What might cause an acetaminophen overdose?

An acetaminophen overdose can happen fast. Situations that could lead you to give your child too much acetaminophen include the following:

• You're in a hurry. If you rush, you might misread the instructions on the acetaminophen label. Or you might not carefully measure the medicine. It's also possible to give two doses too close together. That could happen if you don't realize that another caregiver already has given your child a dose.
• You combine medicines. If your child has various cold symptoms, your instinct might be to combine acetaminophen with another over-the-counter medicine. If the other medicine contains acetaminophen, this can result in a dangerously high dose. Also, do not give cough and cold medicines to children younger than age 6. These medicines may cause serious side effects.
• You use the wrong version. You might cause an overdose if you give your child adult acetaminophen instead of a children's version.
• You decide that more is better. If you don't think the recommended dose of acetaminophen helped enough, you might wonder if you should raise the dose. Or you might wonder if you should give the medicine more often. Don't take either step. Giving higher or more-frequent doses of acetaminophen can cause an accidental overdose.
• Your child mistakes the medicine for candy or juice. Acetaminophen comes in tablet, capsule and liquid forms. Overdoses often happen when a child mistakes acetaminophen for something safe to eat or drink. This can happen when an adult leaves the bottle open or within a child's reach after using medicine.