Conjunctivitis - DD screaming in pain with eye drops

[OhWhatAPalaver]

Can anyone help? DD is 17 months and saw our nurse practitioner at the docs the other day as she has conjunctivitis in one eye. The nurse prescribed antibiotic drops but every time i put them in DD's eye she screams blue murder, do they sting really badly or is there something wrong?
The skin around her eye is all dry and cracked where she's been rubbing it so thought that might have something to do with it as she also cries when i bathe the eye but not as much as she does with the drops.
Only on day 2 of drops and really not looking forward to a week of this!! Does anyone have any advice? I also noticed on NHS website that they don't usually prescribe ab's any more which has pissed me off a bit. Bloody incompetent nurse. :(

I always find they sting a little bit less if I drop them under my eyelid rather than onto the centre of my eye but obviously at 17m you just want to get them in. It may be worth finding a pharmacist tomorrow ans see if they will give you cream instead. We used to find this easier with ds. How is the infection, is it clearing at all?

it does seem to be getting a bit better but then its always worse in the mornings and after her nap. its also disturbing her sleep i think!
she also seems to have a touch of hay fever which isn't helping. will ask about a cream instead if it doesn't clear up soon. she makes it vey difficult for me to get the drops in so a cream may well be better!

My dd screams blue murder when she has to have eye drops, they don't hurt her though she just doesn't like it. But it sounds like I am dripping acid in her eyes!

Could it be that? I try to put it in the corner of her eye, by her tear duct and then make her link, more easily said than done mind....!

hmm yeah my DD is very vocal about what she likes and dislikes! haha :) maybe its just that she's having a strop!

DD had conjunctivitis as a toddler and I had an awful time with the drops - in the end I went back and got some cream which was much easier to get in and DD didn't object to it nearly as much.

DD's eyes were very crusty with it when she woke up so we were told to bathe them with cotton wool and boiled water - use a new piece for each eye so you don't transfer the infection.

Also, I would advise you to use the cream for the whole week - even if her eye looks better as we had the infection come back as I stopped too soon and then had to go back (again) and get more.

Good luck, hope that helps.

Are you sure she needs the drops? It's actually rare that they need antibiotics but some places still dole them out as routine.

That said, dh's granddad turned out to be highly allergic to the drops and they made his eyes v sore indeed. It's probably her disliking the sensation and it does smart a bit when you put any drops in your eyes.

NHS advice:

"Antibiotics are not usually prescribed for infective conjunctivitis because they make little difference to your recovery and there is a very low risk of complications for untreated conjunctivitis.

However, if the infection is particularly severe or it has lasted for more than two weeks, you may be prescribed antibiotics. Some schools or playgroups may insist that a child is treated with antibiotics before they can return, although this is rarely necessary."