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Original poster

What's the perceived wisdom on antibiotics for ear infections these days?

29 replies

WigWamBam · 02/10/2006 13:19

Dd has always been prone to ear infections, usually has about four a year, particularly in the winter. She's usually been given a course of penicillin, but the last time she had one we saw a different GP, who won't prescribe anything for ear infections. He told us that eventually it would clear up itself, although it may take the ear drum bursting for that to happen.

She had a cold last week, and has just been sent home from school in pain with her ear again. Dh wants me to get her to the GP, but is there any point if the doctor I saw last time is right? Is it better to just ride it out?

OP posts:
myermay · 02/10/2006 13:23

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myermay · 02/10/2006 13:24

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Gobbledispook · 02/10/2006 13:24

Oooh, that's interesting because all the GPs I know (well, I know about 4 or 5 including the one I go to!) recommend that ear infections are treated as they can very easily get worse and cause more serious problems (e.g. perforated ear drum).

I'm not a doctor myself though, so..

Original poster
WigWamBam · 02/10/2006 13:31

My GP has always given her antibiotics, but the one she saw last time was adamant that they're not necessary - they don't ease the pain, and they are rarely necessary to treat the infection. He didn't mention the over-use thing, but I daresay that some GPs are wary for that reason.

He said that it might be necessary for the ear drum to burst to ease the pain, which I thought was very strange. As it happened it did clear up without the antibiotics, which is why I wondered whether it was worth bothering this time.

She's dosed up to the eyeballs with Nurofen and Calpol, which is helping. I just don't want to lug her to the GPs (we have to walk, and it's over an hour round trip) if we're just going to be sent away with Nurofen.

OP posts:
JessaJackOLantern · 02/10/2006 13:33

DS has just been prescribed amoxycillin for an ear infection (he gets them lots too) and has been by several different GPs in varous surgeries around the country (told you he got them quite often, he is only 13 months!)

flack · 02/10/2006 13:34

I have the impression that at least 30% (maybe 50%?) of ear infex are viral, that's why antiBs aren't necessarily a good idea.

Am not an expert, and my kids have luckily never had one. But personally I would ride it out if mild and demand antiBs if nuroffen coudln't ease pain.

JessaJackOLantern · 02/10/2006 13:34

They may not fight the pain but they fight the infection...stops it from gettingworse and l;eading to perforated ear drum...I thought...

HappyMumof2 · 02/10/2006 13:34

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HappyMumof2 · 02/10/2006 13:35

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Original poster
WigWamBam · 02/10/2006 13:38

Mmm, echinacea might be a good idea - prevention being better than cure, and all that.

It's the perforated ear drum thing that I don't get; so many of you are saying what I thought - that it was best treated to avoid perforating. Yet this GP sent her away to wait for it to happen to ease the pressure.

I can't ring for an appointment until after 2, but I think I'll try and get her in to the GP this afternoon.

OP posts:
LIZS · 02/10/2006 13:40

dd got AB's for ear infection this morning. Last time she had one it perforated before we saw the doctor and she was sick.

Holidaymum · 02/10/2006 13:44

Bizzarely enough the ear infections I get (frequently) are fungal caused! Only discovered by a locum after repeated anti biotic treatment by my usual gp. Now I get anti fungal spray instead. Was also told mine is related to Athetes foot!

Marina · 02/10/2006 13:46

Dd was seeing a specialist for a time about her persistent ear infections WWB, although she was a lot younger than your dd is I think and has hopefully grown out of the suspected cause of hers (too little ear canals).
We heard quite a variance from the different doctors we saw (GPs and paed ENT consultants).
We were quite commonly told that the ear perforating DOES give relief and allow the fluid to drain away (sort of DIY grommets I suppose), so not to be too fed up when it happened as she would immediately feel better.
We were also often prescribed anti-bs, and luckily for her amoxycillin usually worked for us. What did give her a crucial three months entirely free of ear problems was a long low-dose course of the antibacterial trimethoprim, which also had none of the side effects dd sometimes got from the amoxycillin. That was from a specialist though.
Tbh, although perforated ears are not nice, I tend to agree with my GP's assessment that as long as you live in a country with good standards of hygiene they are not a major health risk. You mustn't wash her hair or take her swimming while the eardrum is healing, though - or so I was told, because that is a good way to carry infection behind the eardrum and that could be serious.
I would ask for a referral for her tbh. It was very helpful to have dd's hearing monitored while all this was happening (it was fine) and to get a different perspective from our GP practice's.

