Should I stop DS's antibiotics?

[strawberrycornetto]

My 10 month old DS has had a terrible run since November. He has had bronciolitis twice, both times it eventually turned into pneumonia. In all, he has been well for about 10 days since the end of October, which was between Christmas and New Year when he was off nursery. As soon as he went back, he picked up another infection which went straight to his chest.

As he was rattling and wheezing really badly again, our GP prescribed a 14 day course of antibiotics, not because of any specific infection he had identified but because "they seemed to work before". This is true in that every time we stop them he gets worse and had ended up with pneumonia. However, this is now his 7th dose of antibiotics, including IV ones in the hospital, since November and he's not better.

We have a consultant appointment next Thursday to discuss this. I thought it might make sense to stop this course now, so that, if they are masking symptoms, the consultant will get to see his real condition and we won't be fobbed off because they think he's ok. However, am also worried about stopping the ABs and him getting worse and being resistant to them

Any thoughts? Thank you.

i really wouldn't stop them without medical advice - you are not supposed to stop in the middle of a course anyway. I don't see how they could be masking symptoms, all they do is get rid of infection. Call your gp before you do anything. Good luck with the consultant appt. There seem to be so many bugs around this year.

complete the course, the consultant will go by gp letter and your history of the problem. in this sort of case current symptoms are not the only thing looked at.

hope they come up with an answer for you

No. You should always compete a course of antibiotics.

The consultant will have lots of other information to go by.

sounds very similar to my ds (22 months now tho) repeated bronchiolitis. was told last winter (when he was only 5-6 mthhs that he would be better in the spring summer. but that hasnt happened. although hes never had pneumonis has had antibiotic severla times foe chest infection.
last week very wheezy and unhappy so took to gp who sent us straight to hospital.
had oral steroids 3 days and still on salbutamol inhaler several times a day, seems to be improving.
when you look at him in nappy can you see retractions? (skin going in a lot into ribs when he breathes in?)
effort to breath? heart rate?

Thanks all, very clear and sensible advice. Kind of what I knew I think, just needed to be told!!

Madeindevon, yes, there are retractions sometimes, depends on how bad it is. He always seems to be panting somehow. I am sure the consultant will take it seriously and give good advice. We have an atrovent inhaler but it doesn't seem to make any noticable difference. One A&E doctor said he would give him salbutamol but didn't in the end because they then diagnosed pneumonia rather than "just bronchiolitis". We'll see what they say next week.

Thanks all, very clear and sensible advice. Kind of what I knew I think, just needed to be told!!

Madeindevon, yes, there are retractions sometimes, depends on how bad it is. He always seems to be panting somehow. I am sure the consultant will take it seriously and give good advice. We have an atrovent inhaler but it doesn't seem to make any noticable difference. One A&E doctor said he would give him salbutamol but didn't in the end because they then diagnosed pneumonia rather than "just bronchiolitis". We'll see what they say next week.