Giving antibiotics overnight?

[Mybobowler]

My 10 month old has come down with tonsillitis, and she's been prescribed a 10 day course of penicillin. The dose is 2.5ml, four times a day, but I'm a bit reluctant to wake her up to give her a dose. When I've had to take abx myself, I've spread them out between first waking and last thing at night with no ill-effects - can I do the same for a baby? She's a bugger to get back to sleep once awake, and I'm a bit nervous of creating a habit wake - her sleep is pretty awful as it is. Anyone have any advice?Obviously if I have to wake her, I will!

I’ve had to give antibiotics to my kids so many times I’ve lost count - and I’ve always spread them out the through the day. I don’t know if that’s right but getting them to sleep when sick is an arse anyway so I wasn’t going to wake them up...

I have to wake up my son for his inhalers at the moment so I do do it when necessary I promise!

8,12,4, 8pm is 4 times a day
Surely that’s not overnight
You may have to keep her up a bit longer or if she gets up earlier start then. I’m a paeds nurse and we never wake kids up for oral antibiotics Iv yes as doses are 24 hr

Phew, thank you!

No don't wake her, spread the doses through the day

My kids are 6 and 8 and any time they've had antibiotics, I just spread them out during the waking hours, until my son had a pretty bad infection and the doctor was like "every 6 hours, it needs to be every 6 hours so you need to wake him during the night". That was a horrible week.

I tend to spread them out during the day. I only had to do overnight when my DD had an open wound and a bad infection that was barely under control, so we woke her up at midnight and then she got up for the day at 7am (also at midday and 6pm) for five and a half months - it was very tough on everyone.

Has anyone got any advise on how to get an 11 month old to take Flucloxacillin which tastes awful. Thanks

Unfortunately I've had to try different brands and bribery with chocolate. I have given antibiotics at night, if my dd wakes up (in pain,) but might think twice if they are disgusting.

Hah, Tilly, I was just about to return to this thread to ask the same question! It's a two-person job at the moment, poor little thing is not pleased! I mixed a dose up with a fruity yoghurt earlier, but nothing gets past this kid - she knew something was up! Might be worth a try though? I'm going to try it in fruit puree tomorrow, so maybe we'll have better luck there...

I only every spread the dose out through the day when they are awake.
However I did get a telling off from an A&E doctor once who told me it should be already out through 24 hours.
So I guess I'm doing it wrong, but when your little ones are poorly, sleep is too important and I won't disturb that.

Flucloxacillin tastes truly awful. You can get it in tablet form but that doesn't help the younger ones. I am not too sure why this awful antibiotic formulation is so popular in the UK, you can't find it anywhere else. Chocolate before and after the dose is the only thing that helped my DD.

@Looodles a&e dr talking nonsense never in 15 years of paediatric nursing have I ever woken a child overnight for oral antibiotics - sometimes in the day we do to keep on track and iv Meds are given overnight.

So hard to give disgusting tasting meds to babies and small children, use a syringe small amounts and blow gently on face stimulates a suck/swallow gently and small amounts obs as you don’t want a choke. Into side of dummy. Rub under chin can make them swallow too. I wish there was an easier way tbh. Babies I find easy it’s toddlers and pre schoolers that you can’t bribe or just give. I’ve been sprayed in every antibiotic I can think of. Have something nice for after meds to take taste away too. Good luck (my 9 year old wouldn’t even take calpol for Years handy when you’re a nurse I didn’t admit that to many people) he does now as he understands it helps him as he gets migraines

Peads nurse here too. Waves @Kaykay06! I have had to wake kids for oral antibiotics but I try not to if possible. I will if I know they will take it with no problems and go back to sleep straight away. But not with kids who I know will be difficult. Especially if they are on the nasty ones. Though most of our patients are being woken for pain relief anyway so I time it together. But I would never expect parents hat home to wake them up for it.