I Almost Killed My Son with this Over the Counter Medication.

As I sit here writing this blog post my heart is still beating (24 hours after the event), my mother’s guilt is at an all time peak and I still feel sick in the stomach that I almost killed my son (Finlee) yesterday by using an over the counter medication. I have a story that all parents need to know, all parents need to share and all parents need to take seriously as this could happen to any family, on any given day.

On Friday it was the end of term 3 (prep) for Finlee and to say he was exhausted is an understatement. The constant going to school, having a structured day, homework and little time for play (creating, exploring outside, bike riding etc) has really taken a toll on Finlee and there was every sign pointing our way that he would be sick any day now. So on Friday afternoon after a week worth of meltdowns, book week accomplished and an after-school play date with his friends it was no surprise that he started to get a fever, started sneezing and coughing and this my friends is how we have started the holiday vacation.

Feeling Helpless as a Mother

As mothers we hate seeing our kids sick and we would do everything we could do to make them better. Finlee had little sleep on Friday night due to coughing every other minute and I reckon woke up Saturday morning with less energy than when he went to bed. Saturday was a lazy down around the house due to the fever increasing and the cough progressively getting worse. Sunday morning, Finlee had deteriorated quite substantially and had very little sleep, was finding it harder to breath and was really weak from lack of eating and liquid intake. I knew that I needed to do something as he should be at least showing some signs of improvement.

In a world where we’re advised to give our kids medication for everything which is constantly confirmed with the daily TV ads, or the ads in the newspaper/magazines, on the radio etc my GP is actually the opposite. She believes that we’re contributing to the decline in our children’s immunity by taking a pill for so many things that don’t need pills in order to get well. For example, she’s discussed with me the common cold and her thoughts are that we just need to allow our kids to have a few days down time, let the fever burn the bugs that are currently in their body away and have some cuddle time with mommy/mummy. However, my GP is also very reasonable and she also has advised (over the 13+ years that I’ve been going to her) to a) use medication if the child is getting worse (includes no sleep, not eating etc) and b) follow your gut. With Finlee in tow we made our way to the chemist.

We arrived at the chemist and I informed the employee about Finlee’s situation. I made it very clear that:

• He’s only just turned 6;
• He’s been having trouble breathing;
• He hasn’t been sleeping;
• He hasn’t been eating/drinking

In addition to the above information, I asked numerous questions about what else I could do, would this medication make him drowsy, were there any risks etc. I was advised multiple times that this medication would not make him drowsy, that there were no risks and that it would be ok to start him on the 5ml as per the recommendation for his age bracket on the box. With the trust of the employee, I bought the following medication: Duro-Tuss and proceeded to give Finlee 5mls.

Using Duro-Tuss Medication for Kids or Any Cough Medication

After arriving home from the chemist, it didn’t take long for Finlee to take fall a sleep. In fact, he napped for not 1 but 3.5 hours to which I then woke him. During his nap, there was very little coughing, however I noticed his breathing was not getting any better and was actually getting worse. His chest was jumping up and down, up and down, he was making this odd sound with his lips (kinda like a whistle as he couldn’t get enough air) and it appeared he really had to work hard to get a breath. I knew something wasn’t right, I had this sick feeling come over me and I started to slightly panic (ok I was actually really fucking panicking at this stage). I didn’t want to over react (I can do this at times), so I arranged for a doctor to come to our home to see Finlee. However, 20 minutes later his breathing was worse so I threw him in the car and drove to the nearest late night medical centre.

Bad to Worse

Upon arriving at the medical centre, the doctor asked an array of questions (have you given him any medication, to which I said a cough suppressant and she almost fell off her chair with disgust). The doctor completed a physical and advised she wanted to test Finlee’s breathing pre and post giving him some ventolin (is used to treat or prevent breathing problems in patients who have asthma or certain other airway diseases). In a nutshell, the ventolin worked a treat and we met with the doctor who gave us some scripts for some medication. Prior to leaving, I’ll never forget the look and the tone from the doctor when she stated the following: “under NO circumstances are you to EVER give Finlee or any child any type of cough medication; you could have killed him!”

The Aftermath of Duro-Tuss

Once getting Finlee settled for the night, I was able to sit down and reflect on what the hell just happened. A million questions going through my mind… how the fuck did I almost kill Finlee? How did I not know that a cough suppressant like Duro-Tuess could have killed Finlee? Why don’t they tell you this before you leave the hospital? Where the hell is the manual? How many other parents don’t know that they too maybe putting their kids at risk by administering any type of cough medication? How can I spread the message? I realised I could start spreading the word by sharing it to my Finlee & Me (Australia’s leading baby/toddler/kids/mum store), different social media outlets, friends and family and hope that the word will spread like wild fire in order to prevent any other child taking this medication.

Facts about the Common Cold/Flu in Children

I wanted to provide you with some facts about the common cold/flu in children from The Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne Kids Health Information Flyer:

• A cough is a very common problem in children and the most common cause of a cough is a respiratory tract infection, such as a cold.
• Young children usually have 6-12 colds per year and are usually caused by viruses.
• Antibiotics will not help with this kind of cough and in fact some children may cough for many weeks after a viral infection and again antibiotics are usually of no help.

