Help! I need advice about anti-biotics for poorly 7 mo dd

[DitaVonCheese]

Morning

Seven mo DD is poorly atm - started off as a nasty cold and has gone a bit chesty. Came back from out of hours GP last night with a diagnosis of croup and some anti-biotics and linctus to give her.

Problem is that she will not keep anything down - whether it goes in slow or fast, syringe or spoon, held down or not, she just pukes it back up again. We had this problem with both paracetamol and ibuprofen last time she was ill (at about 3 months I think) and this time she has vomited both back up again, plus her dose of a-b this morning. Last night I tried mixing Calpol into a yogurt, which she didn't eat. I have expressed 3 oz of milk this morning so can try mixing her a-b with some of that, but since she won't take a bottle or cup I don't fancy my chances!

We had actually gone to the GP for a prescription for paracetamol suppositories - he didn't seem to believe that she vomits medicine back up

I am about to head out to buy one of those dummy things that you fill with medicine but since she won't usually take a dummy am not sure it'll work.

However - to get to the point of my post - Googling (always reliable ) has told me that 95% of croup is viral, in which case, presumably, a-bs will have sod all effect on her. She also seems a lot happier today than she did last night. I am therefore wondering whether it is really worth all the heartache and pain (hers and mine - we've both been in tears this morning) of fighting her to get a-bs into her for no positive benefit. But am scared that I am being an irresponsible mum by denying her the medicine we've been given. Also she did have one dose of a-b last night and I know it's bad to start a course and not complete it ... Help please!

Ooh, I don't know re the anti-b's etc, so this isn't that helpful, but wanted to bump for you and say that I have found that sitting in a really steamy bathroom has helped mine when they have croup. We just run the shower on v hot until filled with steam and then sit in there...

Croup's a viral illness so they don't give antibiotics for this. Does she sound like she's barking?

great name btw

Abs shouldn't be prescribed for a viral illness - does absolutely nothing to solve the virus, and irresponsible of the doctor given huge issues with bacteria becoming drug-resistant when abs are over-used.

Personally I wouldn't use them as I don't think they would help, and would just follow Miyazaki's advice. However, are you sure your GP didn't think there was some sort of bacterial infection going on in which case abs would be appropriate? Might be worth a call to NHS Direct - describe symptoms, say you think it's croup, see what they say the treatment is. And then ask if abs would help.

Thanks Miyazaki. We have tried the bathroom trick a couple of times and it seems to help, plus she seems so much better today generally, thank goodness

FluffyBunny she was honking away last night (and crying every time she coughed) but today it's gone back to just being chesty/mucousy.

HQ he didn't say anything to suggest that he thought there was anything bacterial going on and other than the barking last night it seems just a normal if bad and chesty cold.

Thanks all for the replies. Took advice off another website and ran it past my dad (retired GP - but didn't just ask him because he is generally anti all treatment!) and haven't bothered with the abx with no obvious ill effects. Guess I can just return it to a chemist and hope this bit of pointless prescribing hasn't cost the NHS too much!