Would you give your ds these antibiotics?

[HeadFairy]

I went to the docs with ds (16 mo) on Thursday because he's had a really bad cough for about 10 days with no sign of improvement. It was waking him (and us) up at night and he was quite distressed when coughing, as though it was painful or something like that. He's been off his food for over a week too, barely eating. Other than that he's fine, no temp, no listlessness.

The doctor had a listen to his chest and said he couldn't hear any rattling or crackling but he agreed ds wasn't well as he was very croaky and had a bit of a coughing fit in the surgery. He gave me a prescription for some amoxicillin and said to get it filled out if he got worse after a week.

Last night he ahd the most God awful cough, it was really horrible, very very phlegmy, and painful for him. He woke a few times in the night. He was also breathing quite fast, and slightly rattly. I got him back to sleep, but he was restless the rest of the night.

Today dh says he's been fine (I'm at work) he's eaten a little, not coughed massively just occasionally. Question is, do I give him the antibiotics? I've got them from the chemist, but I don't want to give them uneccessarily. I also don't want to leave it too late and his cough develops in to a really nasty infection.

[FAQinglovely]

I'd give them, but then I have children who are prone to chest infections that come on very quickly and often don't get picked up by tthe Drs (probably because I now recognise the signs of them coming and get to the Drs pronto before the rattling can actually be detected).

[HeadFairy]

I had terrible bronchitis as a kid FAQ and I know the sound it makes, plus (and this is gross) I know the smell the phlegm makes on your breath, and ds has that smell. Like infected catarrh

[HeadFairy]

I think you're right, one little course of amoxicillin isn't going to kill him is it? It worked a treat last time, his cough was gone before we'd finished the course.

[belgo]

yes I would give them, because his breathing is fast, rattly and painful.

[FAQinglovely]

then I'd definitely give them then. I if I don't catch their infections as they're starting my DS's (well more DS1 and 3, DS2 seems to have escaped them pretty much) they do often have periods where they seem to perk up and be ok, then it hits with avengance.....

Happened just before Christmas and I nearly had 2 children admitted to hospital for monitoring on the same day as I didn't spot the signs quick enough!

[HeadFairy]

Righty, lovely thanks FAQ and Belgo, yummy banana medicine it is then. Luckily he quite likes it, no pinning down and pouring it down his mouth.

[Spockster]

Why not take him back to the GP and ask advice tomorrow? He may be getting better on his own, in which case the abc will do no good.

[FAQinglovely]

you also have to bear in mind that when he's "upright" during the day his chest will sound clearer, my DS's are always worse at night as the phlemgm etc sits on their chests.

So there's a strong possibility that he could worsen again in the night.

[InTheScrum]

IME a chest infection in such a little one rarely gets better by itself

[HeadFairy]

I've got his cot up on blocks but he still manages to lie either across it or with his head lower than his body. It's definitely worse at night, and I'm sure his lack of proper deep sleep isn't helping him recover at all.

[Surfermum]

Yes, dd's coughs are always much, much worse at night.

[FAQinglovely]

oh yes I had that problem with DS3 when he was really bad before Christmas - I would go in to find him with his feet and the "high" end of the cot and head at the lower end

[HeadFairy]

The humidifier in his room hasn't really helped much either...

[crokky]

I'd give it in case it is a mild chest infection that turns nasty. I had this same medicine for my children when they were 2.9 and 9m - both had a chest infection. It acutally caused some nasty diahorrea in my 2.9yo, but baby fine. It got them both better quickly though.

[HeadFairy]

How on earth do they do that FAQ, doesn't all the blood rush to their heads? It would give me such a headache

[Spockster]

The GP couldn't hear any crackles or rattlijng, which makes it very unlikely to be a chest infection (at that time, anyway). They cough at night becasue of the phlegm running down the back of the throat, not because the infectio is gtting worse.

[HeadFairy]

But isn't the phlegm a product of an infection spockster? It's really thick and green (he spat some out the other day) and that makes me think it's infected.

[FAQinglovely]

Spockster - I have been to the GP's on frequent occasions, particularly when DS1 was little, they listened to his chest and sent me on my wa saying he was fine. Invariably in those first 2yrs of his life I was back at the Drs the next day and they heard a very audible rattle. Chest infections in young children can come on VERY quickly and can be very serious.

[FAQinglovely]

HeadFairy - I have no idea, but he ALWAYS does it when I raise the cot up at one end - actually DS1 used to as well

[HeadFairy]

Strange little things, gravitating towards the lower end of the cot

[Spockster]

The phlegm is infected, but it's not necessarily coming from his lungs; more likely his nose/throat.
Kids do get poorly very quickly it's true, but if he is wellish during the day it seems unlikely to be a chest infection, when he would be spiking a fever and generally unwell. It' s impossible to say without examining him though. It's just that ofetn GPs prescribe abc because they think that's what the parents want (and especially just before the weekend, tbh). If you'd rather save abc for when they are really needed, it would seem sensible to get him checked again. If you think an infection is likely, then go ahead with the amoxycillin;( my DD1 loves it, too!)

[HeadFairy]

Oh Gawd, I'm wavering again. Maybe I'll keep them in the fridge and see how he goes tonight. Last night was a shocker, dreadful, but apparently today he's fine, tired and pale but happy. Mind you, he's normally a very happy robust boy, not phased by illness at all really.

[FAQinglovely]

#2but if he is wellish during the day it seems unlikely to be a chest infection, when he would be spiking a fever and generally unwell"

Sorry totally disagree, I sent my DS1 to SCHOOL on a Monday morning as he seemed fairly ok. He has NEVER had a temperature with his chest infections. By 5.30pm he was at the doctors (still with no temp) on a nebuliser with them debating as to whether he should be admitted to hospital for the night as his blood saturation level was borderline.

In the morning I'd been at the same doctors with DS3 on a nebuliser, and they also debated as to whether to admit him, by the time the community paediatric nurse came round he was running round the room happily. Yet still had a raging infection.

Actually the day any of my children get a temp when they're unwell will be the day I seriously panic. Even when DS3 was admitted to hospital for the day, with suspected bronchiolitis (but turned out to be an ear infection - although I suspect it was both......) he had no temp at all!

[FAQinglovely]

oh and with DS1's infection before Christmas I don't think I would have spotted it myself, it was the CPN who was concerned about him. He was quiet admittedly, but was sent home from school having been sick. He wasn't coughing at all so I assumed he had a stomach upset. She was concerned about him and checked him over then got me to ring the doctors - even giving me a lift up to the GP's to make sure he was seen quicker!

I would give it, sitting with a toddler on your knee trying to hold a mouth piece over their mouth as they're given a nebuliser is NOT fun.