dd (3) on her third antibiotic in 5 weeks -

[elmofan]

hi , just wondering if this is normal , dd 3yrs started preschool in September , but she has been sick every week since , she is not getting a chance to pick up in between doses , since she started school she has had , throat infections , ear infections , chest infection & an infection in her eczema , her temperature was 38.9 all last night , calpol made no difference had her at the doctor again yesterday & she has an ear & chest infection , she is now on her 3rd antibiotic , i am worried about her being on so many antibiotics as i don't think its good for her & they don't seem to be working ,
any advice ? oh & she has been on a multi-vitamin since starting school .
thanks x

bump

I don't think that there is anything you can do to stop her getting the infections in the first place. She does seem to be having more than her fair share and this will probably increase as winter arrives. Is it nearly half term in England? A week or so away from the bugs may make the difference you need.

thanks kreecher, i hope so , she is off school now until next week , but i am dreading sending her back as i know she will pick up something else ,
just wondering has any else dc gone through this when they started school ?

When I went back to work in Aug 2007 DS was just shy of 3yrs old. Due to distance of my work he was doing 11hr days at nursery. DS would fall ill a MINIMUM of 2 times per month with a fever of at least 39 degrees but usually around 41 degrees. I was out of my mind with the GP's thinking I was an over-reacting mother, yet I knew it was not right that a child spikes a temp that high, 2 times or more for minimum of 5 days, per month. I insisted there was an underlying infection that oral antibiotics had not fully treated (I was a health worker before finding a desk job after DS was born). I had to have so much time off work as a result that I was seriously frowned upon.

In late Feb this year DS fell ill with meningitis and septacaemia. He had IV antibiotics as a result (not related to persistent fevers as meningitis takes hold ever so quickly and luckily this was caught in time and therefore no lasting issues) he had a course of IV antibiotics. Since then he has not had one fever, even when he has chicken pox, which the GP finally agreed supported my theory of an underlying infection that oral anti-B's had not treated.

I would push your GP with the same theory and ignore any resistance you come up against to insist upon a longer, stronger course of anti-b's. Even though children DO get ill and it is normal for them to get ill, that many infections in such a short period of time is not quite right IMO (although please remember that this really is just my opinion from personal experience and work encounters - I am no doctor by far).

But seriously - Push your GP.... Good luck and fingers crossed for your darling x

thank you orimental - i am worried about her as before she started preschool she hardly ever got sick , since sept she is up & down ever week , i send her in on the Monday fine & by the next day her temperature is back up & she is sick again ,
her pediatrician told me on Monday that it could take months for her immune system to build up enough to resist all the germs that go around with other kids but still i think her getting sick every week is excessive , your poor little one picking up meningitis , that is a big fear of mine with dd as she is on so many antibiotics , when she might really need one it wont work. thanks x

thanks ruby i am the same , i only give them medicine if they really need it , i reminded her gp yesterday that this is her third antibiotic in the last 5 weeks & he got a bit snotty with me & told me she needs this antibiotic . that was me told
although she is eating great this morning so it must be starting to work
thanks x