Shall I take dd to the walk in centre?

[ShowOfHands]

I'm dithering, clearly.

DD has always been prone to ear infections but hasn't had one requiring antibiotics for a year or more. She's in Y1 and I think only had one in reception year. At preschool she had loads. They always said she'd grow out of it and that seems to be the case.

They have a humdinger of a cough/cold going round the school. DD is already a bit washed out as gastroenteritis has also been round and she's only just over that. She has a v v snotty nose and a cough, temperature but has been complaining of ear pain since yesterday morning.

I've been alternating ibuprofen and calpol and it was managing it but we're only and hour past ibuprofen, calpol not due for 2hrs and she's sobbing. She's even crying gently in her sleep.

I'm dithering because I know that they say earache generally clears up on its own, rarely needs treatment, they don't like to treat anymore etc. Plus the walk in centre is 28 miles away which is fine but I don't want to drag an illing girl out if it's unnecessary.

I need to decide before 7pm really before the walk in centre closes and our options really narrow.

[DrRanj]

Is it in both ears or one? I outdoors take her, poor thing.

[DrRanj]

Sorry that is the sad face isn't it? New iPhone app...

[Hawkmoth]

I would, or call the OOH service. An ear infection is one of my earliest memories.

[rubyslippers]

Take her

Ear infections are painful and if untreated can affect the ear drum

[Bluebell99]

I would take her but do you have enough time to get there if it closes at at 7?

[ShowOfHands]

OOH service is further away than the walk in centre. It's a bloody weird system here. My parents are 15 minutes up the road. They have an OOH service at the local surgery. We are not allowed there, we have to drive halfway across the county to see an OOH doc. Walk in centre is quicker and closer.

No DrRanj, that's hmm!

It's just one ear.

[ShowOfHands]

It doesn't close at 7pm. We need to leave by 7pm to get there and seen.

Okay, so can I take her in her pyjamas. She doesn't want to get dressed and is fast asleep.

[Pozzled]

Yes, pyjamas are fine! Plus blankets and a pillow for the drive.

[Svrider]

Take her
I think she needs antibiotics, which even if you start them tonite will take untill tues: weds to kick in
I think that's probably long enough to be in pain

[DrRanj]

Sorry didn't mean to . Bloody stupid new emoticons! How did you get on?

[DrRanj]

Oh and the reason I askedif it was one ear is that dd had a few ear infections and sometimes they would give antibiotics, and other times they would not. Then I read somewhere they give antibiotics if both ears, but not if it's only one, which seemed to fit what had happened with dd. think it's to do with making sure they can hear properly whilst I'll, especially when language is developing.

But I'd imagine they'd make an exception with your dd, especially as she is in so much pain?

[Bluebell99]

How did you get on? Hope she's feeling better.

[dikkertjedap]

Hope she is feeling better.

As she is in year 1 she is old enough for a decongestant. You may find if you get some sudafed for children that it may help her quite quickly as it helps draining the nose/ear/throat. You can buy it at big supermarkets (and of course chemists).

Nurofen works better for the pain than paracetamol IME, also lying the painful ear on a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel may help.

[dikkertjedap]

Anti-biotics usually quick in in 24 hours, sometimes 48 hours BTW.

[saintlyjimjams]

I never treated ds3's ear infections (other than pain killers). Ds1 had his treated & ended up with far too many antibiotics which causes years of damage.

Ds3 was hospitalised after he had a seizure associated with an ear infection and they wouldn't treat either. They said 'gp's still give antibiotics but we do not except in cases that are not clearing and never without a swab'.

Ds3 did end up with a lot of burst ear drums, but no permanent damage & none of the issues ds1 had from too many antibs

[dikkertjedap]

Meant to say, antibiotics usually work in 24 hours.

[ShowOfHands]

We have only given her antibiotics for ear infections 3 times. She has had at least 12 ear infections in her life. I don't like giving them to her and usually persevere without. She has been having ibuprofen and has a warm wheat bag on her ear.

