Sick baby, antibiotics fiasco. Advice?

[mummysknackered22]

Ds is nearly 1 and has been poorly for coming up 2 weeks. Firstly with a snotty nose, cold etc. Then he went very lethargic, irritable and completely went off his food. I don't think he's eaten a proper meal in 2 weeks! Woke up one morning last week to lots of yellow pus oozing from his ear so clearly an ear infection. Was prescribed antibiotics the same day but my god, I haven't been able to get them down him at all.

I've tried everything. Syringes, spoons, mixing into food, mixing into bottles (but he refused his bottle then and since his milk is his only source of nutrients at the moment I didn't want to risk him refusing them too). Out of a full bottle of amoxicillin I'd say I've probably got 2-3 full doses down him and maybe a few smaller amounts here and there but nowhere near the full course. Dh and I tried to force him once and it was horrific. He vomited straight after and was so distressed. I felt terrible.

I used to see posts here from people complaining about the same thing and roll my eyes thinking just stick a syringe in for gods sake. But having now experienced it I realise how impossible it is and also how frustrating that they are refusing, spitting it out, throwing it up, clamping their jaws shut, thrashing about and basically wasting the one thing that will help them.

Thankfully his ear is no longer weeping and he does seem a little happier so I'm hoping that either the small amount he's had has helped a bit or that his body has fought off the infection itself. Presumably the pus indicates the infection coming out so hopefully that was a good sign.

Either way I'm worried for if and when this happens in the future. He's also started refusing calpol now which I've never had a problem with before. I'm guessing it's because he's so bloody traumatised by the antibiotics. What on earth are you meant to do in this situation?

We have this with my 1 year old too and had a hospital stay recently with a cannula and IV antibiotics which was awful, honestly forcing them to take from a syringe is awful but nowhere near as bad as holding them down for a cannula in the hand! Nurses there said don't take the syringe out of their mouth at all once started and just keep doing little bits at a time. When they grip it with their teeth allow them to do that and keep going as its hard for them not to swallow. Also tip them backwards a bit. Blowing on their face is supposed to work but I've not really found it made much difference. I feel for you, it's awful and so frustrating!

Mix with ice cream?

Is it a sugar free antibiotic?? I ask because when my 2 both got strep the oldest got a with sugar version (he was diagnosed first) then the 1 year old got it and hers was a sugar free version which she absolutely would not take but she did take the sugar version ok . Luckily I got a decent dr who gave me a new script and I rang round pharmacies to find the sugar version for her too

Worth a shot

Up until then I didn't even know there was options of sugar free/ not sugar free 😂

The only way DS would take his was if I mixed it with neat diluting juice. And if he saw the bottle that was game over so we used to hide it. Also you could try tv/you tube as a proper distraction? Or see if someone else could do it? So the associate of parents and medicine isn't there.

My little boy was the same. The only way I could get him to take the syringe was to put it in the side of his mouth while he was eating a bowl of ice cream. Good luck xx

This! This is what we do
Op you need to speak to the doc, if he's hardly had any you might need a new bottle. It's important to finish a course of antibiotics so if he's only had a little bit that is concerning. Speak to your gp.

My son is the same...we traumatised him trying to get antibiotics in him in Jan , still refusing Calpol never used to have a problem. In the end I ended up trying 3 different types of antibiotics with him until I found one he didn't vomit up. We still had to pin him and force him , but he wouldn't vomit it back up - it was amoxicillin. And after a few days became a bit more accepting.

Re the Calpol we now use paracetamol suppositories. Hoping he will take Calpol again soon, but until then these work just as well.

Go back and talk to the pharmacist where you picked up the original dose. Explain, they might be able to give you a replacement bottle and sometimes they can change the taste by mixing it differently. They also might be able to switch it to suppositories.

Once you have the replacement sit with ds on the floor with him between your legs and facing away from you, he should be lying down with his head right up in your crotch. Put one leg over his right side of his body and the other over his left so that you legs pin his arm and leg on each side. Then chill for a bit and tell him a story so he relaxes (or if he wont then just keep moving). Put half the dose in the syringe and squeeze it slowly into his cheek while gently holding his nose and chatting calmly to him. Your thighs should stop him from shaking his head. Once he has swallowed the first half, repeat with the second half. Then tell him another story/play peek a boo to destress the whole thing and then give him a chocolate button or small strongly flavoured treat. Once you have done it successfully a few times you might find he just lies down ready for the medicine so he can play peek a boo and have a chocolate. Its also really good for eye drops etc

Hi OP, it’s important that you keep calm. It’s obviously stressful but try to keep it in perspective. Just keep doing your best, keep baby hydrated as well as you can and hopefully he will improve.

You're doing your best and youre asking for help. What more can you do?

If baby continues to decline you seek help and he can go on IV antibiotics. But it sounds like you're getting some in and he's improving. Stay observant and you wont need to worry about sepsis

Thank you all. I will keep a close eye and if I feel like he's declining I'll go back to the GP. He has definitely improved today, the ear is no longer leaking fluid and he is sleeping better without waking up in pain. Hopefully he will continue to improve but I know how important it is to finish a course. So we'll have to see.

It's really difficult but you might reflect that the fact he is actually getting better despite not receiving a treatment level dose of antibiotics probably means it was indeed a viral infection in the first place and would have got better despite not because of the tiny amount of antibiotics.
Discharging ear does not equal bacterial infection. Viral ear infections discharge too
I wish there was more support and help for parents to confidentially manage their child's illnesses , as you sound like a brilliant parent.
Viral illness last up to 10 days, colds can seague into ear infections or throat or chesty coughs etc.
Most will get better given time, fluids and calpol

@mummysknackered22 if he vomited straight after amoxycillin, could he be allergic to penicillin based antibiotics? I would mention it to the doctor. There are other sorts of antibiotics.

Skinny 1ml syringe, aim for where a wisdom tooth would be, fire into the side of their cheek right at the back almost into their throat and repeat for however much the dose is. Hold them down. It’s a bit veterinary but what can you do. My 3.5 now gladly accepts calpol from a syringe so I think he has forgotten

Syringe into cheek while carrying them so they can see themselves in a mirror. Works a treat with a spoonful of calpol. We have have had to have three courses of yucky antibiotics for our 15m old over the last four months. Probably worth asking gp if they should have more given that most doses haven't gone in- ear infections are horrible.

Thank you for this. I had wondered (hoped) it might be viral in which case the antibiotics would be inconsequential anyway.