Stool softeners for my toddler: asking the right medication questions

Constipation is a pain. Literally. Especially if you are a young child. My two-year-old daughter has been battling it since she was one. It is really hard to watch your happy child running around, laughing and playing one minute and then a minute later standing on her tiptoes with a red strained face, crying in pain. You try to get close and comfort her and she looks at you with tears running down her face and says “no.” Even she knows her mother’s comforting touch won’t help her go to the bathroom.

For months we tried most of the household remedies offered by friends and family: don’t give her so much milk, try this expensive liquid you can get at your local co-op, take her for a walk, give her a bunch of fiber-rich foods and have her drink a lot of fluids. Every day our fingers were crossed that things would change and this would no longer be a daily battle for her. But none of this seemed to make a difference.

Our doctor recommended a daily osmotic stool softener. This medicine works by drawing water from the body into the stool, making it softer and easier to pass. It comes in a tasteless powder that can be mixed with fruit juice, milk or another fluid, and most kids will take it without noticing.

I didn’t want to start her on a daily medicine at such a young age. But the doctor explained that kids will start to associate going to the bathroom with pain and start holding the stool, making the problem worse. I had so many questions I needed answered before I could feel comfortable using this over-the-counter medicine.

I asked my doctor:

  • How many doses will it take before it starts working?
  • How long will she be on it?
  • How will we know when she no longer needs it?
  • Will her body start depending on it?
  • If we don’t give it to her, what other treatments would you recommend?
  • Would you give it to your own daughter?

I asked the pharmacist:

  • Will it impact how her body absorbs vitamins and minerals?
  • Can it build up in her body? How likely is an overdose?
  • Are there certain foods she can’t mix it with?
  • Are there any side effects or reasons we should stop taking it and call the doctor?

After speaking with our doctor and pharmacist, we decided it was the right choice for our daughter. We went home and gave it to her. I am so glad we knew it would take a while before it started working. A couple of days after she started, it began working. After a bunch of trial and error we found a daily routine for giving her the medication and making sure she would get the right dose. We started at 3 teaspoons once a day and we are now at 1.5 teaspoons a day.

What is my daughter’s life like today? She’s a happy, energetic toddler who no longer cries when she needs to go to the bathroom. Instead, she looks at me and says “Potty?” with a confident understanding that this simple one-word question will cause me to run frantically around the house, locating the frog training toilet.

Even though I am glad we decided to give her the stool softener, I am super excited about someday not giving it to her.

Regardless of the health issues or treatment options, every person is different. What works for one person may not be right for another. Take an active role in deciding what makes sense for your health, beliefs and lifestyle.

The next time a health care provider prescribes a medication for you, ask him or her and your pharmacist these important questions.

For your health care provider:

  1. What is the name of the medication?
  2. What does it treat?
  3. How will I know if it is working?
  4. What side effects can I expect?
  5. What should I do if I have a problem?
  6. How do I take the medication?
  7. How do I schedule the medication? For example, does “four times a day” mean I have to take in the middle of the night?
  8. If the medication is on an “as-needed” basis, is there a limit to how often or how much I can take?
  9. What do I do if I miss a dose?
  10. Are there foods, drinks (including alcohol), other medications or activities I should avoid while taking this medication? For example, does this medication make it unsafe for me to drive?

Questions for your pharmacist:

  1. Do you have a complete list of the medications I take, including over-the-counter medications and dietary supplements? (If not, share your current medication list with your pharmacist at each visit.)
  2. Is there written information I should have about my medications?
  3. If needed, can the prescription label and/or other written information be printed in large print or my native language?
  4. What is the most important thing I should know about my medication?
  5. When do I stop taking the medication?
  6. How and where should I store my medication?
Posted in Medication Safety, Poison Prevention | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Stool softeners for my toddler: asking the right medication questions

How worried should parents be about helium?

In February, a 14-year-old Oregon girl died shortly after inhaling helium at a drinking party. Parents already have so many things to worry about—do they have to worry about helium, too? The short answer is not really. Helium is not as dangerous as alcohol and other drugs, which teens are much more likely to use than helium.

