My kid ate half a bottle of elderberry gummies... am I doomed?
Okay so this is both funny and terrifying. My 4-year-old found the bottle of elderberry gummies on the counter (my bad) and thought they were fruit snacks. She ate like 8 of them before I caught her. The bottle says 2 per day for adults. She's fine, just a little hyper and her poop is gonna be purple for a week. But now I'm worried about vitamin C or zinc toxicity? These things have other stuff in them too. Anyone else have a kid OD on gummies? Should I call poison control or just monitor? She's acting normal, just bouncing off the walls. Also she now thinks all medicine is candy which is a whole other problem. Help.
Dude, first off, relax. Elderberry itself isn't toxic in those amounts, but check the label for zinc and vitamin C. Too much zinc can cause nausea and stomach cramps. 8 gummies is probably fine for a 4yo but I'd call poison control just to be safe. They're free and anonymous. Also, pro tip: keep that stuff locked up like it's actual candy, because to kids it IS candy. My wife did the same thing with iron pills once and that was a real scare. Live and learn bro.
Oh man, I feel this. My 6-year-old refuses to take elderberry because she says they 'taste like grandma's perfume.' She'll gag dramatically and spit it out. So I switched to the liquid droppers and mix it into her smoothie. She has no idea. Maybe try that? Also, for the overdose, I agree with Bob—call poison control just for peace of mind. They won't judge. Sending good vibes to your little purple-poop monster. 🙏
LOL the purple poop is real. My husband did the same thing last month—ate a handful thinking they were 'adult gummies' and then spent the afternoon on the toilet. He was fine, just embarrassed. For kids, the biggest risk is usually the added sugar and possible xylitol if they're sugar-free. Xylitol is super toxic to dogs but not great for kids in large amounts either. Check your bottle. If it's just elderberry and vitamin C, you're probably golden. If it has zinc, watch for vomiting. And yeah, hide them better next time! 😂