Think our oldest is drinking cough syrup...

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

I agree with Purple chicken 100% Ipecac is not a safe drug to give her and could even harm her. My mother inlaw is a nurse and she said that you could possibly be looking at a fine (or worse) if your daughter tells anyone. You should bring it up to her face to face and ask her right out. She will prob lie but at least she knows your watching and you care about her. Look up problems that will come of using these substances and tell her about it in a calm way. That way it's in there somewhere. She may possibly even need help with this if she is not able to stop on her own. But at least you know you talked with her and informed her of the consequences and it's in the back of her mind. It may help or it may not...depending on if she is already addicted. Good luck! I wish your family the best.
I have two now adult children who are pretty good although my daughter has admitted to me that she has tried some things and it just makes you sick inside. She is now 21 and says she learned a hard lesson. I did a lot of research on what it could have done to her and that opened her eyes. I think I caught her early! Thank goodness! Now I have to go through it all over again becasue we have a 4 yr old too UGH!

 

[JewellFarm]

I think you need to sit down and have a serious heartfelt discussion with your daughter. You have to remember there are too many places for kids to have access to undesireable things. Replacing the cough meds with something else or hiding them isn't going to help. Maybe you think it will teach her a lesson, but obviously she has an underlying problem that it just isn't going to cure. Sometimes it's hard to face problems head on, but you really should consider doing just that, face it head on. I wish you all the best with whatever decision you make.

 

[sfw2]

I haven't read all the posts, but I would caution against the ipecac approach - too risky, IMO. What if somebody else took it, instead? Apart from which, I don't think a "stealth" approach is what's needed, here. Be direct with your daughter about your concerns, and, by all means, keep the meds locked up.

Just my two-cents-worth.

 

[mom'sfolly]

I think the ipecac would be bad idea, unless you are completely sure about the interactions between it and other OTC medicines. Cough syrup (DMX) abuse is one of the drugs of choice for younger kids, because it is cheap, readily available and not looked for by most parents. I think discussion is what's needed. You need to address this problem, and the underlying issues without worrying about what anyone else will think.

Girls, especially in middle school, are socially rabid bullies. They determine who and what are popular, and can be utterly viscious with others. This is an incredibly sensitive age. Girls not only arbite social behaviour, but they also share some dangerous information including stuff like "how to" tips on anorexia, sex, cutting and drugs. The pressures of middle school may be just too much for your child.

I have an 11 year-old boy, who just entered middle school, and I worry. He has no cell phone, no facebook and no myspace. The only one he has asked for is a cell phone. I think there is a fine line between protecting your child, and making them so outside the social norms that they are a pariah. As a kid that had a rough middle school experience; I want to make it easier for my child. However, I don't know if I can.

In your place, I would talk to my child and I would take advantage of any resources available: pastor, counselors at school, internet information, even parents of her friends, if you are friendly with them.

Good luck

 

[murphysranch]

My now 23 yr old daughter started on cold medicine, unknown to us at that time. This was b4 cold meds were stored behind the counters at the drug store. It continued to smuggling vodka in her Crystal lite bottles, and having friends buy it for her. When she graduated from HS as an honors student, she went off the deep end and found crack. My lesson: a parent can never been too controling and on hyper alert when there are over the counter drug usage suspected.

 

[cluckychick]

If she's 11 and drinking cough syrup then you better believe she's gonna try something else. If she's not gonna get at your house then she'll get it somewhere else. Drinking cough syrup is as addictive as any drug. I would watch your mouthwash, paint cans, gas cans.

I would get professional help. Talk to her , take her to the doctor, maybe it is a medical reason like headaches, premenopausal/hormonal, sinsuses. Go get her checked out and then go from there.

If she were mine I would talk to her, listen to her but not believe her. I would then talk to every available resourse I could and do everything I could to nip it in the bud before it escalates.

I'll pray for you and your daughter...

 

[selinagil]

Honestly if I were you I would sit down and try to get some honset answers out of her. Try to be as open with her as you can be---drug use is everywhere now and even people in mainstream media use cough syrup. Lil Wayne is known for using it to get high and make his voice sound different. He and other entertainers like him are a big influence in kids lives. Also the thing that kept me away from drugs when I was in school was fear of DYING!! A really good program that might put a little fear in her is INTERVENTION, it comes on A&E. I know they have an episode on cough syrup using.

This is the link for the website to the show---there is also other useful info on the site .

www.aetv.com/intervention/index.jsp

Episode 55-Ben and Josh
Ben is on cough syrup, he is a genius who has ruined his brain with his addiction--you can watch the episode online.

 

[fldiver97]

Quote:
I hope some medical people here see this and comment.

I would talk to her!!!! OTC cough products like Nyquil contain acetaminophen (generic Tylenol) Too much can ruin her liver!!!!! That's only one of the problems of the cough syrup. It also contains alcohol and other things that cause drowsiness. Kids get into all kinds of stuff, if they are detrmined it is almost impossible to keep them away from doing it. So maybe she would benefit from talking to others that had problems like this or professionals. They took Syrup of Ipecac of the shelves a while ago. It is not recommended anymore to use to induce vomiting. he American Association of Poison Control Centers changed their guidelines a few years back to NOT use it anymore to induce vomiting. Also the consistency and flavor of Ipecac are a giveaway...she'll notice after a taste. I also don't think it's a good enough lesson. She needs to be spoken to somehow to find out what is going on and to make her understand how risky this is. If not she may just try other things. There are reports of children much younger getting into huffing, alsohol, smoking drugs etc. And many things are found in the household, workshops and medicine cabinets.
Don't want to lecture but I have seen kids that needed liver transplants after getting into certain plants and Tylenol containing products. Hope you can work this out with her quickly!!!

 

[Quillgirl]

As the mom of a teen who has come through the tunnel at last, you really must face this head-on and directly. You can be discrete without being sneaky. Self-medicating is the likely culprit, or it could be a cool thing to do with friends. You must not only be compassionate, but impose consequences that matter, that are relevant, and that have a defined begin/end. (Think of the way the courts work. No emotion, just the consequence given for the "crime.") I would also get a good counselor involved on a regular basis, and I mean one that is actually effective. Check around.

You must talk about what you know, what you suspect, and what you EXpect in the future. Keep communications open, be watchful. You have several years of increased vigilance that you must work through...

Good Luck! You can make a big difference if you head this off right now.

 

[Birch Run Farm]

Wow, good luck with this. I am so glad I never got into the drug scene as a kid.