Antibiotics for everything - good?

[GooseyLoosey]

On 2 recent occassions I have wondered about the prescription of antibiotics for my children.

On the first occassion one had an infected tear-duct. I had to take him to the doctors as nursery were worried it was contagious. Dr prescribed antibiotics. What happens if I just leave it to get better I asked - Dr looked shocked "Ummm don't really know, we never do that".

Second occasion was last week. Took ds as his excema was terrible. Now I just expected more cream but he was rescribed antibiotics. Why I asked? Well, some of it looks a bit infected I was told. I remember having infected cuts as a child and my grandmother using a poultice. I asked about this and was treated to the same look I would have got if I had asked if treating it by singing Jack and Jill backwards 3 times a day would work.

Have we lost sight of anyways to treat illness other than through drugs and is this a bad thing (I have visions of virulent drug resistent strains of bacteria taking over the world).

Doctors misprescribing antibiotics is one of my pet hates, because not only is it not very good for the patient, but it's also bad for society. But of course it's very hard to prove that it's an inappropriate prescription.

Ooh too much antibiotics is a very bad thing, the more you have the less you respond to them and like me I was over prescribed antibiotics during childhood and by teenage years I was allergic to the majority of them.

A couple of my friends have recently been prescribed course of very strong antibiotics even though they didn't seem particularly ill to me. I live in Belgium where the healthcare system is privatised, and I can't help but suspect that this is a case of the GP giving the patient what they want to keep them as a paying customer.

Interesting that you all seem to have the same experience as me so this would seem to be a common view (which does not surprise me), yet when I suggested alternatives to the doctors, they looked at me as though I was mad and made me feel like I would be failing my children if I did not administer these drugs to them. I have the anitbiotics for ds but have yet to give them to him - I know he might well get better a little quicker if I did, just not sure its the right thing to do - should I?

was it an antibiotice cream or oral antibiotics that he prescibed?

Hmm depends really on how bad it is, you could give it a few days and see what happens, if it gets worse you always have the prescription.

It was oral antibiotics which I thought sounded a bit odd and am even more dubious about using.

the thing is, sometimes antobiotics are very necessary, and whilst I would risk not taking them for myself, I wouldn't risk that for my children.

I'm surprised he didn't prescribe an antibiotic cream. But then of course the eczema might be too bad for that. Is it possible to ask for a second opinion or go to a pharmacy?

my gp is fab, very reluctant to hand them over... only when absolutely necessary!!

whn ds1 had bronchiolitis, he gave me fab advice and sent me on my way... a week later i had to take ds1 to see a gp for an entirely different reason.. different gp, who told me that he would have given ab's anyway... even though it's viral and doesn't respond to ab's!

then of course theirs all these lovely superbugs - bugs that are resistent to ab's because thats how they've evolved to carry on their qest to make us ill!!

Thanks belgo. Absolutely agree antiobiotics can be necessary and happilly spoon them into my children when they are sick and will continue to do so. However, I am concerned that I am being prescribed them for minor infections which could probably be dealt with in other ways but the doctors seem unable or unwilling to consider this. Are doctors not allowed to consider alternatives any more?

it depends very much on the doctor. My GP surgery have a policy of very rarely prescribing antibiotics. Other doctors seem to dish them out like smarties.

I was prescribed antibiotics 6/7 times a year for tonsillitis as a child, as an adult I've been told my immune system was affected & as a result I have recurrent neck/back trouble!

Antibiotics aren't always required imo & Doctors prescribe them willy nilly!

I had no idea that they could compromise your immune system in the long term ST - did they explain why?

our docs are very very loathe to prescribe antibiotics! which is good, especially for the children.....

have had them twice this year though, but i knew i really needed them when they were prescribed, IFYSWIM.. as they are not given out willy nilly

think your body becomes resistant, and antibiotics are therefore unable to work as effectively if you are used to them, might be wrong!

That sounds strange- is your doctor old? I've noticed a real change in antibiootic prescriptions over the last few years. When ds3 had 2 screaming ear infections and was in hospital following a seizure they wouldn't give antibiotics (fine by me- ds1 had 8 lots by the time he was 2 and its caused no end of problems).

lulumama - when antibiotics are necessary, they are very necessary.

I got to the age of 23 without ever taking antibiotics. I took them for the first time in South America, where I had a tummy bug which caused D&V for more them two weeks, I lost about a stone and a half in weight (that was great actually), and then the antibiotices were very welcome.

They can also affect your gut bacteria (kill them off) which can cause problems (that's the problems it's caused ds1) and that can ultimately affect your immune system as well.

no i agree belgo ! that was the point i was trying to make ! and failing to !!

A few doctors I've seen will give a prescription and say to hold off giving it for a few days- then if it doesn't get better to get the antiibs.

yes I know lulumama, just agreeing with you

I was told being given excessive antibiotics weakens your own body's defence system as antibiotics also kill the beneficial bacteria strains in your body which are in your digestive tract!

antibiotics always give me thrush.