Tonsillitis antibiotics question

[OhWhatAPalaver]

My 15 mo was just prescribed antibiotics by gp for tonsillitis. She had a temp of 39.5 and has pretty explosive nappies (Calpol gives her a dodgy tummy anyway.) But I've just read on nhs website that abx aren't necessarily prescribed for tonsillitis, even if it's bacterial. I don't want to give her unnecessary meds that will give her an even worse stomach if its not needed. What are people's experiences with this? She's only had the tiniest drop of the medicine as she won't take it off the spoon and we haven't tried syringe yet....and probably won't if gp has incorrectly prescribed!!

That’s a high temp - give the antibiotic as it was given for a reason

You might find you need to switch the antibiotic if she doesn’t take it as the standard one they give tastes foul!! Syringe into cornor of mouth followed by a swig of drink and a treat

It isn't that high...number not important. More how she is in herself.

She's actually not horrendous in herself now despite the high temp. She was pretty upset earlier but that was more tiredness/stomach pain I think. She perked up after a nap but still had high temp. She's alert, just eaten soup, breastfeeding a lot and temp gone down a bit with calpol. You wouldn't know she had a sore throat TBH but gp said he saw spots so she must do...

The body can heal bacterial infections...can't it? I don't know why we give abx. Am i wrong? I had scarlet fever and didn't take anything and got better?

It depends on the infection IME but I don't ever recall having bacterial tonsillitis so unsure there... it's like sometimes a uti clears up without abx but sometimes it doesn't and you end up with a kidney infection. Going off the nhs website though, I think it says that you should only give antibiotics if it doesn't seem to be getting any better after a few days.

I really don’t understand why you would listen to a generic website over the advice of a real life doctor you have seen
Your child is unwell - why don’t you want to make them better?! You have a medicine to treat them - it seems cruel to leave her to suffer instead.
Of course you must do what you think best but I really don’t understand why would take the risk.

It's not a generic website, it's the nhs website, which is based on strict nhs guidelines. I've experienced antibiotic resistance first hand and believe me when you've had a 'superbug' you're not so inclined to rush for the antibiotics for something that is likely to resolve by itself.

bestpractice.bmj.com/best-practice/monograph/598/diagnosis/criteria.html

The above are not validated for children as young as 15months but it gives you an idea of what things the GP may Have been considering. The only way to know for sure what his/her reasons were is to ask though.

I can't view that link as it says I need a subscription. Would be interested to know what it says though.

But the gp gave her antibiotics because he didn’t think it would resolve by itself

Please trust a proper doctor and do not let yourself be clouded on your judgement by your own personal experience. Antibiotic resistance is across populations not usually in one individual.

Believe me when you’ve seen how awful unchecked infections can be in a child you would just give antibiotics when prescribed!

Doctors normally do follow the wait and see approach now so if he has prescribed them I would give. My son has scarlet fever and ended up with sepsis and needed heavy duty antibiotics so I agree with Blueberry the reverse is also horrific

The doctor clearly thought that on examining your dc that antibiotics were warranted. Now I don't know your doctor, but most are pretty reticent to prescribe antibiotics even to small children. Perhaps less so now thanks to this big awareness campaign about sepsis and some high-profile child deaths (if a child's immune system isn't up to the job of fighting an infection, sepsis can result).

Unless you're really confident your dc is getting better I'd be giving the antibiotics. Doctors don't like to take risks with small children... but who does?! I hope she feels better soon :)

My son was seen 3 times for his throat, no antibiotics given. Not long after he developed HSP, with potential kidney damage and joint issues. He’s 6 now and tires easily. All related to the untreated throat infection 🙁 I’d take the medicine.

Oh for fuck's sake.

Your child has been examined by a qualified doctor who has decided that they need antibiotics. Tonsillitis can be really awful. Give the prescribed medication.

I tried to tough out a bout of tonsillitis without help from a doctor a few years ago. The result was a really horrendous secondary sinusitis, a bollocking from my GP when I finally showed my face, a long course of antibiotics and an extra week in bed. And that was as a fit and healthy 30 something year old!

If a GP has seen your child and thinks antibiotics are warranted them for goodness sake don't override them with Dr Google.

My 3 year old is in a 10 day course of antibiotics for tonsillitis. She started with a high temp on Sunday, and was still unwell Weds when we saw the GP. He said 3 days of high temp, spots on tonsils and pink ears warranted antibiotics. GP’s don’t hand out antibiotics unnecessarily, they obviously felt she needed them.

But if child isn't that ill as op says why not let the body do it's job? I have been given abx before and never used them for my daughter and me. I was once told my daughter would not resolve something on her own...had to take them. I asked the old doc in our practice who said to keep them on the shelf for a few days...and so i did and she got better.

Oh Jesus, I'm all for letting your body heal itself, but bacterial tonsillitis is vile. DS (1) and I both have it, and are both on penicillin for it at the moment. I have never, ever felt so unwell in my life, and he's had fevers of 40 with rigors and some worrying heart rates. He also passed blood and mucus in his stools- a weird random side effect of a bacterial infection left untreated for too long, according to the a&e doctor we saw, after 3 GPs insisted he didn't need ABs.

ABs are partly prescribed for tonsillitis not just for the throat, but because there are associated conditions that can be incredibly nasty- scarlet fever, a kidney disorder and something called Lemierres Disease, which is rare but potentially fatal.

If the antibiotics have been prescribed, I would give them, knowing how I feel and how unwell DS has been.

.. posted too soon.

I was going to say- please please don't kowtow to the dangerous mumsnet vibe I see far too often of unqualified people saying "that doesn't need a&e/ABs/a day off school"... nobody from this site will be there to help you out when you're carting your daughter to hospital at 3am with a much worse condition because you didn't give her the medicine a medical professional told you she needed.

But...can the body heal itself from bac infections? It can...so how do you know when to intervene?

and do agree...abx are wonderful things if child is very unwell am sure op would know and give?

Shewolf - your advice is dangerous. Please stop posting.

Ratrolypoly we had Scarlet fever leading to sepsis it was awful. Fortunately it was caught quickly

Well you could ask a doctor maybe

Give her the antibiotics.

Mix with yoghurt or something if she spits them out.