Ex, DS and Antibiotics

[LesLavandes]

My 15 year old son arrived home yesterday after having spent Christmas with his father. He asked me if I had any antibiotics as he had tonsillitis. Obviously I didn't. On enquiring, he told me that he had not finished the course of antibiotics prescribed to him months ago for same problem when staying with ex and when he took sick this time ex gave him end of old packet. And thought that was fine. He has still got white spots in his throat.

I am horrified at ex firstly not making sure he finished course months ago and then giving him the end of an old packet. I will be taking him to Dr today.

I laid into ex and called him clueless or lazy. We are not on good terms as it is... He says he finds this very offensive.

I checked NHS guidelines which has a section on how important it is to finish the course.

Am I AIBU to kick off at ex for this?

First time poster. Thank you

No you’re not at BU

My GP always tells me to finish the antibiotics course and if I have another attack of tonisilitis to go back as it gets very nasty, could get worse if I piss around with antibiotics and become immune to them

A 15 year old should be able to take their own antibiotics....

He's 15. What on earth do you gain by laying into your ex

Honestly, I’d expect a 15 year old to manage his own medication. Did his father withhold the tablets from him or something?

Your ds is the unreliable one here. Suggest you drag him to the GP so they can hammer the lesson home.

Forget about kicking off at your ex for this. It will be of no benefit to your ds in any way.

Show ds the NHS guidelines and talk to him about why it's important to finish a course of antibiotics. Particularly important for him as someone who has recurrent bouts of tonsillitis. The GP will be giving him the same message.

A 15 year old should take their own antibiotics

My dd is 14 and she knows to finish a course of antibiotics. If we go to the doctor and he gives her some then I give them to her and she is in charge of when and how she takes them. Your issue is with your son.

I agree with others. 15 is more than old enough to be taking control of his own health including taking medication

A 15 year old will also need to be told by someone, i.e. his father, the importance of finishing a course of antibiotics. Otherwise he'll just view it as only necessary while he's feeling sick, like painkillers

Ok thanks for the replies. I have no idea how or why this happened. It is possible that my ex said that when he seemed better, he didn't need to take them. Or, as he was going back to boarding school, he forgot them. I have no idea. Life in my home is very different. He has also not had antibiotics in his teenage life until earlier this year when he was at his father's and so the subject never cropped up in my home. So it's not his fault that he didn't know he should finish the course and that he shouldn't be taking part of an old packet.

I will show him the NHS guidelines.

It says on the leaflet in the box, as well as on the label outside that you should complete the course- surely a 15 year ild should be able to understand that.

Sorry but he's 15- my 13 year old can be trusted to take them until the course is finished because (a) the doctor tells him when he gives them to him (b) because if says so on the packet.

This sort of moronic behavior is the biggest threat there is to the future of the human race.

every single abuse of antibiotics is going to cost lives in the future.

Ok. Blame the teenager. I wish I hadn't posted. I have no idea what his school doctor told him or what the hell reason these were not finished. Just please stop ranting at me

And I'm very pleased that all your younger children are so responsible.

I have a lot sympathy with you op as I had a very similar situation recently with my ex and my ds who's 12. Also, kids or teenagers are not always organised and sensible about their own health and levels of sensibleness vary hugely at 12/13/14/15. My son is incredibly disorganised at times. Children tend to believe what their parents tell them and I can therefore understand how it's really frustrating when the father is not keeping an eye on his ds and his medication and isn't encouraging or teaching sensible use of antibiotics.

My recent scenario was very similar as it involved my ex 'finding' some antibiotics and giving them to my ds without my consent. It wasn't clear if they were leftover from a previous course that he'd not completed or what but I was very unhappy about it and so was the doctor when I discussed it with her.

LesLavandes I’m with you on this one. Ex would have gotten a very long (and sanctimonious! :-p) lecture from me too. I’m surprised no-one else has picked up on the irresponsibility of giving him old antibiotics that were given for another infection (it’s clearly not a flare of the previous one months ago is it?) that have been lying around in an uncontrolled temperature environment and likely degraded and STILL wouldn’t constitute a full course anyway. That tells me your ex’s attitide was lax right away.

Antibiotics for tonsillitis are given under strict guidelines (Centor criteria) and it was utterly inappropriate for your ex to assume that he needed them without checking with a prescriber first.

Arghh misuse of antibiotics is a pet peeve of mine.

Thanks Babybels and Poshjock. The Doctor we saw yesterday prescribed another full course and explained to my son the problems of not taking a full course and that he must finish this one. Unfortunately the ex wasn't there to hear this and my son goes back there today.

Interesting that your GP hasn't read the latest research that actually suggests we stop the course of antibiotics when we feel better.

For one, he is probably not in need of antibiotics. Have you not seen all the adverts about not asking for antibiotics for sore throats (and yes, tonsillitis is that!). Secondly, why is it only your ex's responsibility to check that your son is taking is medicine when he should? He is 15 but it sounds like you treat him as if he was 5.

The Doctor we saw yesterday prescribed another full course
Oh dear, another one that still needs training then! Still too many GPs around who give them like sweets! A big public health issues, but anything to get the patients out of their consulting room.

Swing of Things - no need to be vile

Sorry didn't mean to be so if that's how it comes across. I work for the NHS and see the outcome of oversubscription of antibiotics. It kills people on top of the costs, so it does make me very cross. Read the NHS guidance and it will say that very few tonsillitis are bacterial and require antibiotics and if the GP is concerned that it could be, they should do a test first to check it is the case.

I should have just said that yes, I thought you were AIBU to have a go at your ex and instead you should have a go at your GP for not following his own guidelines.