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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Conjunctivitis sucks!

29 replies

iamdivergent · 13/08/2014 07:50

Posting here for traffic - sorry.

DD had conunctivitis start of last week. Doc prescribed her the ointment (what a fucker that is to put in!) and it cleared up. We stopped using it on Monday evening, her eyes were pretty much back to normal. She's got up this morning and the originally infected eye is very bloodshot - it's coming back again isn't it Sad I don't have any of the ointment left as I thought it was away so binned it - back to the docs?

OP posts:
Mouthfulofquiz · 13/08/2014 09:10

If she is over 1 year old I think you can buy it OTC. Quicker than going to the docs..

Original poster
iamdivergent · 13/08/2014 13:23

went to chemist who have directed us back to docs as apparently it's an antibiotic. have appt for this afternoon but pretty sure it will be conjunctivitis again/still

OP posts:
FunLovinBunster · 13/08/2014 13:25

Did you complete the course of ABX?
Or perhaps GP needs to choose different ABX.

Original poster
iamdivergent · 13/08/2014 15:02

Dr has given the drops this time and told to do full 7 days and mindful of hygiene etc. last time it was the ointment which stated on instructions to use for 2 days after last symptoms.

I have spoken with nursery who have said that she is still able to attend and they will administer the drops so long as prescribed medication which I was surprised about but the doctor said the same - no need for exclusion so long as medication started

OP posts:
minipie · 13/08/2014 15:07

Is her eye really really gunky or just bloodshot and a little bit gunky? and does she feel out of sorts/have a fever?

Really really gunky = bacterial conjunctivitis, you need ABs

Sore/red looking eyes, a little bit gunky and feeling rubbish = viral conjunctivitis, ABs won't help, you need to wait it out.

Sounds more like viral from your description but see what happens overnight.

It would be a bit of a coincidence for her to get bacterial last week and then viral this week - but they are both very very common and contagious so it wouldn't be impossible.

minipie · 13/08/2014 15:07

Ah sorry didn't see your update

Original poster
iamdivergent · 13/08/2014 17:45

Doc didn't say but did give the drops so I assume she thought that dd needed them but thank you Smile

OP posts:
MammaTJ · 13/08/2014 19:06

Yeah it really sucks!

My DS has a condition called ptosis, which is a droopy eye lid. This means that the gunk cannot flow freely like it would from my eyes. It could go to the back of the eye and cause damage.

When he had conjunctivitis last year he was in hospital on IV antibiotics for 5 days.

I hope he never gets viral!

Original poster
iamdivergent · 13/08/2014 19:38

Oh no mamma that sounds really bad Sad

OP posts:
MammaTJ · 13/08/2014 20:52

It wasn't f

MammaTJ · 13/08/2014 20:52

It

Mouthfulofquiz · 13/08/2014 20:56

Yes, chloramphenicol is an antibiotic and I have bought it for myself and my toddler over the counter before - I guess it comes down to the pharmacy in question...

MammaTJ · 13/08/2014 20:56

It wasn't funny! I noticed his eye on a Friday evening, rang OOH, as I didn't want him to go all weekend untreated- it hurts! They made an appointment at MIU (our OOH is there) and DP took him down. 20 minutes later DP brought him back. He told me they were off to the big hospital 22 miles away. I thought at that point it was an overreaction. It seems I was wrong!

The next day they were talking about him losing his sight in one or both eyes.

He is fine now but I do have a new found fear of conjunctivitis!

MammaTJ · 13/08/2014 20:59

Hope this works- this is him in hospital. One arm bandaged up with the cannula in and the other one in a pot as he had broken it a few days before!

Conjunctivitis sucks!
Rokenswife · 14/08/2014 11:47

My son developed Orbital cellulitis from conjunctivitis and it was touch and go if he was going to pull through MammaTJ.
He looked exactly like that for four nights in hospital! X

MammaTJ · 14/08/2014 15:23

Oh that's awful! It is more serious than people realise!

Original poster
iamdivergent · 14/08/2014 15:43

I just saw your picture Mamma - that looks severe Sad your poor boy had a time of it didn't he!

OP posts:
MammaTJ · 14/08/2014 20:47

Some of what you see is his condition normally. Here is a pic of him well (wearing an Easter bonnet done at messy church) , so you can compare!

Conjunctivitis sucks!
Original poster
iamdivergent · 23/08/2014 16:38

Update:

Dd2 was diagnosed with conjunctivitis 18 or so days ago. Dr prescribed the ointment to be used until 2 days after eyes appeared clear again - did this. Back at the Dr the following morning when she woke it was just as bad. We're given the drops this time and told to finish the weeks course, final dose was Wednesday evening. She was fine Thursday and yesterday but up this morning and one if her eyes had got it again. It's very watery and pink.

Obviously Dr closed til Monday too! been washing hands loads, changed her pillow cover every day and been cleaning the eyes with cotton too.

We are back at school here now too. obviously when I saw reoccurring, I mean that both times her eyes have cleared up using the ointment it drops and have been back to normal visually but I assume there must be an infection there!

Went to chemist who referred to hospital; new set of drops - allergy ones this time! he said that is should clear within another 7-10 days and no need to keep from school. He spend about 20 mins with her, she got dye in her eyes and he had a good look...

The new drops are called sodium cromoglicate, 1 drop thrice per day - any clues what I should do if this doesn't help?! Dr said its just one of these things but I am so nervy about it all - if school say she can't go I am screwed!

OP posts:
Original poster
iamdivergent · 23/08/2014 16:48

Sorry i meant to say as well: she has had one drop in each eye of the new drops and her eyes are almost completely clear again - isn't that odd Confused

OP posts:
meltedmonterayjack · 23/08/2014 18:09

Iam you know when they put the dye in her eyes, can she remember if her eyes felt less sore and uncomfy?

I had viral conjunctivitis and my GP sent me to a consultant because the usual drops/cream didn't help much and it just wouldn't go. When he put the dye in, the relief was instant - they felt all soothed! When I told the consultant, he said that was a sign that it was viral.

Mine cleared up on its own after about 7 weeks. For that time though, I looked like the 'undead' with red rimmed, pink, runny eyes. They weren't gunky, as I remember, just v runny.

I hope the new drops help dd, but if they don't then def back to GP.

Original poster
iamdivergent · 23/08/2014 18:12

She said they didn't feel as hot actually.

how did you manage 7wks of it Sad did it eventually clear up on its own accord?

OP posts:
meltedmonterayjack · 23/08/2014 18:23

It was just miserable. It's just so uncomfortable. I was gutted when they said it was viral and there was nothing they could give me. It did just get better though and I've not had it since.

I really hope dd's goes away soon. It's not nice.

Original poster
iamdivergent · 23/08/2014 18:28

Thank you melted really hope it doesn't last as long as yours did Sad i just assumed it would go with the antibiotics!

OP posts:
meltedmonterayjack · 23/08/2014 22:18

I hope it doesn't last as long as mine too. It won't go with antibiotics if it's viral. I started off on them but consultant said their was no point carrying on as it wasn't caused by bacteria. Hope dd is soon over it.

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