Toddler/Child overdose.?

Question

I understand completly that it is possible for a person to OD on TUMS but I can't seem to find anything on Children and TUMS.

My Q:

Calcium carbonate poisoning.

How many TUMS does it take to overdose?

I think that everyone should be concerned with children being poisoned by products found in the home. It’s easy to ignore the problem but unfortunately that doesn't make it implausible. The fact is that normal products that are seen by some adults as harmless poison children across the world everyday. It’s best to educate yourself and those you love before such accidents happen. As a nursing student I do want to know this answer.

Thank you all for your info!

Answer 1

This from Micromedex:
Antacids containing calcium carbonate or other absorbable calcium salts are capable of causing hypercalcemia. As much as 37% of administered calcium carbonate may be absorbed systemically as calcium chloride. The MILK ALKALI SYNDROME is characterized by hypercalcemia, UREMIA, CALCINOSIS, nausea, vomiting, headache, weakness, azotemia, and alterations in taste and has been reported in patients ingesting large quantities of milk concomitantly with absorbable antacids. Patients receiving calcium containing antacids should have periodic serum calcium determinations (Riley, 1970a); (Malone, 1971; Ivanovich et al, 1967; Stiel et al, 1967). Additionally, calcium carbonate in doses ranging from 4 to 60 grams daily have provoked the milk-alkali syndrome (Newmark & Nugent, 1993).
4) MILK ALKALI SYNDROME was the diagnosis in a case report of a 54-year-old male who ingested 6 grams of calcium carbonate in the form of an over-the-counter product and 1.5 grams of calcium from milk daily over several years. Examination revealed hypercalcemia (3.9 mmol/L), a serum creatinine concentration of 2.8 mg/dL, low parathyroid hormone concentration, a Helicobacter pylori infection and stippled calcifications in both kidneys. Treatment with 2.5 liters of normal saline plus 40 mg furosemide daily for 4 days, returned calcium and parathyroid hormone levels to normal. One year later, levels remained normal; however, renal function was still impaired (1.5 mg/dL) (Olschewski et al, 1996).

One TUMS is 500mg calcium carbonate. Overdose and amount needed would depend on the weight of the patient and number consumed. I don't know if that helped.

Edit: I worked for a short time in a poison control center. If the caller was not sure of the amount taken, we treated it as an overdose - better safe than sorry.

Answer 2

If it's possible for an adult to OD on Tums, then it is entirely possible for a child to OD and possibly die. I'm not sure how many Tums is needed exactly, and I wouldn't really want to know either.