I have been giving my baby too much tylenol

[Jazzycat123]

I swear my doctor said for a twenty pound infant 2.2 ml is okay but today i called because our son is teething and I did not feel comfortable because the last two days I have had to give it to him before he went to bed. I know its bad for the liver. So we decided to change him to baby motrin. We wanted to make sure the dosage was still the same or different. Well the nurse called me back and said that we should be giving him 1.2 ml of tylenol and 2.2 ml of motrin. I am freaking out. He doesn't act like he is hurting but I am soo scared we hurt his liver. Should I take him to the ER. I am finding a new pedi because I know she said 2.2 is okay of tylenol. I am not that forgetful, especially when it comes to my baby.

 

[ickle pand]

Check the information leaflet that came with the Tylenol or the Tylenol website, one of those will tell you the correct dosage and then you can decide what to after that.

I think our equivalent is calpol and I give 2.5ml of that, but I don't know if it's the same strength. Maybe she got the dosages the wrong way round.

 

[Meg26]

Its ok!! My pediatrician told me that you can not overdose them on anything over the counter. Tylenol, advil and motrin are included. Not to say you should give extra but dont worry if you do accidentally!
It was only a couple times so his liver will be fine. Just follow the guidelines on the bottle and use the included syringe and it will be fine.

 

[Meg26]

Your doctor may have said 2.2ml is fine... nurses have to follow the guidelines on the bottles to protect themselves. Doctors know what they are doing and the medication companies have to protect themselves as well so they tell you to give just enough. There is always a little buffer zone that doctors know about and they can reccomend that you do it. Trust your ped. They know what theyre doing

 

[Noo]

What is the mg per ml ?

 

[ktod]

Its ok!! My pediatrician told me that you can not overdose them on anything over the counter. Tylenol, advil and motrin are included. Not to say you should give extra but dont worry if you do accidentally!
It was only a couple times so his liver will be fine. Just follow the guidelines on the bottle and use the included syringe and it will be fine.

I'm really sorry to pick on your post but I just really want to make the point to other people reading that this in completely false and dangerous.

It sounds like the OPs dose is fine, however, it is very very dangerous to overdose on OTC paracetamol/Tylenol and can be fatal. I literally cannot believe a doctor would say otherwise!

 

[Nevaie]

I don't think the ER would be the right place to go since it isn't an immediate emergency. I'd ask the doctor to order a liver panel test (can't remember the actual name) and go that route. Simple blood draw and wait on the results. Most likely he'll be fine. It usually requires either massive doses of something damaging or prolonged use over a period of time. You most certainly CAN overdose on over the counter meds, but they do keep the dosage at very safe levels knowing some people will use too much or too often so the risks are lowered that way.

Also, there are two concentrations of tylenol. Old and new. The dosage varies by the concentration. Newer allows you to give more. Might be a mix up with that.

 

[ickle pand]

Ok I just did some googling - Tylenol has 160mg of acetaminophen/paracetamol per 5ml, whereas Calpol has 120mg. So that works out at 70.4mg for a 2.2ml dose of Tylenol and 70mg for a 2.5ml dose of calpol. In other words, you've been giving the right dose and have nothing to worry about and you don't need to change your pedi. I'd have words with them about their nurse though!

 

[wannabemomy37]

I honestly don't think it's worth freaking out about. 1ml more isn't terrible (not good either, necessarily).

It depends if you have been doing this for a long long time (he's only 6 months, so I'm assuming it hasn't been that long?)

Also as long as you wait 4-6 hours between doses it shouldn't be SO bad.

What's done is done, but now you know so just be more cautious and read the labels of each product itself, that way there is no misunderstanding. Always go by weight vs. age as if your 6 month old weighs 20lbs he seems to be a little chunker lol and going to need more than a 15lb 6 month old iyswim.

to a PP - YES you most certainly CAN overdose on OTC medicines....that's terrifying that you have a doctor that told you otherwise...
However the OP double-dosed, which isn't terrible. I personally take an extra Tylenol if I still have pain here and there. Docs can OK taking a stronger dose. Overdosing is completely different (ie: taking 1/2 a bottle)

 

[Noo]

Its ok!! My pediatrician told me that you can not overdose them on anything over the counter. Tylenol, advil and motrin are included. Not to say you should give extra but dont worry if you do accidentally!
It was only a couple times so his liver will be fine. Just follow the guidelines on the bottle and use the included syringe and it will be fine.

Sorry but that's crap

 

[Jazzycat123]

hmm i think i figured out what it was. She was quoting the old concentration. Not the 160mg/5ml, which says for his weight 2.5 ml.....thx.

 

[felix555]

I just looked it up. That dose seems fine for your baby's age and weight?

 

[sheldonsmommy]

Tylenol is very damaging to the liver in high doses. There's a daily limit for even adults as it can cause liver failure and stomach ulcers.

Your dose seems fine given that concentration but I would recommend to anyone who thinks their baby had too much to see their doctor promptly, and if that's not possible I would begrudgingly recommend going to emerg (I never say this!!!!).

 

[Meg26]

Well i wasnt saying that its completely safe to give the entire bottle or anything and neither was my doctor, mainly just saying that if you go over the dosage a little bit or accidentally give an extra dose (say dad gave the first dose and a hour later mom gives a dose without knowing) its not a huge issue. for example my motrin says for a 22lb baby to give 1.875ml if you give 2.2ml its not going to kill him. He will be a tad drowsy but its not
fatal!! Sorry if the previous post wasnt clear on that. I didnt intend for people to assume overdosing on purpose is ok :/

Its ok!! My pediatrician told me that you can not overdose them on anything over the counter. Tylenol, advil and motrin are included. Not to say you should give extra but dont worry if you do accidentally!
It was only a couple times so his liver will be fine. Just follow the guidelines on the bottle and use the included syringe and it will be fine.

I'm really sorry to pick on your post but I just really want to make the point to other people reading that this in completely false and dangerous.

It sounds like the OPs dose is fine, however, it is very very dangerous to overdose on OTC paracetamol/Tylenol and can be fatal. I literally cannot believe a doctor would say otherwise!

 

[TMonster]

You've already gotten your answers but just to reaffirm everything, I just checked the Tylenol (at the same concentration) I received for Zoe when she was barely 8 pounds and her dose was 1.2ml so considering that he is more than double her size 2.2 seems totally fine.

 

[eew1471]

Is that the dropper or syringe? Tylenol is now being made in a less concentrated form so you can give them more... If it is based of the 5ml dosage on the back and has a syringe then it is the new formula and my son is 18 lbs and can take 3.75 ml of the new kind versus 1 ml of the old dropper version.

 

[Jazzycat123]

Is that the dropper or syringe? Tylenol is now being made in a less concentrated form so you can give them more... If it is based of the 5ml dosage on the back and has a syringe then it is the new formula and my son is 18 lbs and can take 3.75 ml of the new kind versus 1 ml of the old dropper version.

It is 160mg/5ml so it is the new concentration which on the tylenol site says 2.5 for a 20 pound baby is okay. I think the nurse was going on the old concentration. Although, I am not sure why. If anyone has bought infant tylenol within the last year in the US has probably bought the new concentration. It still makes me a little irked at the pedi office. They should know there is a new concentration.

 

[BabyDragon]

That is scary that a doctor would say that! When DD was running an incredibly high fever of 104+, I had to give her a fever reducer, and was advised that since they are so little and their liver are so small, to alternate between acetaminophen and ibuprofen with every other dose.

You gave only a tiny bit extra only a handful of times... I wouldn't worry about it!