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Child Taking Lipitor Pills And Spitted Out. What Quantity Of Medication Has The Child Injested?
Question: My 2 and a half year old son put a lipitor pill in his mouth but spit it out. I'm not sure how much he might have got. He showed it to me and it looked like soap. Some was on his shirt.
Hi XXXXXXX,
Thanks for writing in.
I am a cardiologist and frequently use this drug in adult patients.
Assuming that it was 20 mg tablet and your child weighs 13 KG and he has ingested half of the tablet, no side effects are expected. The drug is very high therapeutic index, that is ratio of toxic dose to therapeutic dose. In fact therapeutic dose in an adult ranges from 10 mg to 80 mg. Yet, some people using this medication do not have serious side effects.This drug may infrequently cause muscle problems (which can rarely lead to a very serious condition called rhabdomyolysis). It would be very rare to get this effect with single dose. However as an abundant precaution tell your child's doctor immediately if he develop any of these symptoms: muscle pain/tenderness/weakness (especially with fever or unusual tiredness), change in the amount of urine.A very serious allergic reaction to this drug is rare. However, seek immediate medical attention if you notice any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction, including: rash, itching/swelling (especially of the face/tongue/throat), severe dizziness, trouble breathing.This is not a complete list of possible side effects. If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor or pharmacist.In the US -Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088. As two hours have already passed it is unlikely that young man ingested much of drug and if he has he is going to develop any serious side effect. Keep a watch for two days.
If you have any other question, I will be most happy to answer.
Best Wishes.
Dr Anil Grover
Cardiologist
Thanks for writing in.
I am a cardiologist and frequently use this drug in adult patients.
Assuming that it was 20 mg tablet and your child weighs 13 KG and he has ingested half of the tablet, no side effects are expected. The drug is very high therapeutic index, that is ratio of toxic dose to therapeutic dose. In fact therapeutic dose in an adult ranges from 10 mg to 80 mg. Yet, some people using this medication do not have serious side effects.This drug may infrequently cause muscle problems (which can rarely lead to a very serious condition called rhabdomyolysis). It would be very rare to get this effect with single dose. However as an abundant precaution tell your child's doctor immediately if he develop any of these symptoms: muscle pain/tenderness/weakness (especially with fever or unusual tiredness), change in the amount of urine.A very serious allergic reaction to this drug is rare. However, seek immediate medical attention if you notice any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction, including: rash, itching/swelling (especially of the face/tongue/throat), severe dizziness, trouble breathing.This is not a complete list of possible side effects. If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor or pharmacist.In the US -Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088. As two hours have already passed it is unlikely that young man ingested much of drug and if he has he is going to develop any serious side effect. Keep a watch for two days.
If you have any other question, I will be most happy to answer.
Best Wishes.
Dr Anil Grover
Cardiologist
Note: For further queries related to your child health, Talk to a Pediatrician. Click here to Book a Consultation.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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