Please help, antibiotic dosage? Medicine in sleep?

[darkblu]

Hi, please could anyone assist! DS 10 months has tonsillitis. Have got antibiotics from the GP today.
The doctor told me to administer a dose 4 times a day. My husband then picked up the meds from the pharmacist who said to give him a dose every 6 hours, so through the night..!
The doctor had said in the day.

What do I do!!? Follow doctors recommendation or the pharmacist?

I hate the idea of having to wake him through the night and it's a nightmare to get the medicine into him

I would follow the pharmacists guidance. Medicines are their field of expertise. You should only need to give medicine once over night. You may be able to give it without hardly waking him up.

@beckslovestimmy thanks so much for your reply. That's what my DH said too and has made me feel reassured it's the right thing. Thank you

Ds has been prescribed antibiotics many a time. Unless he has been in hospital it has never been expected that they are given during the night: even in hospital when stable they arent. Sleep is important when ill

I was advised that 6 hourly is the perfect timing but you should not wake a sick child to administer it so go for first thing in the morning and last thing at night with two doses evenly between

No probs, I know it's such a pain to wake them and fingers crossed they'll go back to sleep 😬. Hopefully it's not too long a course. Good luck.

You don’t need to wake them in the night. Spread the doses out evenly during waking hours.

I wouldn't wake either but if ds is awake in the night give another dose then. Definitely get one dose given today and four tomorrow. Sleep is the bodies way of recovering

We always give 4x daily anti b's in waking hours only. Would never wake a sleeping child to give meds unless absolutely necessary !!

HCP here. How long does he normally sleep? If longer than 8 hrs, I would give a dose when you go to bed so it might be 7am, 12pm, 5pm, 11pm or similar. My dcs would take from an oral syringe without really waking, just make sure they're awake enough to realise what's happening.

Ds (15 months) recently had tonsillitis and we were told to give his antibiotics every 6 hrs by both the hospital and the pharmacist. He had them at 11 and 5 am/pm. I actually found the night time ones the easiest to get into him. Just scooped him up, he woke enough to take them but not enough to fight or spit them out. Hope your little one feels better soon.

Best practice is every 6 hours but you know life doesnt work that way. Give them as close to that as you can without waking baby up. They are changing some antibiotics where I live to be higher once daily dosings as it has proven as effective with higher compliance. So i dont think you need to worry that much about the timings to be honest.

Toddler DD was in hospital on IV antibiotics for 48 hours followed by 7 days of antibiotics. She had to have some through the night when in hospital. Her nurse said they never tell parents to wake a child for antibiotics at home but if they already wake for a feed then give some then but if not then give first thing in the morning, last thing before bed and equally spaced apart throughout the day.

Thanks so much for the advice everyone this has really helped. He has just woken now (unfortunately for me he is still a frequent(ish) night waker, or more just stirring for a feed as he's still bf). We managed to get a dose into him and like you've all said it wasn't too traumatic (he is just so difficult to medicate in the day it's almost impossible!). Going to wait until he wakes which is about 6 or just before to give him his next then spread out and repeat.

Thanks so much

Yes try as much as possible to evenly spread but 9am then 6am is fine Agree Pixiedust we were on holiday and we had a one dose a day three day antibiotic designed to be the same as a 3 times a day 7 day dosage of amoxcillian