6-year-old daughter with pneumonia - Amoxicillin didn't work?

[fluvly]

Hello everyone,

My 6-year-old daughter has been diagnosed with mild pneumonia 7 days ago, and the GP prescribed Amoxicillin for a week.
We went to the GP again today, the crackles in the lungs haven't improved, and she still has a low-grade fever, so the doctor prescribed Clarithromycin for 7 days.

Does anyone have experience of Amoxicillin not working against pneumonia? I'm just getting a bit worried. The cough hasn't improved, the fever is still there (although mild), but she seems fine, breathes normally, no pain, just an incessant, half-productive cough.

Now she has taken the first dose of Clarithromycin, I hope that this antibiotic works.

Thank you.

As an adult last year a week of Amoxyl didnt work so I got prescription for doxycycline that cleared it up. I hope your dd starts to feel better soon, keep nice and warm. Did they give her the mahoosive yellow tablets

Yes, we’ve frequently been in the situation that amoxicillin doesn’t work when my DD has had pneumonia. Clarithromycin always has though, so hopefully it will be the same for your daughter.

@HappyHammy thank you, glad to know we're not the only ones Amoxicillin didn't work for. They gave Clarithromycin in syrup form, tastes nice but leaves a very bitter tongue (tried a drop myself)!

@Chocl8 that's very reasurring, thanks. Has your DD had pneumonia often? I still don't know how mine got it...

Is it definitely bacterial? I have had viral pneumonia and basically no antibiotics worked - needed anti-virals and by the time they were started I was pretty much better (still had to finish them tho).

I'm allergic to amoxicillin so always have Clarithromycin for chest infections and it's very effective, I find. Hopefully by tomorrow you'll see an improvement.

Just to explain most of the antibiotics used are called broad spectrum that is to say we know they work on different types of infections and GPS will try one first and if that doesn't work . they will try something else .Not everyone responds to the first one so they will try something a bit different / stronger /for a longer period of time .If things still dont improve in a few days do go back but of course if they get worse go straight to A&E Hoping you have one well child soon :)

It depends what your daughters pneumonia is sensitive to, amoxicillin is usually first line and works well but clearly your daughters strain is resistant so clarithromycin should work. If you don’t feel there is any change/improvement half way through the course go back to your gp.
She’s most likely just been unlucky I look after lots of kids with chest infections/pneumonia at this time of year.
@HappyHammy my mum had pneumonia a few years ago really bad was on iv drugs then got the giant tablets surprised she managed to take them, thankfully kids get syrup version but it tastes rank - amoxicillin is supposed to be banana although some kids like it

@GrumpyHoonMain doctor is not sure, and my dd is not coughing up anything so probably can't test the sputum. How was yours diagnosed to be viral?

@MustBeDueSomeBetterFeet yes, hopefully, thanks. :)

@happyhealthvisitor we have another appointment with the GP in two days, he said he would take an x-ray if things don't improve.

My son has had a few chest infections and pneumonias as he has complex needs. We keep amoxicillin in at all times to start if he gets unwell but it is a broad spectrum antibiotic and doesn't really touch a full on chest infection. We find cefalexin and coamoxiclav work better In fact he is on coamoxiclav at present as he has a pneumonia again ! Sigh !

@Kaykay06 thanks, I was worried because I read that pneumonia happens when children have a compromised immune system, and the hypocondriac in me always thinks of the worst...

@flapjackfairy ah ok, I'm going to look into coamoxiclav, and ask the gp, in case this one doesn't work. Hope your son gets better soon x

Mine was suspected viral because it was mild, but GP policy was to treat with antibiotics first. It was only after the antibiotics failed that I was tested

@GrumpyHoonMain did they find out through a blood test or sputum test? x

My daughter had it twice between age 1-3 years old. She had to have 2 courses of clarithmomycin as one wasn't enough. She wasn't given amoxicillin. She's now 11 and no pneumonia since then.
Hope she's better soon.

Neither they just examined me.

Most likely that it’s viral to be honest. In which case antibiotics will make no difference it just needs to run its course. They don’t specifically test for bacteria or virus at this stage but we are seeing lots of nasty viral chests at the moment in hospital. Hope she feels better soon x

Yes, dd when she was 8yo.They tested and found the particular strain of infection was resistant to it. They put her as soon as she realised on 2 different antibiotics to take for 14 days as she was deteriorating quite quickly at that point.
We knew the antibiotics were working when she began to cough a lot.

@smilingElizabeth that's really good to know! I thought having it once would make her more susceptible to getting it several times...

@Emmacb82 it started with very high fever (39.4 at night, measured in the ear) for 5 days, then the fever went lower (max 38.4 at night) but the cough became worse, and she has been like that for 7 days now, and amoxicillin didn't do anything. Does that sound like it's viral?

@Witchend do you remember how long it took for antibiotics to work? x

Thanks everyone for your answers. xxx

I think it was about 5 days before we saw improvement. However after 48 hours it was no longer getting worse.
She was low immunity for around 6 months to a year after too.

We had the same experience, about 3-4 days in on the second antibiotics we saw a difference and after the week there was a huge difference in health.

Pneumonia can’t be diagnosed without a chest X-ray

However I did have pneumonia last year. Oh my gosh. I was sooooo unwell. It took me a good 2 months to get back to normal. It knocked me for 6. I had sludge and very wet sounding lungs with a plural rub.

I had an X-ray to confirm it wasn’t just a Bad infection or viral thing

If it’s truly pneumonia and she’s had the chest X-ray. Then it will take a long long while.

If she has t had a chest X-ray. Then get one done pronto!!!! That’s got to be done to treat it. Don’t take no for an answer as it could change what she’s given

After mine I was given triple the amount of antibiotics. And I was given steroids. I was also given an inhaler on top in the end.

Just to update the post, Clarithromycin cleared the infection quickly - fever went away after 24 hours and chest sounded much better after 72h, and cleared completely after 7 days.