Saw the walk in people. She has pus in both ears and tonsillitis too.

I'll text dh to see about decongestant. I think at age 5 she can't have it? We've just had an absolute nightmare trying to find a pharmacy which is open and able to fill a prescription but he's currently heading to Tesco to look for more ibuprofen before we run out.

[Fluffycloudland77]

Menthol crystals from the pharmacy are very good at clearing congestion. You need one of those cups with a mouthpiece to breathe them through.

You only need a couple.

Last time I had antibiotics for an ear infection and tonsillitis it was like someone had put a fire out in my head.

[ShowOfHands]

She's fast asleep. When awake she says her head feels heavy and everything stings like it's too hot. She says she wants to bang her head on the wall. Poor girl. She is v stoic usually, never even cries but she's a ball of misery today.

I've suggested menthol crystals to dh too. He accidentally put too many in hot water once whilst trying to make the room a bit steamy/mentholly and he about gassed us all to death.

[DrRanj]

Yes if there's pus that indicates a bacterial infection, and if its in both ears and her throat then she is obviously quite overwhelmed so antibiotics will probably be needed to help her clear it. Poor wee thing.

Don't know where you live but near us we have a boots midnight pharmacy that is open everyday and our local sainsburys offer a midnight pharmacy too. Perhaps try their websites and see if there is similar near you?

[Fluffycloudland77]

There's a reason they only sell them in 5g containers.

It could replace water boarding though....

[ShowOfHands]

We have no pharmacy services during the night. Not within a 40 mile radius anyway. The OOH service here is shocking but that's rural East Anglia for you.

I think the fact that dd had gastroenteritis when she came down with this cold means that her immune system has just taken a hammering. Her two best friends have been hospitalised today. One has developed pneumonia from his cough and the other has gastritis. Her other friend has started coughing so much his nose is bleeding. Nasty bugs.

[ShowOfHands]

The pain seems to have drastically reduced suddenly and the v sore ear is now leaking yellow pus. I've cleaned it gently (no probing, just removing all the gunk in the shell of her ear and sitting at the entrance of the canal).

I assume her ear drum has perforated? The nurse said it was v swollen/bulging.

Am I right in thinking this will help and the infection should drain better now? Keep on with ABs though?

[dikkertjedap]

Looks like burst ear drum - good, because it relieves the pain and bad, because infection risk (bacteria from the outside can enter through the ear now). Advice usually is no swimming and I believe no water in ear with hair washing etc. - you may want to check this, but that is what we were told.

So antibiotics are very important. Is there no hospital near you who could provide the antibiotics?

On the bottle of Sudafed it says six years, it used to be for younger children but that has now been changed as some people clearly over used it which is not a good thing at all (as with all medicine). You could ask your OOH for advice whether to ignore the sudafed label or not.

Alternatively you can ask them about Otrivin for kids or adult Otrivin, which are decongestant drops for the nose. When my dd was two years old our paediatrician told us to use these (only one drop in each nostril, twice a day) in spite of what it says on the leaflet as she was prone to get ear infections and tonsillitis when she had a bad cold. So it is very well possible that your OOH will tell you to give it in spite of the leaflets. Maybe worth checking.

I would definitely keep her off school for a few days, she probably feels miserable and exhausted.

Hope she improves soon and about the poor OOH care you have where you live.

[Kveta]

aww, poor girl :( my two both had pus oozing from burst eardrums a couple of weeks back, and were miserable before the pus appeared, but much happier afterwards.

agree that antibiotics are a good idea, and once started, do not stop the course, obviously (unless she reacts badly to them).

we regretted not getting shares in calpol and nurofen last month, the kids went through so much - we kept them dosed up with one or the other for several days.

hope she feels better soon.

(our OOH is crap too, but we are further south in east anglia - I think OOH is pretty crap in many places, sadly)