I don't want to go to the GP with ten month old AGAIN

[KillDora]

I think my gp has had enough of me!

I've been very anxious during DD's pregnancy and first ten months (I have an iapt appointment sorted)

And I've been to the gp's more than I should I think.

In that last two months I've been three times.

Once because I was convinced he'd got a testicle lump (he had but it was a hydrocele)

And twice because he had a rash that I was worried might be meningitis.

I've calmed down a bit now but now a regular 'should I see the gp?' situation has arose.

Ds has been very grumpy the last two days and crying a lot more than normal. The insides of his ears are red in the 'debt' but (pics enclosed)

Can you help me avoid another unecessary trip to the gp (and more raised eyebrows)

Should I go or is this a calpol and wait at home job?

Thanks from a neurotic second time mum who should know better

Yes go. Ear infections are common in small children and can be agony.

Really, I was told that they don't even give antibiotics for ear infections in children anymore? (I asked the health visitor some time ago when I thought he might have one)

I think if he stops sleeping because it's too painful to lay down etc then go, a lot of ear ache is actually viral.

It sucks but go with the calpol and give it a couple more days so long as it doesn't get worse.

Call nhs direct perhaps? I wouldn't hesitate to go to the gp again if you're worried, but I think you might be right that they don't provide treatment for "ordinary" ear infections so it could avoid a wasted trip

We got antibiotics for ds when he had an ear infection. Always better to take to be checked on as Ear infections can be painful for little ones and can go on for a a week at least. Please ignore any neurotic mummy feelings and take them in, doctors should know better than to judge

I would give it 24 hours and regular calpol, unless he has a fever or is extremely distressed

It depends KillDora as to how bad the infections are I think. DD has been on oral ABs pretty much on and off the last few months for a bad ear infection whilst waiting for the ENT referral. ENT just gave her some stronger eardrops and she needed them syringing too.

Hope your ds is feeling better soon. Ear infections are agony. The first time my DS had one he woke at 2am screaming in pain and absolutely nothing would settle him.

My daughter gets ear infections every 3 months, she's a toddler Now and they won't give antibiotics these days apparently as once they've perforated the pain and infection has stopped apparently? My son got an ear infection a few months ago when he was 9 weeks old and again they wouldn't give antibiotics after it had perforated. Check his temp and give calpol maybe?

Don't worry how often you have to go, just go! A good doctor will not judge you because the wellbeing of your child comes first.

Thank you everyone, can't really blame them for being exasperated too much. It's always packed in there and I feel like I've wasted their time.

He seems quite happy at the moment but he has been dosed with calpol. He did have a temperature earlier but not now.

I think I'll hang on to tomorrow and see how he is.

Please be careful with little ones and ear infections. I know I'm a rare case but I've been oaetiallt deaf since the age of ten when a GP kept fobbing my mum off telling my mum I was fine. My earsrum burst jn the middle of a school day and by the time they'd got me into surgery to clean me out the infection was that bad my hearing bones had already started to disintegrate and had to be removed too . If you don't feel you're being listened to, be more assertive with them.

*partially deaf. Sorry. .

If you are worried then go to the GP. I took DS on his 1st birthday, I thought he just had flu with a temp. He had tonsillitis. I've heard of some GPS refusing to give ABs for ear infections but I would refuse to leave without them.

It doesn't look like an ear infection to me (ds had them about every 10 days until he had grommets in). Perhaps a little clogged, but not infected. At that age you would expect a temperature with an infection and being a little grouchier than normal might well be anything.

Ds gets antibiotics with an ear infection as he needs them due to his history, but generally they won't give them.

Antibiotics reduce the duration of an ear infection by 24 hours. And the prescribing of them for time limiting conditions contributes massively to antibiotic resistance. Use calpol and warmth and nursing and leave antibiotics for the big stuff.

You can't tell if someone has an ear infection just by looking at the outside of the ear, you need to look inside with an otoscope and look at the drum. Also other symptoms are a factor, such as pain and fever.

Most ear infections are self limiting, even in children, and antibiotics don't necessarily reduce pain or the duration of the infection. Antibiotics can cause diarrhoea, vomiting and rashes. Not giving antibiotics does not make repeated infections more likely, or hearing loss or further complications more likely.

Generally speaking painkillers such as Calpol, as well as fluids and cuddles are all you need. Of course see a GP initially to confirm the diagnosis as well as make sure nothing else is going on, but refusing to leave without a script for antibiotics as per Rufus200 is counterproductive and unnecessary.

I think if you're worried about a baby then it's always better to see the GP. They will assess and give you advice. They shouldn't make you feel bad about it, so try not to feel that way. But apart from that, I would completely echo what Sidge said above.

Use calpol and warmth and nursing and leave antibiotics for the big stuff.

BertrandRussell whilst I agree. DD gets recurrent ear infections known as Otitis Externa. That is the big stuff according to her GPs Practice Nurse and the ENT consultant. ABs don't just reduce the duration of OE, they help prevent it from turning into mastoiditis. It's best the OP takes the LO to the GP to rule these things out as you cant always see what's going in right inside just by a glance.

I'd go. I know they prefer not to prescribe antibiotics for an ear infection ordinarily but we pretty much lived at the GPs with ds1 when he was aged 3 - 4, he had ear ache so many times. And no doctor ever did anything when they looked in his ears except make a horrified noise and prescribe antibiotics.

Not giving antibiotics does not make repeated infections more likely, or hearing loss or further complications more likely.

Sidge I said in my post that I'm aware mine is rare. My hearing loss happened because the GP wouldn't listen to my mum.

I just don't think it's advisable for people on the internet to help diagnose other peoples LOs when we don't know the ins and outs of the LOs history and the only advice we should really be giving is to tell the OP to go and have it checked by a GP. Who can see the LO for themselves, examine properly and decide for themselves. DDs ear infections aren't usually visible from the outside but according to her team they're a mess inside the canal, which we can't see.

She's never had a temp with her ear infections either. She's still been given abs for them.

She did however have a temp of 39.1 with Calpol and last month though for a chest infection. Children can be unpredictable, as we all know.