help, please

[linzoid]

my 5 yr old ds has a lot of colds and nearly every time it goes on his chest. He coughs all night and eventually because he sounds so phlegmy i go to the doc to have him checked out. They ALWAYS give him antibiotics, they dish them out in there whatevers wrong with you.
I don't want to take him unless he really needs antibiotics so my question is, how can i tell the difference? At the moment he is VERY snotty and although he isn't coughing alot during the day it's starting to sound awful when he does cough. Am i right to think he would have a temperature if it was an infection? I'm sending him to school this morning, even though he isn't a very happy lad. He has no temp tho and ate all his breakfast....help please mumsnetters.

i guess nobody knows then?? or can advise???

DD gets like this but has never has antibiotics (prob because I gave up taking her to the docs about this long ago). She gets run down through lack of sleep more than anything, I find. so, just a normal decongestant cough mixture from the chemist and paracetemol if necessary seem to do the trick.

If there's no temp, rash , earache I wouldn't worry. he might need time off school just to rest though. A "duvet day2 does everyone good sometimes!

Thick green snot = bacterial, runny white snot = virus.
Both can be helped hugely by homeopathic remedies to boost his immune system.

Linzoid, poor you, have to agree that it is well worth going down the homeopathic route and also would recommend that when he is really congested take him off as many dairy products as possible as they tend to aggravate mucus. Wish you well

Linzoid, I always find that humidification, decongestants and calpol/nurofen are always helpful when the cold takes agrip. Even green phlegm, to some extent, is ok since the body needs to fight the bug. However, if they have a continuing rip roaring temperature, generally miserable and not 'coping' or have breathing problems, a visit to the doctor is advisable.