What is this?! DS’s poor ear…

[Amch]

Hi all, looking for some advice please…

Took DS to GP last week, they said that his crusty, scabby (sorry) and weepy ear is an infection. They did prescribed a spray which they said should clear it without antibiotics.

Spray hasn’t worked and the scabbing has gotten worse. It’s so dry inside the ear and cracking. Looks incredibly sore.

DS has no temp, acting normal and not complaining about it.

Yesterday I went back and they prescribed oral antibiotics but as predicted, he will NOT take the stuff. Tried hiding it in everything possible. Going to attempt to change it for tablets so that I can crush them and try hiding them that way as the liquid doesn’t taste too pleasant.

I feel like I should be doing something more to help him but I don’t know what… it just looks awful.

Yes, infection.

Ask for tablets. Crush them, hide them in sweets, whatever works.

Luckily his GORGEOUS CHUBBY CHEEKS distract from the current ear situation.

Syringe the antibiotics in - they aren’t optional. I have held DD’s arms before and made her swallow. Sometimes as a parent you just have to. What would you do if it was something really serious? DD is asthmatic and has had loads of antibiotics, we just are very matter of fact about it and offer bribey- chocolate etc is given after forcing them down.

How old is he? If he's 4 or over you need to spell it out to him if he doesn't take them he's going to hospital. Under 4 you may need to resort to pinning him down and aiming the syringe to the back of the cheek.

Two people job, one holds him one pops syringe back as far as possible and squirt in. You have to be able to get them in it isn't an option.

Is it flucloxacillin they have given him? If so it's absolutely unpalatable for anyone let alone a small child and can't be disguised it's so strong. If it is I'd go back and ask for a different type. It's thoughtless prescribing when there are other options available

Poor lad, it looks so sore! Its easier said than done but yes he needs a syringe for the antibiotics and a straight down the throat approach. I totally get that he obstinate and you have my empathy. You cant reason with a 4 year old, just find the most humane way to administer it!

If you hide in food or liquids you won't know exactly how much is taken and when unless your going to force the drink in one go. Medicine isn't a choice you can use a syringe to side of mouth and wrap in blanket to control arms then hold between legs if necessary. It's no different to when you need to give an inhaler or change a nappy once they know it's happening no matter what it happens easier each time.

@WiseBiscuit unfortunately it doesn’t work. We did this inside the doctor’s surgery whilst she was trying to explain to me how ‘easy’ it is. Held him down, syringed right into the back of the throat and he then did exactly what I had told the gp he would do.. coughed, burped, wretched and projectile vomited it straight back up. This is always the case so hoping crushed tablets will work otherwise it will have to be either suppository (if possible) or intravenous.

@TheLightSideOfTheMoon hehe the cheeks are my fave!

@whensmynexthol1day it is indeed. However… he also HATES amoxicillin, which I loved as a child. The ONLY liquid that he will take is calpol which is obviously not appropriate in this situation.

I haven't anything helpful to add, but just to say you have my sympathy with the oral avoidance. My daughter was pinned down by nurses in hospital and forcibly given calpol when she was 3. Literally never seen anything like it. (And of course she closed the back of her throat, cried, chokwd abd vomited)

Consequently she is absolutely terrified of any medicine now... She's 7 now, and after a long fight we have Paracetamol suppositories.

It's absolutely not worth traumatising your child when other options are available. My other 2 older children hated it, but could be reasoned with.... this one? nada🤐

@flatwhiteinabucket Thank you so much, it really is so difficult and I can totally understand how she is now still so reluctant - DS only has to hear the word ‘medicine’ now and freaks out :(

As a mother with 2 medicine hating children. These things

1. Medicine mixed with honey/syrup. Explain that honey will help clear it away
2. Homemade jelly/ Jellatin sweets

3.bribery Or

1. A smoothie of fave fruits, even if you have to put a little bit at a time and just give multiple small smoothies a day

Honestly OP if it’s flucloxacillin you have no hope of getting it into him. It is absolutely vile stuff - tastes and smells like cat piss. Even in capsule form DD (normally very good re: taking medicine) found it unbearable. Couldn’t even go near the bottle without gagging in the end. Ask the GP for a more palatable alternative, or else realistically he will end up in hospital on an IV.

I had similar with DD when she was younger and then one time the pharmacy had run out of the no added sugar version they are meant to use and she bloody loved the one she was given instead! Might be worth checking with the pharmacy if they have a sugar version instead?

Hi OP no suggestions but just solidarity because I had a toddler like this. My child minder thought it was just me being lame so she had a go at the cheek squirting and my DD gargled it to stop it going down, then is shot back out her mouth like a projectile. CM couldn't believe it! She's 9 now and still hates it. She was admitted to hospital once and the nurses couldnt get her to swallow eirher. So annoying because she can swallow tablets but not there never seems to be tablets for little kids. Such a pain in the arse. We discovered Calpol Meltlets which she will chew so that's a bonus! Anyway, i would defo go back and see what else they can offer. Good luck x

This, I'm afraid.

I think most parents have had to force medicine into a child before.

Even now, DD is 8, but autistic and has very definite ideas... She had to have antibiotics recently and although it didn't take pinning down, it took about half an hour of discussion each time for the first few days, with her crying, pleading and making excuses.

Rather than aiming for the back of the throat, aim for the inside of the cheek as it's less likely to produce a gag reflex.

That looks awful. I think I would be going to sick kids. He’s not maybe put something in his ear? Poor boy.

Could you have the antibiotics in tablet form and crush them into calpol?

I used to have to hide ours in Ribena.
it got to a point where they refused everything, calpol the lot because they’d be forced and vomited. I got a dab hand at hiding it in petit filous and milkshake

I’ve just managed to get it in tablet form, crushed up the first dose just waiting for him to finish his dinner and will attempt to put it into a yoghurt. It’s now a very fine powder so hoping he won’t clock.

I’m really panicking about it to be honest-as you can see it just looks horrendous. It’s so scabby and dry. Don’t know if A&E would be a wasted trip as guessing they’d just say to finish the course of antibiotics but I hate seeing it like this.

Have you tried a bit of the yoghurt yourself first OP? Make sure it’s palatable enough that he won’t become suspicious of other foods

I used to use the syringe and target the back of the cheek, so as not to trigger the gag reflex - have you tried that?

Any possibility of getting suppositories? So easy to use!

It took a while but he ate all of the yoghurt thank GOODNESS! I’m thinking of putting something like vaseline on the scabs to stop it from cracking but I don’t want to make anything worse… good idea or leave well alone?

To get my child to take medicine (she will spit it out and sometimes ends up being sick if forced) I add strong flavoured drops to the medicine and it really works for us. I think they are designed for protein drinks. She happily takes even the strongest tasting medicine with the drops added. It's probably full of additives but I always think the main priority is getting the antibiotics in.