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General health

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Original poster

Can you buy the eye drops for conjunctivitis over the counter?

18 replies

SoupDragon · 12/05/2007 13:52

Because, inevitably, BabyDragon has woken up with pink and gooey eyes on a Saturday when the GP is shut. Sigh.

I know I can rinse them out with bicarb in boiled water and if I get desperate I can rinse them with breastmilk but was wondering if I can just go and buy the drops.

OP posts:

Hassled · 12/05/2007 13:56

There is an over the counter antibiotic eye drop taht works well but not sure about use for babies.

RubberDuck · 12/05/2007 13:57

Yes... there's some stuff called goldeneye (which I haven't used) and another one the pharmacist recommended because they were out of stock of the other which was fab (unfortunately forgotten the name). Comes in drops or a gel thing you can squeeze onto the bottom of the eyelid - drops are easier to apply though.

Original poster

SoupDragon · 12/05/2007 13:58

Thanks. I'll feed her lunch than go and thrust her gummy eyes at the pharmicist.

OP posts:

Original poster

SoupDragon · 12/05/2007 15:13

Bum bum bum. Nothing for a 1 year old. Whyare my children only ever ill when the GP is not available? I seriously can't be ar$ed to go to the out of hours clinic. Will have to resort to the other methods til Monday!

OP posts:

foxybrown · 12/05/2007 15:15

apparently you can wipe them with weak chamomile tea. Have tried this, no adverse affects.

lulumama · 12/05/2007 15:16

are you sure they are not suitable for babies...optrex do an infected eye rememdy you can buy over the counter

Jomist · 12/05/2007 15:18

The gp can prescribe the antibiotic ointment/drops that the pharmacist won't sell you. They can be used on under 1s but the only way to get is on prescription. Is there an out-of-hours number you can call?

McDreamy · 12/05/2007 15:20

Can only buy for children over 2! DS had same problem a few months ago (he was 18 months)! GP's normally won't prescribe drops for first 5ish days anyway as it is usually self limiting.

Original poster

SoupDragon · 12/05/2007 15:22

There is an out of hours service but it's at the main hospital and I simply can't be ar$ed to drive there. I asked the pharmacist if there was anything I could get over the counter. He was very apologetic.

I know that bicarb in water works as I've had to do this when they woudn't prescibe me the drops because I was bf-ing once . All I need to do is find an eye dropper or some way of getting it into her eyes to rinse them. They're not too bad luckily. I'm convinced I can feel mine gumming up as I type...

don't think I have any chamomile tea

OP posts:

lulumama · 12/05/2007 15:23

squeezeit gently in with a medicine syringe?

Original poster

SoupDragon · 12/05/2007 15:25

I thought that but when I've given medicine with those syringes it tends to come out all at once with some force I shall have to practise. I used an eyebath when I did mine but Ic an't see that working on DD...

OP posts:

Jomist · 12/05/2007 15:26

Good idea Lulumama. Also you can clean around the eye and lashes with a drop of baby shampoo diluted in an eggcup of cooled boiled water.

lulumama · 12/05/2007 15:27

the syringes that come with baby nurofen are less forceful than the others i find!!

Original poster

SoupDragon · 12/05/2007 15:29

LOL! funny you should say that - a friend did a test of them by having a water fight with her children and claimed the nurofen one went the furthest!! I have both sorts anyway so I'll test them out.

OP posts:

lulumama · 12/05/2007 15:54

oh the shame! let us know which has the best eye drop squirting properties!

RubberDuck · 12/05/2007 16:42

Odd - I'm sure the pharmacist sold ours with full knowledge that ds2 was under 1 at the time (mind you, this was a couple of years ago now!!) AND there was nothing on the packaging that said not to use on under-1s. Perhaps they've changed it all now

RubberDuck · 12/05/2007 16:42

sorry should have been

bran · 12/05/2007 16:52

You could just bathe the whole eye with some cotton wool. I use warm, slightly salted water with a couple of drops of tea tree oil on my own eyes, just dip in a cotton wool pad and swab it generously over my eyes 2 or 3 times a day. I did the same with ds recently and it cleared up in 2 days.

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