Helium is nontoxic, does not cause a high and rarely causes injuries or deaths. When someone breathes in any gas from a high-pressure tank, it can cause frostbite wherever the gas comes into contact with skin or mouth. It can harm the person’s lungs or cause an air bubble to get trapped in a blood vessel. This could happen with helium, nitrous oxide or another gas.

According to the CDC, alcohol remains the most commonly abused drug among youth in the U.S. Teens who are drinking or taking drugs are more likely to make poor decisions and engage in risky behaviors like breathing in gas from a high-pressure tank. In 2008 there were about 190,000 emergency room visits for persons under 21 years of age for injuries and other problems related to alcohol use.

What can parents do to address and prevent drug abuse among teens?

The Partnership at Drugfree.org and the Treatment Research Institute recently released their 6 Parenting Practices, a guide to 6 research-supported parenting practices to reduce the chances your child will develop a drug or alcohol problem. Check it out. It has some very practical suggestions.

Remember, call the poison center at 1-800-222-1222 if someone who has used helium or alcohol is not feeling well or if you have questions about helium, alcohol or other possible poisons.

Posted in National News, Substance Abuse | Tagged , | Comments Off on How worried should parents be about helium?

Giving medicine to a sick toddler

Most parents can relate: once your kid starts daycare the colds and runny noses begin. The guilt never ends. You feel like the worst mom in the world as you give your warm-to-the-touch, fussy child some Tylenol®, put their coat on and say a quick prayer that you won’t be called to pick up your sick child.

That was me many mornings last fall. It seemed every week one of my twin toddler girls was sick with some sort of bug. Our hopes of not being “one of those parents” that medicate their children all the time vanished.

I remember one particular time, my daughter had a very high fever that would not drop below 101°, even with medication. After sitting in the urgent care waiting room for more than two hours, we were called into the examination room. When the doctor was all done, he suggested we give her medicine every three hours, alternating between acetaminophen (Tylenol®) and ibuprofen (Motrin®). We could not give more than four doses every 24 hours. This would keep her fever down. I remember, sadly, how happy and relieved I felt that I had permission to give both. There was hope my daughter would have some comfort soon, and I might possibly get some much needed sleep.

When we got home, we started off with a dose of Tylenol®. Three hours later I checked her temperature and gave her Motrin®. My husband came home from work and asked when her next dose was due and what she needed.

I explained to him that she was going to get every other medication every three hours—6 p.m., 9 p.m., 12 a.m., etc.—until her fever was under control. I stressed that we could not give more than four doses of each medicine within 24 hours. We both began to get nervous about the middle of the night dosing. We were both so tired from several nights of interrupted sleep. How were we not going to screw this up and give her the wrong medicine at the wrong time?

Once my daughter was comfortable enough to sleep, I went to the computer and set up a “medication schedule” so we could keep track of what medication she needed when. The idea was that when a scheduled dose was given, the temperature would be written down and a check mark placed next to the scheduled dose.

 Sample Medication Schedule

  Time Medication Dose Temperature
X
 9 p.m. Tylenol® 0.8ml 101.4
  12 midnight       Motrin®        1.875ml       
  3 a.m. Tylenol® 0.8ml  
  6 a.m. Motrin® 1.875ml  
  9 a.m. Tylenol® 0.8ml  
  12 noon Motrin® 1.875ml  

 

I also put at the top of the page two important reminders: the poison center number, 1-800-222-1222, and the “5 Rights.”

1. The right patient
2. The right route
3. The right drug
4. The right dose
5. The right time

I was not too worried about rights number 1 and 2. But we really needed to be careful with the last 3—the drug, dose and time.

Our medication schedule and 5 rights worked. Twenty-four hours later my daughter’s fever was under control without any incident. The next 24 hours were a lot easier. She only needed one medication every 6-8 hours. That we could manage, but we still kept the medication log so we both knew when the last dose was given.

The next time your son or daughter gets sick, consider doing the same thing. Set up a medication schedule and include the poison center phone number and the 5 Rights. It will save you a lot of worry and a possible trip to the emergency department.