Facts about the Number of Children Impacted by Cough Medications

The New England Journal of Medicine released a reported in 2007 titled: “Over the Counter but No Longer Under the Rader – Peadiatric Cough and Cold Medications” where they identify some staggering stats/information:

• American Association of Poison Control Centers reported more than 750,000 calls of concern related to cough and cold products since January 2000 to 2007 for the paediatric age group;
• From 2004-2005 there were over 1500 children under 2 years of age who presented to emergency rooms specifically with concerns due to the cough or cold products they had given their child;
• Children under 6 years of age have been linked to decongestants to cardiac arrhythmias and other cardiovascular events, antihistamines to hallucinations, and antitussives to depressed levels of consciousness and encephalopathy;
• 123 deaths of children (under 6 years of age) which are directly linked to the use of cough products;
• There have also been serious adverse effects associated with accidental overdose, inadvertent misuse, and drug–drug or drug–host interactions in children given standard doses.

Are Cough Medications Helpful for Children

With over $250 millions worth of cough, cold and flu remedies sold in Australia every year, it’s no wonder why parents continue to buy these products even though there is no evidence to suggest these medications actually work. In fact, in 2006, the American College of Chest Physicians found that “literature regarding over-the-counter cough medications does not support the efficacy of such products in the paediatric age group.” There have been multiple studies that also support the American College of Chest Physicians stating that cough medications are NOT helpful for children and in fact can cause death in some children (see another article from the Sydney Morning Herald).

In Finlee’s case because he was already having a hard time breathing, when I gave him the Duro-Tuss this blocked his airways from working even more than what they were prior to giving him the Duro-Tuss because everything was being suppressed. This resulted, in Finlee actually struggling harder to breath and his entire body to work harder than if I just let him cough it out.

Changes to Australian Cough and Cold Medicine for Children

The Australian Government Department of Health – Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) completed a review of the use of cough/cold medications in children and made the following changes as of November 26^th, 2012:

• Cough and cold medicines should not be given to children under 6 years of age;
• Cough and cold medicines should only be given to children aged 6 to 11 years on the advice of a doctor, pharmacist or nurse practitioner;
• From September 2012 new stocks of cough and cold medicines must include warnings and instructions to the above effect and will be in child-resistant packaging.

To read the entire media release head to: The Australian Government Department of Health – Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).

Does Anything Work for a Cough/Cold/Flu

There is no cure for the common cold however, when Finlee, Chloe, my husband and I get a cough/cold/flu in the future we’ll be going back to the basics (please note to always check with your doctor about what combination of treatments will work best for your situation):

• Honey – can reduce the frequency of your child’s cough and may also improve quality of sleep for your child. Please note that honey should not be given in children younger than one year because of the risk of botulism.
• Hot drinks – a hot drink can ease a sore throat and assist with a dry mouth.
• Throat lozenges – can be found at your local chemist/grocery store and can help to relieve the discomfort of sore throats.
• Humidifiers – are great because they add moisture to the air and this can helps to ease coughing and congestion due to your child’s cold. We prefer to use these humidifiers that are safe for children.
• Vapour Rubs – can be massaged on your child’s back or chest to assist your child to feel better.
• Offer fluids – it’s important for your child to constantly be drinking fluids as it’s quite easy for your child to become dehydrated especially if the child has a raised temperature.
• An over-the-counter pain relief – paracetamol and ibuprofen can reduce a fever and ease the pain of a sore throat or headache. Remember low-grade fevers help fight infection and don’t necessarily need treatment.
• Rest – curl up in your bed and watch a movie, read a book or have a nap. Rest is so important when struggling with being sick.
• Time – remember every child is different so it may only take 2 days for one child to recover but he may take 5 days for another child to recover from the common cold, so try to be mindful of this.
• If at ANYTIME you have concerns about your child please contact your GP who will assist you in making the correct medical treatment for your child or if it’s an emergency please contact 000 in Australia or your emergency number in your country.

HIT THE SHARE BUTTON BELOW AND SPREAD THE WORD!!

About the Author

Angela Henderson is an author, entrepreneur, blogger, mental health clinician and most importantly a mother. She explores various topics related to parenting/children on her blog and also in her three books: 30 Days, 30 Ways for Mothers to Take Care of Themselves,  30 Days, 30 Ways for Connecting with Your Child and Healthy Snack Ideas for Kids. Connect with her on Facebook, Instagram and her website Finlee and Me.

References:

The Australian Government Department of Health – Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) (2012): Media Release for Changed to Cough and Cold Medicines for Children.

The New England Journal of Medicine (2007): Over the Counter but No Longer Under the Rader – Peadiatric Cough and Cold Medications.

The Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne (2010) Kids Health Information Flyer.

The Sydney Morning Herald (2012) Children’s Cold Product on Outer.

Save