Anyone know anything about E127?

[Birdly]

DS is 3 and currently on a course of antibiotics - a penicillin called Flucloxacillin. His behaviour has been horrendous since he started the course yesterday.

The medicine is a bright red/pink colour so I looked at the label and it contains the food colouring E127. A quick glance at a couple of websites tells me that there's a possible link to hyperactive behavioural disorders in children, and that it isn't recommended for consumption by children.

If this is the case (I know you can't believe everything you read on the net! ), why did the doctor prescribe it, as opposed to a more child-friendly penicillin? Any info welcome. I'm not aware of him having had any problems with colours or additives before. Thanks

Please?

Yes, we've had exactly the same problem with the E127. DS (22 mo) turned into a violent lunatic on it.

After the reaction, the GP refused to prescribe anything but the generic drug, which is, of course, the cheapest and contains the E127. Her computer wouldn't let her prescribe the branded antibiotic as it was more expensive and was the same thing (apart from the sodding E127 of course). The pharmacist was willing to get some custom made without the E127 at some vast cost to the NHS - but it would also have taken too long to get. So we had to go to A&E to get antibiotics without E127.

I've watched another toddler go really crackers after having the stuff in some icing they had been decorating biscuits with at playgroup.

All this despite the fact that there's properly researched evidence that 1 in 4 toddlers react badly to Azo dyes with sodium benzoate and the official government advice from the Food Standards Agency that the stuff is dodgy.

I'd get him off it quick and hope your GP is better than mine and will just write out the prescription for the version that costs a few pence more (there's about 50p in it according to the pharmacist). DS felt really drained and rotten when he comes down from this stuff - if your DS is the same, he'll need lots of cuddles.

Thanks for that, Crimplene.

I've been so shocked by what's happened as DS isn't usually affected by anything at all food-wise but it was the only thing I could think of.

I can't believe they prescribe this stuff on the NHS - it's so contrary to the info you get from health visitors etc.

I was exhausted and in tears yesterday evening. Thanks so much for replying - at least now I don't think it's just my imagination!

My ds used ti have a problem with amoxycillin - came out in hived poor sod. Augmentin works for us with ear infections.

Sorry to hear that, Scary. Haven't had a problem with amoxycillin or anything else at all - which is why I'm so surprised about what's happened.

I think the problem is that there are so many food scares about different things we don't know what to take seriously - and we don't believe that the NHS would do something so foolish as to dish this stuff out if it wasn't safe. Have a hunt through the Food Standards Agency website for their advice on this, it's quite clear about how many toddlers react like this - I can't find the right link at the mo, but I wish I'd taken it to the GP now.

We've since noticed that DS also reacts in a similar, but slightly less extreme way to real Calpol (cheap stuff doesn't have the same colours and is OK) and we've had things happen in restaurants (tandoori chicken notably) and where we've failed to check the labels on other things. DS can get away with soduim benzoate alone I think, but the azo dyes are v bad news and with the benzoate (also called paraben, etc) it's dynamite.

Hope your DS is better. Do fill out an adverse drug reaction 'yellow card' (google it) as, if enough of us do it, they will eventually get rid of this stuff in medicines.