1yr old getting high on cough medicine

Housebear51

Just gave our 1 yr old some cough medicine from Tesco and he is behaving very oddly now.

We gave the recomended dose 1x 5mil spoon. It says for 1 to 5 yr olds.

Someone said it contains stuff like heroin and coke is that right?

Mags_cat

It won't contain anything illegal. He may be reacting to one of the ingredients though - perhaps an artficial colour? I've no idea what they put in kid's medicine these days but it certainly isn't Class A drugs

If you have any concerns you should probably ring NHS Direct or try to talk to your Dr.

ehlo

Some cough medicines contain codeine, which in large doses can be a temporary alternative to heroin (according to wikipedia). However I don't think these effects should be reproducible for a suggested dose of cough medicine

faithcecilia

Most cough medicines for young children are little more than sugar syrup. If your child doesn't often have sweets, or has been off their food while ill, then ever that could send them hyper. Or as someone else said, the colouring could do it. I think its unlikely a cough medicine for a child under 6 will contain anything too nasty - you aren't even supposed to give them medised anymore!

winnie81

I really do doubt there is codeine or class A drugs in kids medicines although I do know when in the past I have given 2 of my 4 kids cough medicines and own brand medicines they react to the Colours/Preservatives. My son especially reacts like he is extremeally hyperactive and didn't sleep at all.

SInce then I have stuck to Calpol and Nurofen as these don't have that effect. When they have colds I stick with Olbas Oil and warm honey drinks.

I would bet its a reaction to the colours etc (no different to sweets/coke which my son also reacts too) and he will be fine once it wears off

fsdss

its mainly a sugar syrup, doubt it would have more than this in it - is it tesco's own brand? little one is probably on a sugar rush

spugzbunny

no - it definitely does not contain heroine and coke. No.

GEEGEE8

spugzbunny wrote: »

no - it definitely does not contain heroine and coke. No.

It'd be flying off the shelves if it did

FunnySaving

He might just be off kilter because he's not well and a sudden burst of energy from the sugar is more noticeable. I'm sure that there's nothing nothing like class A drugs in the cough medicine though otherwise they would be restricted and certainly not recommended for young 'uns.

Gavin83

Most cough medicines contain DXM which can produce ecstasy type responses in high doses. However, for a child to feel anything they'd need to drink at least a quarter of a bottle and frankly I doubt they'd put this in a childs version anyway. It's likely to be a reaction to the sugar or colours in some way.

123louisa

You cant buy the cough mixtures with codeine in on the shop floor only over the pharmacy counter now, and even then it is for over 6's only.

DS used to go absolutely loopy on apple flavoured cough soothers when he was smaller. Loopy as in running round and round and round in circles, on the furniture off the furniture. The only way to describe it as when you see a dog have a funny five mins tearing round??? Thats what he was like for 6 hours!! Only ever gave him 1 dose!