Gem13 · 02/10/2006 13:46

My GP says there are mixed views on giving ABs for ear infections but after he has looked in DS's ears he always prescribes them to 'save them from perforating'. I've been amazed at the transformation from wan, ill looking boy (he doesn't complain) to normal self within hours of having the antibiotics.

That said because DS hasn't always let us know his ears hurt and we haven't picked up on it (as I said he's incredibly stoical) he's had several perforated eardrums which has affected his hearing in these early years. Well worth saving IMO.

Original poster
WigWamBam · 02/10/2006 13:56

That's interesting, Marina. I think I might ask for a referral; she's been having ear infections since she was just a few of weeks old, and although she doesn't have them as often now it's still three or four times a year - I wonder if the small tubes thing is her problem too? I don't think she has a problem with her hearing, luckily ... only cloth ears when she doesn't want to listen!

I think I shall try for an appointment this afternoon, see what they come up with this time.

Thanks all.

OP posts:
tracyk · 02/10/2006 15:59

I got ab for ds ear infection - but didn't use them. It seems to have cleared up on its own. I did however notice on Patrick Holfords website - he sells aloe vera ear drops for children - which he says are good for those prone to ear infections and swimmers. I thought I'd give them a try sometime.

liath · 02/10/2006 16:18

Although most GPs give antibiotics for earache, the GP who didn't was probably more correct - there has been a fair bit of research suggesting that antibiotics don't make much difference to clinical outcome except in cases where a child is fairly unwell (high fever etc). Guidelines for GPs now advise NOT using antibiotics as a first-line treatment but to concentrate on pain relief - see here SIGN guidelines .

I have to say despite that I usually dish out an antibiotic prescription but with advice to try calpol/neurofen first and hold off giving the antibiotic for at least 24 hours to see if things start to improve themselves.

Hope that sheds a bit of light !!

Overrun · 02/10/2006 16:38

I didn't realise that you could get viral ear infections. My gp prescribed antibiotics after my ds1 ear drum perforated. I always thought that gps have to be careful about ear infection because of risk of glue ear and hearing problems if infections are left untreated.
How do you tell if a ear infection is viral or batcterial?

princessmel · 02/10/2006 16:49

Hi, I took my daughter to the docs twice a week apart ,for this infection before they gave her anything. She got an antibiotic ear spray called otomize. We've had it before and it worked. The first gp said it was viral . She said because the nose discharge was clear it was viral. If it was yellow or green it would be bacterial and dd would have had ab. The second doc didn't mention that , just saw a red sore ear and gave her the spray. Dd was quite perky when we went in and if she'd been more "ill" looking I think we would have been given medicine antibiotics. Sprays good for dd though as she hates medicine and the spray goes right to where its needed.

soaringflyingCOD · 02/10/2006 16:50

i always dc ant ebar the broken nights

CountessDracula · 02/10/2006 16:52

Our gps all say that all antibiotics are not necessary. DD has twice had a burst eardrum which then healed fine.

grumpyfrumpy · 02/10/2006 17:15

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
WigWamBam · 02/10/2006 19:09

I think we're on for a broken night tonight despite the fact that the GP gave her antibiotics this afternoon. She was shrieking with pain by the time we got there, despite being dosed up to the eyeballs with Calpol and Nurofen, and she's still shrieking with pain now. Plus she's now got a tummy ache to go with it

I don't think we're going to get much sleep tonight ...

OP posts:
foxinsocks · 02/10/2006 19:18

poor her (and you) WWB

I can understand why the GPs don't give them and dd has had several ear infections, several burst ear drums and not once had antibs. She's now 6 and seems to have (touch wood) mainly outgrown getting them all the time (ENT told us that age 6/7/8 is normally when this can happen).

However, I had a bad ear infection when I was a child. My mum did the 'no point in taking her to the doctor' thing (they weren't very pro doctors my parents and didn't really do antibs!) and my ear was so painful and so badly infected that I lost the majority of hearing in that ear for a whole year. I then had to have endless visits to hospital to check my hearing, lots of probing by ENTs and the like and had to be segregated at school and sat practically on the teacher's desk to hear. It was really awful and I was told afterwards that if I had had antibs earlier, it probably would have saved all that torment.

Troutpout · 02/10/2006 19:45

dd had 10 ear infections in one year the year before last...and generally i always got anti-b's. However i saw a locum once who started to tell me how the general opinion was that anti-b's only reduce the problem by 24 hours. and that he didn't want to prescribe them. I said (through slighly gritted teeth) that 'believe me. 24 hours with a screaming, unconsolable child can be a looonnng time'.
I then realised he had shutup and was already writing out the perscription