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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to think this doctor's wrong about my baby?

89 replies

WhiteTrash · 09/12/2011 12:30

I posted two days ago about my 6 month old babys bad health (currently bad chest and frequent waking) here

Hes been waking every 15 mins for 6 nights now, hes been chesty and ill with no improvement for 7 days so I took him to the doctors this morning, I just wanted to check it wasnt an infection anywhere.

She listened to his chest which is clear, its just a nasty cough. But said he has infections in his ears and a viral throat infection as well. He has green and clear running from his nose and a temp thats being kept down by calpol and nurofen.

She refused to give me antibiotics, said they wouldnt help. Now, I know they wont help a virus, but they may well help infected ears and given the he my baby has been through recently (see link) surely it would be better to not let him ride it out?

At one point she said she didnt want to give antibiotics for 'the good of the community' I couldnt give a sparkly christmas shit about the community, I care about my baby who hasnt been well in months (one thing or the other).

Is she right? AIBU to think shes a nob whos prolonging my babys suffering?

OP posts:
Tenebrist · 10/12/2011 20:41

Erm, why don't doctors in the UK just do a blood test as standard so they can be sure? If they did that only the people with bacterial infections would get prescribed ABs, but nobody would get fobbed off for weeks with an infection that refuses to heal. In Germany it's very unusual to get prescribed antibiotics without the doctor having blood test results first. Surely a blood test would be more cost effective in the long run.

Sirzy · 10/12/2011 20:48

I doubt a blood test would be more cost effective, especially when for things like ear infections there is evidence to suggest antibiotics only reduce duration by 24/38 hours anyway.

Having been in the position where my young DS needed regular blood tests I certainly wouldn't put him through that unless needed anyway, nor would I want it myself.

Original poster
WhiteTrash · 10/12/2011 20:51

Christ no. We had to get blood out of him recently it took a long time, a lot of attempts and was very traumatic and frightening for him. What about childrem who had reacurring throat/chest/ear infections?

OP posts:
bejeezus · 10/12/2011 21:05

Hi, haven't read the whole thread, so apologies if this has already been covered;

My dd2 has suffered with reoccurent ear infection since being tiny, frequency is getting less now she is a year old. With have been referred to A&E at the children's hospital 4 times and seen different doctors on all occasions. The advice has been consistent; antibiotics will reduce the duration of an rare infection by only 12 hours. They are not given unless baby has bilateral and raging infection.

Best course of action is paracetomol AND ibuprofen, but calculated by babies weight rather than using doses off box. I have fat baby and using box dose, she was only getting half of dose she gets based on her weight

Good luck to you all

KathyImLost · 10/12/2011 21:12

Hey OP, I had lots of ear infections as a kid, from around the age of 6 months. Every time they were treated with antibiotics. Every time I needed stronger & stronger antibiotics as they just stopped working. Now when I get an ear infection I don't even bother going to the doctors, I know that they will (rightly, IMO) just give me painkillers and tell me to ride it out.

Perhaps this is why your GP didn't want to prescribe them? 6 months is awfully young. I hope he feels better soon.

Original poster
WhiteTrash · 10/12/2011 21:14

Funny you should say that Bejesus, I was looking at a Neurofen box just 10 minutes ago thinking it goes up at 1 year old. At 25lb hes the size of a one year old.

Still, the majority of the time Neurofen works well for us. Not last night but I think the crying had made the pain worse. I distinctly remember as a chikd crying because of ear pain which would give me a puffy face, snotty nose and make the ear pain worse.

OP posts:
PresentsRibbonsAndMerrySantas · 10/12/2011 21:21

i had this problem with my dd, took her to the docs as she said her ears were hurting, he said yes they are a little red, but refused to give her anything, by the next day [saturday] she was crying so much and holding her ears i phone the on call doc, who gave her antibiotics straight away, something that could have been avoided if the first doc had given them to her the first time

saladsandwich · 10/12/2011 21:27

ds had a really bad ear infection in both ears that perforated one of his ear drums, the dr gave antibiotics but he was very very ill, he was past the crying stage he just lay there doing very little and he had temps around 40, they told me to push fluids and that the nurofen was very very important and to alternate the pain relief but he placed more importance on the nurofen than the antibiotics hope your little one gets better soon

Original poster
WhiteTrash · 11/12/2011 19:00

So its nearing 48 hours on the antibiotics.

He went to bed laughing and without painkillers rather than howling pulling at his ear/head and falling into a fitful sleep. His chest 'wet' hacking cough is now a chesty dry cough, his nose is streaming clear (rather than cream) and he's feeding loads again.

I know for a fact the doctor would say the virus ran its course. I say he still has the virus, but he not only had a secondary ear infection but a chest and throat infection too and its no wonder he he was waking so so much.

I wont see that doctor again.

OP posts:
Original poster
WhiteTrash · 11/12/2011 19:01

Clear rather than green. (cream?! Where did that come from?!)

OP posts:
northcountrygirl · 11/12/2011 19:15

Sounds like the same bug I got. I'm a 39 year old woman and my doctor gave me antibiotics and now it's gone!

I was ill for about 3 weeks and could literally could not get out of bed for the last 5 days of illness.

Sometimes you DO need antibiotics...

rockinhippy · 11/12/2011 20:52

Glad to see you finally got heard & got him some help and he's on the mend again :)

As he's on antib's though, you might want to look into giving him "Viridian Childrens Stomach Flora" - good health shops - I'm not sure exactly what you'll give with babies, but I'm if you read the label or ask the staff they'll help -

I find these a godsend with helping DD with her stomach when she's on Anti B' - they replace the gut flora - AKA good bacteria that the Anti Bs also kill

Original poster
WhiteTrash · 11/12/2011 21:06

I'll Google that now, thank you.

OP posts:
Original poster
WhiteTrash · 11/12/2011 21:12

That sounds good! Not only for him taking antibiotics but its apparebtly good for immune/allergy problems and skin problems all of which he has got.

Only thing is, it says from 1 year.

OP posts:
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