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Original poster

DS overdosed on paracetemol - it's been the most frightening day of my life

54 replies

dejags · 23/01/2006 19:20

I am a crap mum - I left a bottle of Calpol equivalent in reach of DS2.

He drank approx. 75ml - it was incredibly frightening - the Poison Control Centre was involved and there was talk of irreversible liver damage.

He has been in hospital all day - at last the final blood tests came back to give him a clear liver function so we were allowed to bring him home. He has had an IV "antidote", they induced vomiting and gave him charcoal orally.

What a crap mum I am

OP posts:
serenity · 23/01/2006 19:47

Just wanted to add to the general view that you are not a crap mum - been there and done it myself, spending hours in casualty with DS1 having to hold him down screaming whilst they tried to get blood from him and then having to do it again an hour later

I'm really glad your DS is fine now.

Rhubarb · 23/01/2006 19:54

Just wanted to add my support here too, I think we could all tell a tale about "there but for the Grace of God..". It happens to everyone, even nurses and doctors with their own children. No-one is infallible. It is so frightening to see your children like that and no doubt that image will remain on your mind for many years to come, whilst he will have forgotten the whole thing within months! Please don't beat yourself up about it, he's ok now, so don't do the "what if" thing. Snuggle up with him tonight and give him lots of loves and kisses. You'll be telling him this story when he's a teenager!

Posey · 23/01/2006 19:59

You are not crap at all. Rhubarb is right it even happens to nurses (my ds at about the same age managed to get some cough "sweets" out of my bag and open the blister pack. I only noticed when he started choking).
Have a good nights sleep.

littlemissbossy · 23/01/2006 20:02

Please don't think you're crap, it could happen to anybody. Glad he's ok

HRHQueenOfQuelNoel · 23/01/2006 20:06

You're not a cr*p mum. Not quite the same I know, but could have had horrible repercussions. A while back DS2 (who was 2 in November) went into the kitchen asking for "vray" (bread), I said ok in a minute, walked in after him and found him standing there with the bread knife in his hand - I hadn't realised he could reach up on the worktop!

Thomcat · 23/01/2006 20:06

How scary for you. So pleased he's ok. Please don't beat yourself up though hon', it's so, so easily done. we've all had our own personal / scary moments, this was yours. bloody scary, but it's all ok. you'll be rerally careful about bottles of calpol from now on, i'll be more careful about leaving front door ajar. everyone on earth has had some sort of awful moment, glad yours turned out ok. xxx

Louise1980 · 23/01/2006 20:13

Hey dont stress!

My son sprayed flash mould and mildew remover in his face at 18 months! I felt like shit too but you cant protect them from everything.

I had left it with in reach too. When we got home from the hospital I moved it and in a couple of days I found him climbing on the toilet cistern trying to climn on the bathroom cabinet to get it! But get this it was to show the baby that it hurts!!!

Hes 5 now and still remembers it. He wont vbe doing it again!

And reading all of these we've all done something similar an somepoint in our kids lives!

And believe it or not you wont have been the first!!!

chalkboard · 23/01/2006 20:13

Dejags, you are so not a crap mum, trust me. I work in a and e, let me tell you it doesn't matter how good a mum you are or how much you love them these things happen sometimes. Calpol is so tasty to little ones.
Am glad everything os ok for you!

Pip · 23/01/2006 20:20

dejags, you´ve suffered enough today already, please don´t beat yourself up about it. So glad he´s okay. At least today is nearly over...

hellsbells4 · 23/01/2006 20:25

No you are not a crap mum - just a normal one. My worst experience was when ds was about 18mths. Dh and I were arguing and ds wandered off to a slide beside a swimming pool. First I knew about it was some hunk hauling ds out of the water telling me he could have drowned! that is a crap mum!

edam · 23/01/2006 20:30

Good God, dejags what a horrible experience. Poor all of you. NOT your fault at all.

Would it make you feel any better if I confessed that ds ate rat poison once? And lived to tell the tale, thankfully.

