My Child May Have Swallowed Medicine. What Should I Do?

Step 1. Take the medicine away

• Move the medicine out of your child's reach.
• If your child is awake and able to cooperate, have them spit out anything still in their mouth. Gently remove a pill you can clearly see and easily reach. Do not reach blindly into the mouth or throat.
• Keep the bottle, package, or patch so you can identify the product. Keep it out of reach while you get help.

If your child cannot breathe, cry, or cough effectively, call 911 and begin age-appropriate choking first aid. Our Choking Prevention and First Aid guide explains the steps.

Step 2. Decide who to call

Call 911 right away if your child has trouble breathing, blue or gray lips, a seizure, collapse, severe confusion, or is limp, unresponsive, or hard to wake. Follow the dispatcher's instructions, including CPR if needed.

If your child seems okay, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. The call is free and confidential, and help is available 24 hours a day, every day. Poison specialists can help you decide what to do based on the medicine and your child's situation.

Many exposures can be managed at home with expert guidance. If your child needs to be seen, the specialist will tell you where to go and how urgently.

The official webPOISONCONTROL tool also provides guidance for certain accidental, single-substance exposures in people age 6 months to 79 years. For an unknown medicine, more than one substance, intentional ingestion, or any uncertainty, call. For emergency symptoms, call 911 immediately.

Step 3. Have this information ready

Do not delay the call to gather information. If you can, be ready to share these details.

• The medicine and its strength. Read the label, including whether it is long-acting or extended-release.
• How much could be missing. Tell the specialist what you know and what you are unsure of. If possible, describe the largest amount your child could have reached.
• When it happened. An estimate is useful if you do not know the exact time.
• Any symptoms your child has.
• Your child's age, weight, health conditions, and usual medicines.

If you are told to go to the emergency room, bring the medicine container with you.

What to avoid

• Do not make your child vomit. Avoid ipecac syrup, salt water, or putting fingers down the throat. Vomiting can cause harm.
• Do not give activated charcoal or other home remedies unless Poison Control or a clinician tells you to.
• Do not give food or drinks to dilute the medicine unless Poison Control or a clinician advises it.
• Do not wait for symptoms. Looking fine now does not establish that the amount was safe.
• Do not delay expert advice while searching online. Call Poison Control or use its official tool when appropriate.

Why you should call even if your child looks fine

Some medicines can cause serious harm before a child looks sick. Acetaminophen (Tylenol), extended-release pills, diabetes medicines, and iron are examples where early symptoms may be mild or delayed.

For certain medicines, even one or two pills can seriously harm a toddler. Examples include some opioid pain medicines, heart and blood pressure medicines, diabetes pills, medicines for depression or seizures, and hydroxychloroquine.

The risk depends on the exact product, strength, amount, and your child's size. Poison Control can assess those details. Vitamins and over-the-counter products also need to be kept safely out of reach.

If opioids may be involved

If an opioid exposure is possible and your child is hard to wake or is not breathing normally, give naloxone nasal spray if available and call 911 immediately. Follow the package directions. If another adult is present, have them call while you give it.

Follow the dispatcher's instructions for rescue breathing or CPR if needed. If your child does not respond or breathing problems return, give another naloxone dose with a new device every 2 to 3 minutes as directed on the package while waiting for emergency help.

Naloxone can be used in children, including infants. Stay with your child and get emergency care even if they improve. Its effect can wear off before the opioid does.

Suspected exposure to a fentanyl patch needs immediate emergency help. Remove any patch attached to the skin, give naloxone if available, and call 911. Both new and used patches can be dangerous to a child.

After the call

• Follow the instructions you were given, including how long to observe your child and which symptoms to watch for.
• Poison Control may call back to check on your child. Answer the phone.
• Call back if your child develops symptoms or you discover new information. Call 911 for the emergency signs above.
• If your child is hard to wake or has trouble breathing, call 911 so emergency treatment can begin during transportation.

Special situations

Too much medicine given by mistake

Double doses and measuring mistakes can happen. Call Poison Control for these, too. Keep track of who gives each dose, use the dosing syringe or cup supplied with the medicine, and ask what to do about the next dose.

An older child or teen who took medicine on purpose

An intentional overdose needs emergency medical evaluation even if the child seems fine or reports only a small amount. Stay with them and get emergency help right away. Call 911 if there are symptoms, immediate danger, or you cannot safely transport them.

For crisis support in the United States, call 988 or text 988. Crisis support should not delay emergency treatment for an ingestion.

Button batteries or magnets

A suspected button-battery or magnet ingestion needs immediate emergency evaluation. Do not wait for symptoms. Our guide to choosing care includes specific button-battery instructions.

Keeping it from happening again

• Store medicines up, away, and out of sight, ideally in a locked cabinet or box. Include vitamins, supplements, and over-the-counter products.
• Put medicines away after every use, even if another dose is due in a few hours.
• Relock the safety cap every time. A child-resistant cap can still be opened by some children.
• Keep medicines in their original containers. Many weekly pill organizers are easy for children to open.
• Avoid calling medicine candy.
• Ask visitors to store purses, bags, and coats containing medicine out of reach and sight. Check for loose medicines when you visit other homes.
• Dispose of medicines you no longer need. Ask your pharmacy about take-back programs. Follow product-specific disposal instructions for medicine patches.
• If someone in the home takes an opioid, keep naloxone available and learn how to use it.
• Save Poison Control in your phone. Share 1-800-222-1222 with grandparents, babysitters, and other caregivers.

Remember

For trouble breathing, a seizure, collapse, severe confusion, or difficulty waking, call 911. Otherwise, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 right away if your child may have swallowed medicine.

Do not wait for symptoms or make your child vomit. Keep the container available and follow the specialist's instructions. You do not need to be certain an ingestion happened before asking for help.