E124 (red food colour) in penicillin

[SkiBumMum]

DD1 (3) has tonsillitis. She was quite poorly yesterday with headache, fever etc. The our of hours doc prescribed penicillin which we picked up this morning. She's had 3 doses today.

The medicine looks and smells like undiluted strawberry cordial. I've only managed to get her to take it by putting it in orange high juice squash (which she has as a "treat" at home as is fine with water most of the time).

This evening's dose has sent her completely hyper unlikely anything I've ever seen! She can race around at bedtime occasionally but is generally pretty good. Tonight she's bouncing off the walls.

She's never really had food colouring before other than icing on biscuits perhaps. I'm allergic to E124 (red!) and was to tartrazine as a kid so I've tried to be quite careful.

Just googled E124 and note it's banned in a few countries. Why would it be in children's medicine?!

AIBU (PFB?) to take it back to chemist tmw? I assume I'd have to get a new prescription.

I don't know, but my DS was given penicillin V as a 9 mo and it defo made him hyperactive. I would speak to the dr tomorrow and see if they can prescribe an alternative. Hope your DD is better soon.

There's only one children's antibiotic that standardly has no azo dye in. Have complained about it several times.

The chemist doesnt make up the penicillin syrup. In my experience they come ready bottled in a powder form and you just add water. There may be alternative flavours, but often to gp needs to re prescribe.

my ds went bonkers with artificial colours too