Calpol - PLEASE HELP

[Veryworriedmum123]

I am not asking for medical advice - I have been to A and E, rung them and spoken to the GP. I am just asking for anyone's first hand experience.

On Monday morning (so nearly 96 hours ago), my 18m daughter got hold of some ibuprofen and drank some. We don't know how much. We then realised she also had the lid of a calpol bottle with her but the bottle itself was still where it should be (so we think the lid just wasn't on).

We took her to A and E and I explained. I said I didn't think that she had had much or any calpol but I couldn't be sure and max 50ml of ibuprofen. They observed her for 4 hours and then let us go.

I am now completely obsessed with the idea that she actually had a lot of calpol and is suffering from liver damage which hasn't shown up yet. She has no unusual symptoms and seems very much herself except for some smelly and slightly shiny poos.

Does anyone have any idea how long a calpol overdose would take to show up as serious? I have asked so many doctors but none of them seem to think she could have had enough calpol but I want to know what would happen if somehow she had.

If I sound crazy it's because I am beside myself about this.

I think you'd know by now, only going by my experience working in adult mental health and if an adult takes an overdose you'd see symptoms by now so I suspect she didn't have any as you suspect t. Big hugs you must have been beside yourself when you realised xx

Had she been taking ibuprofen and calpol regularly before? Did the hospital do any blood tests to check levels? I think if any signs of overdose occur they start after around 48 hours with stomach aches, jaundice, nausea, vomiting. I would expect the ibuprofen to give her a belly ache anyway though. If it was 50ml max and the doctor thought that was ok then try not to worry but that's obviously 10x the doseage for up to 3 years old. I think if you called your GP they'd probably be happy to check her over for your piece of mind, but it doesn't sound like she's in any immediate danger.

@Minniejackson she hadn't anything for at least a couple of weeks. The GP checked her yesterday and said she was fine.

Logically I know the chances of her having any calpol at all are slim (especially as she didn't have on her) but I can't stop thinking about it. I feel like the doctors heard me say that the chances were slim and because she seemed fine they didn't do anything but observe her.

@sarahc336 thank you x

At the same age my DS downed half a small bottle of calpol. The hospital didn’t even want to see him.

Try to relax x

@GalOopNorth as in half a 100ml bottle? That is very reassuring. Thank you so much x

Dts were NICU babies they leaped with glee when they saw the calpol syringe cone on...

I'm sure there's no harm done but why does you child have acesss to calpol and / or ibuprofen.

@idontlikealdi she climbed onto a chest that we didn't know she could access. Obviously everything is now under lock and key. I couldn't blame myself more.

My husband drank a bottle of calpol as a very young child. Must have been around 2 years. MiL has no idea how much he had.

Taken to hospital and observed by doctors. They decided not to stomach pump because of his age and how big he is. Doctor basically said that he was big enough to handle it.

He's fine. No damage done and it's a funny family story now. He is very good at making sure the calpol is out of reach now though