Ear infections - antibiotics or not??

[clemette]

Evening all,
My DS (11 months) is now onto his third ear infection within 5 weeks. On the previous two occasions his ear has been oozing gunk and he has has a temperature. He has had antibiotics both times and it has cleared up.
This time his ear is oozing again and he has diarrhea but is otherwise OK. The GP was unwilling to give him more antibiotics when we saw him on Tuesday but it is not getting any better.
What to do? How long should I leave it before going back to the doctors if his temperature stays low and he seems to be pain-free?
TIA, Sam

hmm, go with the doctor's advice imo, you can't keep loading his system with antibiotics.
the ear infection shoudl clear up.. just will take logner without antibiotics and at that age they have small um channel thingywhatsits...
what did gp advise?

i would prob trust gp advice here. unusual for them not to just give them for ear infections so is prob right.

My son had 7 perforations since March and alwyas had antib's because they never sure whether was bacterial of viral. I have to say given that it's three days post perforation and no improvement I would be back at GP's asking for them - better to do it now than have to traipse into out of hours surgery over Christmas.

We saw ENT specialist about DS and his opinion was that is better to treat the pain and the problem now rather than worry about what possible/maybe/could be (i.e. immunity to antib's) at some unknown point in the future.

If he's otherwise ok, ie no temperature, then his body is probably fighting the infection and the infection is getting better. Very often the ear does ooze for quite a while after the infection has gone.

I would go with your GP's advice.

Might be worth and trip back to the GP to get the ear swabbed. This will help decide whether any more ABs are needed.

Thank you. The oozing is slowing down I think. He has been happy all day but slept appalling last night. I am reassured that his body can fight it itself though.
Thanks everyone - Sam

I think that you need to ask for a referal to ENT if your child is having lots of perforations. I didn't and now my son has damage to both ear drums caused by scarring.

I think that a child should have anti biotics for a perforation. Its not a trival ear infection. Prehaps its worth asking for anti biotic ear drops. My son had problems with grommets and constant and Sofradex ear drops really helped him.

But if he has no fever and no apparent pain...?? He is teething and I know it can be linked.
It is a bit confusing as I keep reading conflicting things.

Its perfectly normal to be constantly seeing your doctor when your child is a baby. He/she will not think anything less of you.

My son had a perforated ear drum recently and being six years old he was able to describe exactly how it felt and the tinitus he was experiencing. From talking to him, I think he suffered more pain when his ear drum popped than I did in childbirth!

There is a difference between a bog standard ear infection and a full blown perforation. I wish that I had pushed for my son to have an ENT referal at 11 months. Certainly if my bump is half as unlucky as my son has been I will demand an ENT referal.

I agree with the GP that antibiotics may no longer be needed for this particular infection, but if your ds constantly has ear infections, I would ask for an ENT referral, as the other posters have said.

It is not so much a worry about going to the doctors too much - God knows with two under three he has seen enough of me! - but just that I am unconvinced that it is infected.
Alex is teething AND has cow's milk protein intolerance, both of which can cause oozing.
He does not have a temperature, fever, or any pain and the oozing has now stopped.

But I will ask for a ENT referral if they continue at times when he is not teething. Thanks everyone for your input x

Teething should not cause pus to ooze from ears. Its not normal.

Please let the doctor decide whether the ear is infected. He is the one who has been to medical college for seven years.

I think that taking a swab of the pus would be a really good idea. It would rule out once and for all whether the infection is baterial or viral.

My little boy's ears drums have been permamently damaged by multiple perforations. Admitally he is coping well without hearing aids at the moment. But his cochelars are both well above average, but he has a boarderline hearing loss in both ears of 20dB.

It's difficult online when you don't know other people's details. I should have said I was a medical student and that the standard treatment for middle ear infections is fluids and pain relief. This is exactly what my own GP told me on Tuesday knowing that this is ongoing.
I was having a wobble but he is well and so hopefully the perf will heal before it gets infected again.

My son had terrible oozing ear infections on and off for eighteen months. the gp didn't often perscribe antibiotics as it doesn't really cause them any harm. both his ear drums are perforated and this means he isbn't in pain as there is no pressure in his ears when infected.

however, the constant gunk in his ears was really affecting his hearing and subsequently his speech hasn't been great. he over emphasises words and was fairly obviously lip reading.

luckily dh health insurance overs him and we see a ent specialist who will prescribe antibiotics very quickly before the infection is too bad. often these take spray or drop form. initially he was taking fouor different types. we have an open prescription now and get antibiotic spray at the first hint of infection. he has been clear since february which is great.

the ear drums have hug holes though and he will have to have them surgically fixed at about 9.

Thank you. I will keep a close eye on him, but am glad that they are able to get through without antibiotics.