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Original poster

should i give antibiotic or not?

38 replies

ruty · 26/12/2008 16:52

dd, 7 months, had high temp last friday for two days, then well, then Christmas Eve [of course] bad cough and runny nose, last night temperature again, 39 degrees. Just been to emergency docs as she has a viral rash all o ver tummy. she said she has a swollen tonsil and has given her antibiotics. dd's temperature has been ok today without calpol. she is ok in herself, but grumpy. Should i give the antibiotics? I know some of you will think i'm mad but if her temp is down and she is not unhappy i wonder if she can fight it without antibiotics, which are overused. on other hand, i don't want her to get worse...

OP posts:
jasperc163 · 26/12/2008 16:57

if temp is down without I would hold on and see if she fights it without; it looks like she is succeeding.....

XmasPud · 26/12/2008 16:58

I agree. If she is improving on her own, hold fire with the antibiotics for a day.
Glad to hear she is improving

Original poster
ruty · 26/12/2008 17:04

do you think? i don't want it to suddenly get worse. how does the doc know if it is viral or bacterial just by looking? oh dear.

OP posts:
Original poster
ruty · 26/12/2008 20:43

bump

OP posts:
loveingigglypiggly · 26/12/2008 20:55

3 weeks ago we had something similar! Didn't get antiobiotics ok for a day or two just grumpy, then got much worse and ended up in A&E with temp of 39.6 and was admitted. went home with antiobiotics.

Persoanlly I would give them. Doctors don't tend to give them out now (hence my ds not getting them sooner) so they must have felt she needed them.

Side effects are not that bad, so I would.

Original poster
ruty · 26/12/2008 21:47

oh dear really? I just spoke to another doc on the phone and he said not to give them if i don't want to and her temp is down. But now you've got me worried!

OP posts:
thisisyesterday · 26/12/2008 21:50

i wouldn't if she seems ok and her temp has been fine without calpol.
much, much better if they can fight these things off by themselves

Original poster
ruty · 26/12/2008 22:02

i think i'll hold off until tomorrow. it is so weird how docs can vary in their opinion. The doc i spoke to on phone even said if her temp goes up just give her calpol, and antibiotics don't often help tonsils, so why did other doc give then out? Confusing.

OP posts:
loveingigglypiggly · 26/12/2008 22:11

Sorry didn't mean to worry you! Trouble is tonsilitis can be caused by viral and bacterial hence some docs giving antibiotics, others not. DS had puss on his hence needing antibiotics. My friend is a GP and she often gives scrips for use in a day or two and says to watch and wait. I think you know whats best as your her mummy!

Original poster
ruty · 26/12/2008 23:14

thansloveingp. Hard to know, would be the weekend coming up. Ho hum.

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Original poster
ruty · 27/12/2008 12:59

temperature up again today, spoke to another out of hours doc who was shocked we had been prescribed amoxycillin and said it was not suitable for her Will have to go back if temp keeps rising

OP posts:
27 · 27/12/2008 21:47

hi ruty
sorry, just saw your message on the other thread.
Coincidently my DD was also prescribed amocycillin last night, but for a different reason (perforated eardrum ).
Seems like your DDs situation has moved on from when you posted, how is she now?

Original poster
ruty · 27/12/2008 23:03

thanks 27. Still not sure whether to give antibiotics today. Saw another emergency doc and she said hard to tell because probably viral, and it as '50/50' whether to take antibioics. DD not great tonight, temp gone down after calpol but not very well. Just wondering how long to hold out before giving her antibiotics.
Sorry about your dd's eardrum. Hope she recovers soon.

OP posts:
Leo9 · 28/12/2008 00:02

If it was me I would give what I had been prescribed. The 'overused' thing is a red herring IMO - it is your DD we're talking about not society in general; if they haven't been overused on HER then that's your criteria to go by I would have thought.

If you give what's been prescribed, if she gets worse at least you will know you have done all you can for her - which is all you can do as a parent rather than a trained medic.

Coldtits · 28/12/2008 00:29

She's seven months old, I seriously would NOT fuck about with the medication she's been prescribed. Babies can go downhill so damn fast.

Original poster
ruty · 28/12/2008 11:12

i know Coldtits - if the doc had said definitely give it to her i would, but she said yesterday it was probably viral and if it were her child she would hold out unless she was really upset and temp not going down with Calpol. But if she is bad again today i will give them. I am not fucking around I don't think.

OP posts:
loveingigglypiggly · 28/12/2008 11:29

Sorry to her your little one is still poorly. Just wondering what your concerns were re antiobiotics??

Original poster
ruty · 28/12/2008 12:12

i just don't want to give them for a viral infection, which the doc said it probably was. her temp is down today and she is happy. if her temp goes up again i will give them. my concern over antibiotics is about the gut and getting rid of immune enhancing flora. But tof course if the doc said you must give them and she continues to be unwell i will give them. It is tricky when one doc says give them and another says don't.

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Original poster
ruty · 28/12/2008 12:20

i really don't want to do the wrong thing, so don't mind people telling me their views, just a bit confused by the medical advice so far.

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lilLAURAgladtobemeagain · 28/12/2008 12:29

what is your fear of giving her the antibiotics?

i am allergic to penecillin , but non of my dc have had the same reaction , i dont understand why u were told amoxicllin isnt suitable its the most commonly used one in adults and children as it fights viral and bacterial infections.

if my dc are prescribed antibiotics i give it to them, in the long run you went to the dr as your child was ill he told you what was wrong and gave you medicine to make her better (to fight off the illness) what else would you be going for if it were not to recieve advice and medication to get her better

another thing is that with viral flus, infections they have a habit of seeming that they have gone then re-appearing they can also be contajous within children so my personal opinion would treat her with the antibiotics

Original poster
ruty · 28/12/2008 12:42

antibiotics cannot treat viral infections.

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lilLAURAgladtobemeagain · 28/12/2008 12:44

sory my mistake i ment that they are prescribed as what starts off as a viral infection can turn into a bacterial so thats why they would be described so that if its at that stage it fights it b4 it gets worse

lilLAURAgladtobemeagain · 28/12/2008 12:47

sorry about typing have 1YO climbing up me

Original poster
ruty · 28/12/2008 12:47

as far aas i know they cannot be used preventatively, only when bacterial infection present. i understand where you are coming from, but i have followed medical advice, it is just that i have been given conflicting medical advice.

OP posts:
lilLAURAgladtobemeagain · 28/12/2008 12:50

i didnt mean preventively, just that maybe dr thought i might have alreadt started forming as bacterial i would just get her checked again and see if it is viral or bacterial at least you already have the meds if it is

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