Taking calpol without permission

[Icantfindausername]

Help. My daughter is 12 and previously I suspected she had taken calpol without my knowledge as the bottle was full and a few months later when I went to use it it was empty. I've explained to her how dangerous etc and she said she understood and she hasn't taken it. As I couldn't be certain I left it there. Today I've been cleaning her room and I've found a calopol 'melt' wrapper under her bed. I went to the medicine cupboard and the pack of 12 definitely had 10 left and now only 2 so she's taken 8 without my knowledge or permission. I am furious so I've gone mad, cancelled our plans for tomorrow (which was was looking forward to) and I don't know what to do from here - please help. I don't have a lockable cabinet and not sure I need one with a 12 year old. The medicines are kept about my bed so she's actually going out of her way to get the medicine!!!

You NEED to buy a lockable box where you keep medication. This isn’t about what she shouldnt be doing, you need to protect her.

Change paracetamol flavours, brands

It’s actually really serious op if she has a massive craving for them and necks a few at a time she will be in serious trouble. As in could possibly die trouble

The other issue with paracetamol overdose is you can appear fine but then the damage materialises a few days later. So there definitely needs to be removal of the source, as it were. Sorry OP, don't want to scare you but children's medicines can be lethal just as easily as the adult version.

If she downs a few bottles easily I would maybe worried about her being addicted (to the painkiller rather than sugar) it may have started off as sugar addiction but now it's the meds! (Not to scare you but this is what I would be thinking)

I completely get that you don’t want her taking paracetemol regularly in any form, and you need to lock it away, but if she isn’t in pain, it boils down to a child who likes sweets.
Or have I missed something? Most of the pre-teens I know like sweets. Isn’t that normal?
Why would you take her to the GP?