Ear infection for 5 days, now headache and sore neck...advice please!

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First off, I live on an island - the GP is a ferry ride away and I have already called twice this week, then visited yesterday and given antibiotics.

DS4 intermittent severe earache since Monday (2-3 bouts per day lasting 1-2 hours), but not feverish or overly unwell in between apart from reduced appetite.

Has been on enthremycin (sp) for almost 24hrs and is more poorly than ever (not blaming AB's, just needing advice on whether these should have kicked in!).

Today: pain in both ears, plus headache, stiff neck (although has been holding head awkwardly for days with the ear pain). Lethargic and terribly sad

Any advice?

What is your gut feeling?

It looks like you think he is quite ill and in that case I think I would call the GP and ask for some advice - ideally from the same doc who saw his ear last. Better that than worrying about him overnight.

Are you giving him paracetamol as well as the antibiotic?
Does he have a temperature now?

Sorry, that maybe doesn't give you much help but I think your assessment of him is the most important thing. Don't worry about bothering the GP again - it is what they are paid for.

Thanks for your advice...I think I have lost all perspective of whether I have a 'normal' poorly child, or whether I should be worrying.

He is doing a lot of sleeping, so I am letting him do that for now.

He is on calpol every 4 hours - just had a dose at 6.30 which brought his temp down to just over 38.

no more fever, but now has a severe headache. Phoning doc this morning

Hope you can get him seen again today, poor thing x

phoned doc on saturday, who told me to stop the anti-b's. I explained that he was still in a lot of pain around the ear, and that it was red and swollen..."see how he goes".

Today - diagnosed with infection of the mastoid, having been in pain all week

Now he has more, stronger AB's which will no doubt make him go off his food again, despite the fact he has lost so much weight.

Am weary and worried...

Hi, I know a bit about bones and infections.

The mastiod is a bone in the skull, an infection of this is quite serious, I think that you probably should get a second opinion in a hospital if you can get him to one, osteomyelitis normally requires IV antibiotics.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osteomyelitis

I've been given flucloxacillin to give him and go back next week (when the doctor is back on the island!).

It was a different doctor that diagnosed today. I don't ahve a hospital nearby...

I should say that, apart from being in pain, he is improving in terms of heath - not feverish, appetite returning.

Is there such a thing as a 'mild' case?

It's the right antibiotics but your son needs x-rays and possibly IV antibiotics. Just because it's in his mastoid I really do think he should be seen at a hospital, the dose for osteomyelitis is 50mg/kg every 6 hours, I don't think oral flucloxacillin is this stregnth, it's 250mg in total IIRC.

How far is the nearest hospital?

Scrap my last post (x-post) if he's improving. It could be a mild case, just give him ibuprofen for the pain.

Oh yes...the doctor last week wouldn't prescribe me any more ibuprofen (once my own supply of nuforen junior ran out) as she doesn't recommend it for children! It was the only thing that reduced the pain

I can get more from friends today.

Nearest hospital is 2 ferry rides (over 3 hours) away.

The med is 125mg/5ml and he is on 4 x 5ml daily. He weighs about 12-13kg.

Thanks for your advice, it's much appreciated.

Poor mite.

I trained as a couple of years as a paeds nurse, it's perfectly fine to give ibuprofen to children to relieve pain.

He sounds like he's feeling better if he's eating and the fever's gone. Do take him back next week though. Watch out for a fever/headache/stiff neck/rash though.

I hope he's feeling better soon, it must be such a worry for you.

DS was finally hospitalised for IV antibiotics, mastoidectomy and drainage and insertion of grommet in that ear.

Nobody could believe that he had such serious infection and yet walked into the hospital, having had it for two weeks!

Good initial recovery, hampered by re-admission with fever for a further 5 days of IV ab's and a dose of rotavirus to keep it interesting.

NOw need to see how he goes without any further ab's over the next month or so.

Thanks Belle for the advice a few weeks back - you were spot on unlike my doctors!