Marina · 23/01/2006 20:38

Oh dejags, you poor love, what a horrible experience. If we all do a Mumsnet Mass Shout you should be able to hear us all those 1000s of miles away.
NOT a crap mum. Come on now. Hope tomorrow is better for you

Medea · 23/01/2006 20:52

Well, dejags, if you're a crap mum, I am too. . .but much, much worse. (Honestly I should name-change for this) Not only did dd (then 2) grab the Calpol and start to drink it down with the explanation, "I was thirsty". . .but I shouted at dssort reflexively, in panicwho was standing right there and watched her do it and didn't tell me. It happened while I was on the phone for 2 minutes. . .I'm almost never on the phone (I really dislike the phone as a medium) so I'm not v. adept at multitasking or noticing what's going on around me while I'm on the phone. Luckily dd had only consumed a couple of teaspoons by the time I stopped her. I was in America and rang the paediatrician, who OKed the amount. Once I was reassured, I comforted a weeping ds and told him whatever happens to his sister it is NEVER his fault, and that I only shouted at him becasue I was worried. I remind of this constantly. . .that the incident was NOT his fault, it was mine, and that sometimes mummies shout because they're are very, very upset. Anyway, I will never, ever forgive myself. Dd's drinking the calpol was an accident; but my reaction to it was very poor.

Well done to you, on the other hand, for being quick-thinking and taking him to hospital etc, without traumatizing anyone else in the process.

soapbox · 23/01/2006 21:00

Oh Dejags, my blood ran cold reading your first post!

My dear girl - you are not a terrible mother - accidents like this are all too common. We're none of us infallible - it's just that most of the time we get lucky and they don't touch the bottle, don't drink the bleach, don't slice their hand off on the knife left lying out!

Poor you - don't be surprised if it haunts you for a few days. These near misses have a habit of needing to be worked out of our systems!

Take care!

cod · 23/01/2006 21:00

Message withdrawn

snailspace · 23/01/2006 21:12

Message withdrawn

muma3 · 23/01/2006 21:19

i sat on my dd1 when she was a baby !!
we have all done silly things i guess its all about learning to have a infant around lol

Toothache · 23/01/2006 21:25

Aw dejags. Things happen and that doesn't make you a crap Mum!!

When my brother was 2 he was playing upstairs whilst my Mum put away washing. He was very quiet so she went investigating and found him in my sisters room (she was 15 at the time). He was holding an empty tub of paracetamol she'd left lying around and had a mouthful of white foam!

It was horrendous. He was rushed to hospital, they induced vomiting and told my Mum all the possible problems and the worst outcomes. We just sat in the childrens ward crying.

Hours and hours later they gave him the all clear and we were sent home....... only to discover when my sister got home that there had been nothing in the tub and my db had eaten her WHITE EYESHADOW!

We look back and snigger now, but it was the most frightening experience my family has ever been through and I really feel for you.

SOOOOOOO glad he's okay!

Original poster
dejags · 24/01/2006 11:10

I can't believe how many of you have posted. It makes me feel so much better to know that it happens all the time (even though it shouldn't).

Toothache - that's really funny .

I am still a little shaky today but DS2 is right as rain.

Certaintly an experience I do not EVER want to repeat.

You lot have really made me feel so much better - thank you all!

OP posts:
Original poster
dejags · 24/01/2006 11:11

Sorry Toothache - I meant about the white eyshadow - not about being scared witless that he had poisoned himself. I am pretty tired and inarticulate today.

OP posts:
SorenLorensen · 24/01/2006 11:18

dejags - are you with us now on the "not a crap Mum" thing? These things happen - and you will take much longer to recover than your ds. Toothache - that really made me laugh. Ds1 ate a tub of Sudocreme once....

Blu · 24/01/2006 11:24

Oh Dejags, I'm so sorry, what a bone-chillingly scary thing to happen. Scary because it can happen so easily, and there but for the grace of god....WE all know that - that's why no-one with a shred of honesty in their bodies would even begin to think you are a crap mummy.
Well done for being so on the ball and realising how much he had drunk, and for seeking immediate action. WELL DONE.
It sounds an excruciating experience, I hope you can all gradually relax and recover.
XXXXX

Lio · 24/01/2006 11:48

You poor poor thing, and we have all done similar things leaving scissors or whatever around, you are just the unlucky one that this dreadful thing happened to. Big hugs.

JonesTheSteam · 24/01/2006 12:12

Oh Dejags - everyone leaves things around without realising it. DS has just drawn all over the lounge wall with a pencil I left on the kitchen table. (I know it's not quite the same thing!!)

You're not crap!! You were just unlucky!!

Take care! Big hugs!

Mummyvicky · 24/01/2006 12:40

Poor you, how frightening !! Its impossible to monitor everything your child does around the house, it was just bad luck!

As a baby, I crawled into my Grandads garden shed and sucked all the weed killer out of a watering can !!!
My mum still cringes if we mention it.
She was just stood outside the shed and thought my dad had me !!
Scary !!