be 4mg. For your son to be taking 3 x the normal dose for his age and weight, I would assume your liquid to be a more concentrated form and therefore delivering a 9mg dose to a 3 year old. Chances are she will just sleep really, really well - melatonin only helps a person get to sleep. It is not a sleeping drug and will not keep them asleep.

Check the bottle to see how much of the active ingredient is in each dose. Normal melatonin liquid is 1mg active ingredient per 1ml dose. If it say this then she will be fine (honestly) and someone has been misleading you with the dose of melatonin your older child takes.

It will be fine. We have melatonin for DS1, at a time of high stress in the household the paediatrician told me if would be fine for everyone in the house to take!