Tonsillitis

[lmj25]

Hi just after some advice ended up at Ooh GP this evening with 4 yr old ds. He was really upset when I picked him up from school not himself couldn't get him into our GP so was sent to out of hours, turns out he has tonsillitis. The doctor has said he doesn't have to take ABs as they could not even work if it is viral we were given a prescription anyway. Not sure wether to start him on them or not? He had ibuprofen in hospital and that brought his temp down and he was his usual self. She did say it can be controlled with paracetamol/ibuprofen and that seemed to have been working for the past few hours. Just at a loss as to wether use to ABs or not ?

I think you will get differing replies on this but as someone who suffers with tonsillitis fairly regularly due to autoimmune problems I would start the antibiotics as tonsillitis is really awful if left to get worse and it is bacterial. I would just go for it.

Antibiotics shouldn’t be used when you don’t need them but if a doctors prescribed them then he must suspect you need them otherwise he wouldn’t have.

I take daily long term antibiotics for my health conditions and I worry about the day we become immune to them but for now they are the best thing we have for infections.

The doctor asked if I wanted them prescribed @Fairylea, she didn't offer them

I find that incredible. I believe you, just seems so strange. The doctors where I am never prescribe them unless you are literally dying. Surely as a doctor they should be telling you if you should use them or not, that’s the whole point of seeing a gp surely... I would take the fact they were prescribed as a sign to take them, even if they did say it’s your choice if you use them or not.

Yes that's why I'm baffled as she asked if I wanted them, I said yes and she said to maybe wait 48 hours mainly recommending alternating between paracetamol/ibuprofen. I'll start him on them in the morning

Aw bless. Tonsillitis is horrible, very painful. My son used to have it regularly and was always prescribed antibiotics. It wouldn't go without and it can be dangerous if the tonsils swell too much.

I had recurrent tonsillitis when I was a small child but don't remember much about it, had tonsils and adenoids out when I was four. That isn't done so much now. My son had his tonsils out at 15, he was having tonsillitis every few weeks.

Poor kid, I feel sorry for him and for you. Hope he is better soon.