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12-year-old suffers kidney damage after taking over-the-counter children’s medicine (2 February 2015)

Date: 02/02/2015
Duncan Lewis, Personal Injury Solicitors, 12-year-old suffers kidney damage after taking over-the-counter children’s medicine

The mother of a 12-year-old boy is warning other parents about the dangers of using children’s medications containing non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen.

The Daily Mail reports that Louize Carroll, 39, treated her son Josh for a sore throat and fever using Nurofen for children, which is marketed for children aged three to 12.

Josh recovered from his sore throat, but weeks later developed symptoms involving sickness and stomach pains. His GP diagnosed gastroenteritis and stress – but a blood test revealed that Josh was suffering from a potentially life-threatening kidney disease linked to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

He was referred to the Evalina London Children’s Hospital, where doctors found Josh had inflammation of the kidney called tubulointerstitial nephritis – which causes kidney failure.

The conditional is a side effect of taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which are available over-the-counter.

Josh was hospitalised for eight days and is now on a low potassium diet and taking steroidal medication. It is hoped his kidneys will recover, but Mrs Carroll said:

“I felt guilty because I'd given him the Nurofen – but I just gave him a normal dose for three days.

“I was surprised when we were told the Nurofen had caused Josh's problems – but a nurse said they see a lot of similar cases.”

However, the manufacturer of Nurofen states that only around 1% to 5% of children who take the medication develop side effects involving kidney problems.

Mrs Carroll added that the “worst case scenario” was that Josh’s kidneys might not recover:

“We still don't know how his condition will develop.

“If that happens, then obviously there is still a possibility that he would need dialysis or a transplant.

“I feel really surprised that something that is aimed at children can be so dangerous.”

Josh said:

“On Christmas Day, I got really bad stomach pains. I couldn't eat my Christmas dinner.

“I couldn't move because it hurt so much and I didn't really know what was happening.

“If I met the owner of the company that makes Nurofen, I'd ask them why it causes kidney problems – and I would ask why it says this is a rare problem when it happens to one to five per cent of people who take it.

“They should put a warning on the bottle because not a lot of people read the leaflet,” he added.

Duncan Lewis Personal Injury Solicitors – Medical Negligence Claims

Duncan Lewis personal injury solicitors can advise patients who have suffered injury as a result of prescribing errors, GP negligence, wrong medication, wrong dosage or unexpected reactions to medications on how to make a no win no fee claim for compensation.

Personal injury claimants have three years from the date of injury or diagnosis of injury in which to make a claim – and children who suffer personal injury are able to claim compensation up to the age of 21.

For expert legal advice on no win no fee Medical Negligence Claims, call Duncan Lewis personal injury solicitors on 020 7923 4020.


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