To antibiotic or not to antibiotic…

[babsma]

My DD3 is 5 months old and still exclusively beastfed. She has developed an ear infection but doesn't seem to bothered - the first I knew was when I saw pus coming out of her ear. I've been to the GP who gave me amoxycillin, but I've had bad experiences with DD1 giving antibiotics and would dearly love to avoid it this time. DD1 never had aperforated eardrum though, which is what is happening with DD3. It has been 3 and a half days now and there is still some discharge coming from her ear and I can't make up my mind what to do. I'd like to avoid the side-effects of antibiotics but am also a bit concerned about the possibility of infection of the local bone or any other complications that are possible. What would you do??

As the eardrum is perforated I would give the antibiotics. If it was just a standard ear infection I probably would wait.

Perforated ear drum - mastoiditis (infection of local bone) is a very likely sequel. Your DD has been offered antibiotics as a result of the NICE recommendations changing as a result of my DD nearly dying from mastoiditis when she was 5 months old.
DD had 1.5 hour surgery for this has permanent hearing loss as a result of this surgery, just was less than 24 hours from this becoming irreversible menigitis which at best would have left her brain damaged at worst the thought is unbearable. DD had none of the classic signs of a mastoid infection so diagnosis was hard we were really lucky that one doctor had a gut feeling that something wasn't right. I thank every day the gut feeling doctor and the world class paeds ENT surgeon who we were lucky that worked at our local hospital.
It is your decision, but I wanted you to have all of the information.

I did read an article on ear infections becoming meningitis too, I wont tell you the outcome but I have had serious infections and you can go downhill so quickly it is frightening.

I would give the antibiotics, if she has a reaction you can always ask for a different type.

Thank you so much for your replies, which have helped me to make my mind up! Side effects from antibiotics are obviously much less scary than these complications. Sorry to hear about your DD Lizcat, glad you got such good care for her though. Have just administered first dose?

Thank you so much for your replies, which have helped me to make my mind up! Side effects from antibiotics are obviously much less scary than these complications. Sorry to hear about your DD Lizcat, glad you got such good care for her though. Have just administered first dose?

Hope it all goes well didn't want to scare you, but felt you needed all the information. It was a very frightening time and I have been really lucky my DD manages astonishingly well with her hearing loss, but there are many many times when I wish I could have prevented it.

Lizcat thats an awful story of what happened with your poor DD.I have been beyond furious a couple of times when antibiotics haven't been prescribed for my DDs ear infections (I thought it always used to be the case that antibiotics were prescribed routinely for ear infections).DD1 was sent to A&E because of her untreated ear infection - not a mastoid infection,but in a terrible state from days of pain.DD2 had a referral to ENT,needed 2 appointments and 2 courses of antibiotics to finally clear an ear infection she had.I was so angry that the Dr. decided that her eardrum be allowed to perforate rather than give antibiotics.I strongly feel thats not their decision to make.
I always push for antibiotics if an ear infection hasn't resolved in a couple of days.
So,yes,I'd go with the antibiotics OP.

Your GP has given antibiotics for a reason - they don't just hand them out these days. Please start the treatment.