Remember: Every child is different. Check with your child’s doctor when he or she is sick to determine the right medication and dosage schedule. 

Posted in Medication Safety, Poison Prevention | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Giving medicine to a sick toddler

How bath salts can be bad for your health

What exactly are bath salts?

The NNEPC has received a lot of calls recently about young adults abusing new designer drugs that have been called “bath salts.”  These are not bath salts like you may have used in your bath tub.  Below is an image of a packet of bath salts.

Bath salts
Picture provided by Lt. Thomas J. Reagan
Bangor Police Department

These bath salts have names like Ivory Wave, Vanilla Sky, Pure Ivory, Monkey Dust, Rave On, Purple Wave, Charge+, Ocean Burst, Sextacy and Cloud 9. There isn’t an “FDA” for street drugs, so we aren’t always sure what’s in bath salts or what will be in them in the future. What we have seen so far is that bath salts usually contain chemicals that are similar to amphetamines, cocaine, ecstasy and Ritalin (the ADHD medication, methylphenidate).

In addition, bath salts may contain other chemicals or contaminants. Who knows? Even if other chemicals are not present, bath salts are very dangerous.

Users are showing up in emergency departments with fast heart rates, high blood pressure, agitation, seizures, and sometimes damage to their muscles and kidneys. Even a healthy young person who uses bath salts can have a heart attack or stroke.

But that’s not the worst of it. Some people have very scary psychotic reactions, which mean they act scared and crazy and are a danger to themselves and others. Those who don’t seriously hurt themselves or others while high can remain psychotic for days and may be resistant to usual treatments.  Many say that they still crave the drug even though they do not like the way it makes them feel.

Do these terrible reactions happen to everyone who uses bath salts? No, but it is not worth the risk.  
What can you do about bath salts?

Help spread the word about the risks:

Get help:

  • Call 911 if someone who has taken bath salts has passed out, is not breathing or becomes violent
  • Call the poison center at 1-800-222-1222 or chat now for all other concerns about bath salts
  • Call 1-800-662-HELP (4357) for substance abuse treatment referral information
Posted in National News, Regional News, Substance Abuse | Tagged , , | Comments Off on How bath salts can be bad for your health

Why You Shouldn’t Kiss your Lizard … and 3 Other Sources of Salmonella

Everyone knows the story of the girl who kisses the frog and ends up with a prince.  But unless you work at the poison center, you may not know the story of the girl that kisses the lizard and gets sick with Salmonella.

Lizards, snakes, turtles and frogs carry Salmonella. It generally does not make the animals sick.  You, on the other hand, might not be so lucky if you touch these pets, their cages or aquariums, their water or other things that they touch.  If you put your hands in your mouth, nose or eyes, the salmonella that the animals normally carry can make you sick.

What is Salmonella?

Salmonella is a type of bacteria. If you are exposed to Salmonella, it may take 12 hours to 3 days for you to get sick. You might feel a mix of nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps and diarrhea. Sometimes you might have a fever.  Salmonella poisoning can be very serious for people who are very young, very old or not very healthy. If your immune system is not doing well, it is an especially big concern. For the rest of us, it will not be too serious, but it won’t be fun. It is best to avoid it.  Learn more about Salmonella.

What can you do to avoid Salmonella?

After your touch your lizard or its environment, wash your hands really well! What exactly does that mean? Use warm, running water and soap and count to 20 while you lather the soap between your hands. Rinse well and dry your hands with a clean towel. A disposable paper towel is best. You can also use hand sanitizer if soap is not available.

Where else can you find Salmonella?

  • Unpasteurized milk
  • Raw eggs, poultry or meat
  • Raw vegetables cut with contaminated utensils or on a contaminated cutting board

Remember, if you think you are sick from Salmonella, call us at 1-800-222-1222. If you are throwing up a lot or have diarrhea, drink plenty of water.

Posted in Poison Prevention | Comments Off on Why You Shouldn’t Kiss your Lizard … and 3 Other Sources of Salmonella