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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Ex, DS and Antibiotics

67 replies

LesLavandes · 28/12/2017 09:41

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

OP posts:
Greenshoots1 · 29/12/2017 10:49

Interesting that your GP hasn't read the latest research that actually suggests we stop the course of antibiotics when we feel better. the GP probably has, and has probably also read the even later research to disregard that,

PilarTernera · 29/12/2017 10:50

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

Personally, I would trust the advice of a GP, a qualified and experienced medical professional, more than an anonymous random stranger on the internet Hmm

Why has this thread turned so weird?

Fairylea · 29/12/2017 10:51

Errmmm tonsillitis with white spots does need a course of antibiotics otherwise it could turn into quinsy which can be extremely dangerous!

I hope your son feels better soon. Hopefully if nothing else this has shown him how to look after himself and take antibiotics. It’s a good life lesson!

I have an autoimmune disorder and take daily antibiotics, increasing the dose as I need to, they are wonderful things when used correctly and not over prescribed!

Fairylea · 29/12/2017 10:52

(I mean when they are not over prescribed!)

swingofthings · 29/12/2017 10:53

www.nhs.uk/conditions/tonsillitis/

pastabest · 29/12/2017 10:53

Les you are massively overreacting to people making general observations about antibiotic use. There was absolutely nothing vile in swings post at all.

Yes your Ex is wrong, I would be annoyed too. But it's really not worth this amount of upset you seem to be experiencing.

how are things generally for you?

ChardonnaysPrettySister · 29/12/2017 10:55

He's 15, it's the father who is the responsible person here. Why does everybody blame the teenager here?

There is indeed new research that shows that taking the whole dose of ABs isn't necessary BTW, but that's not in the guidelines yet.

KimmySchmidt1 · 29/12/2017 10:56

Any adult who doesn't understand the importance of finishing antibiotics courses as prescribed by a doctor is an ignorant fool endangering not just their own health but the health of everyone else. I have no end of contempt for these morons.

So no, you are not being unreasonable for being annoyed by your ex

NotSuchASmugMarriedNow1 · 29/12/2017 10:57

Have only read the first couple of posts but, yeah, you're 15 year old should be capable of taking a course of anti-biotics without parental help.

You do realise that your job as a parent is to raise your children to become independant adults don't you?

swingofthings · 29/12/2017 10:58

thanks pastabest. This thread shows how the public and much unfortunately still many GPs are misinformed about the use of antibiotics.

This site is quite helpful:
kidshealth.org/en/parents/antibiotic-overuse.html

PilarTernera · 29/12/2017 10:59

The vile bit of swingofthing's post is where they said

He is 15 but it sounds like you treat him as if he was 5.

That's not a general observation about antibiotic use, it is having a go at Lavande about her parenting.

Greenshoots1 · 29/12/2017 11:00

Why does everybody blame the teenager here?

because he should have covered t his in school several years ago?

He is at a private school, being expensively educated, yet this basic piece of information, vital for the survival of the human race, got missed out?

ChardonnaysPrettySister · 29/12/2017 11:08

He is at a private school, being expensively educated, yet this basic piece of information, vital for the survival of the human race, got missed out?

Oh yes, let turn this into a private school bashing thread then.
OP says it's boarding school. There are some state boarding schools in the UK.

A teenager should know the importance taking the whose course of his meds, but it's up to an adult to supervise it.

pastabest · 29/12/2017 11:08

I actually missed that post above and only saw the one from swing immediately below, but I still don't think that comment falls in to the 'vile' category

swingofthings · 29/12/2017 11:15

That's not a general observation about antibiotic use, it is having a go at Lavande about her parenting.
Well that's what I think! My DS is just about to turn 15 and he has been able to manage taking medication for himself for quite a few years, so yes, I do find this odd. Granted I should have said 10 rather than 5.

mustbemad17 · 29/12/2017 11:16

Greenshoots i went to (private) boarding school. At no point did we do anything that covered taking antibiotics...given that several of my mates were clueless about taking the full course a few yeara ago i'm going to suggest that neither did they at a basic state school. Not everything falls to the responsibility of a school.

OP at 15 i would still expect you or your ex (obviously depending on who he is staying with) to check that he is taking the meds. And yeah, your ex is out of order giving him old antibiotics!!

Original poster
LesLavandes · 29/12/2017 11:28

I do understand my son should be responsible for taking meds. I did explain earlier that he has never had any as an older child and so that has never cropped up in conversation. Maybe I should have thought to educate him on it anyway. But I didn't. So please stop giving him and myself a bashing over this.

If he had been with me, he would have known to take whole course. But he wasn't and I do not know why he did not take whole course at his father's. Well I have an idea. He probably felt better and did not realise or was nit advised by his father that you must.

This thread is turning a bit nasty.

This is my first post and I am trying to find out how to delete it.

Thank you all for your interesting and adverse comments

OP posts:
Greenshoots1 · 29/12/2017 11:28

mustbemad It is probably some time since you were in school.

These days it is covered quite comprehensively, as I said, being the single biggest threat to the survival of the human race, yes, it does come up in the curriculum!

Not just there, obviously, also in government advertising, through medical professionals, and parents too, obviously.

Original poster
LesLavandes · 29/12/2017 11:30

I will check with my son if he has covered anything on the topic of antibiotics

OP posts:
swingofthings · 29/12/2017 11:31

The only danger of taking old antibiotics is if they are VERY old, not 6 months old AND the BACTERIAL infection was such that the reduce efficiency could lead to the infection not being treated.

So here we have a kid who most likely didn't need them in the first place, first and second time. Finishing them early didn't cause the infection to reocur right afterwards, so the danger associated with not finishing them didn't apply in this case. And taking the antibiotics that were only a few months old would still have been efficient.

Yes, any good doctor would conclude that OP totally over-reacted.

Original poster
LesLavandes · 29/12/2017 11:33

I did not over react!

OP posts:
swingofthings · 29/12/2017 11:33

OP, I agee that we -I- haven't been nice to you, so I do apologise, but please do read more on the use of antibiotics but you've got your facts wrong and it won't help your son or your relationship with your ex.

Original poster
LesLavandes · 29/12/2017 11:36

Not everybody on this thread agrees with you

OP posts:
ChardonnaysPrettySister · 29/12/2017 11:36

I think the issue is not how "old" the antibiotics are, as in writhing their use by date but "old" as in not currently prescribed by a GP.

Whether he needed them then or now cannot possibly be established on a MN thread, or indeed no one can diagnose him over the internet, so speculating what a "good doctor" would do is a bit off.

swingofthings · 29/12/2017 11:40

Not everybody on this thread agrees with you
But only I've given you links to support my claims.

Here's another one that indeed shows that experts don't even agree on whether finishing antibiotics is right or wrong!
www.theguardian.com/society/2017/jul/26/rule-patients-must-finish-antibiotics-course-wrong-study-says

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