Viral? Or should she take the antibiotics?

[snickers]

Poorly DD since Friday night. Rotten cold with vast quantities of goo... Not her usual self. Goes from being relatively chirpy, to miserable and dozy and for last couple of days a temp (nothing too much above 39 degrees, and calpol does seem to bring it down to 38). Docs looked at ears and throat and said there's nothing obviously wrong but (and here's the question) "I can give you antibiotics if you like?" I took away a prescription for amoxycillan (sp?) she has had it already before at 5 m for ear infection. No worries about bad reaction to it - but should I dash out and fill it or see how she goes for the next couple of days? She was difficult to settle last night, but then slep through - just woke up very miserable again. Face caked in snot (bless). Docs can be very unhelpful at times. Do they just prescribe antibiotics JIC? Not sure what to do now.

She's 8.5m by the way

Snickers, Poor dd and you. It sounds like almost exactly the same thing that my 18 month old has, except he has a terrible cough that goes with it that has kept us all awake for the last few nights and left him completely exhausted.

My doctor is really good at not giving out antibiotics, and said to give him Calpol and a decongestant called pseudoephedrine (on prescription) when I took him on Monday. I took him back today and he said that I could either carry on with what I'm doing or give him amoxycillan as there might be an infection in his sinuses. When I asked if the antibiotic was absolutely necessary he said no. So I took the prescription with the advice to consider giving it to him on Friday if he still hasn't improved.

The pseudoephedrine has really helped with the snottiness. I think it's like Sudofen ( or Sudofed not sure). Don't know what age you can give it to them from but I guess a pharmacist could tell you.

I think I'll still be reluctant to give him the antibiotics on Friday but am desparate to give him something to relieve the coughing.

HTH a bit and if anyone can suggest a cough remedy too I'd be really grateful!

I'd not bother. Your doctor doesn't really seem to have thought them necessary. Just my gut feeling as the parent of toddler very prone to snotty colds!

Ditto Soupdragon - Antibiotics probably won't do any good. As long as it doesn't shift ot a chest or ear infection the poor wee soul should be fighting fit in no time.

My ds always seems to have coughs and colds (no heavy colds for a wee while, thank goodness) and the Doc hasn't ever prescribed Antibiotics.
Talk about tempting fate!!! That's 2 threads I've done that on today!!

My DS (2) had exactly the same, with a hacking cough, after a week I took him to the doctor who also said it was viral and antibiotics would not help at all - it did clear up after another week.

Message withdrawn

thanks chapesses for making me feel better about not filling the prescription. Can they get temperatures with a cold? If not, then I should think the temperature thing is a viral thing (I think it's been going around - lots of mystery illness grumpy babies about) plus the cold - probably making her feel grot. So exhuasted she went to sleep in my arms, with hardly any milk. but I can't get her to drink her milk or juice, or water, out of a cup, or a bottle (I think the nose has completely blocked now) and I even tried the bathwater (she normally tries to suck water out of the sponges, but tonight not even interested in her bath )

By the way CER - I saw several cough mixtures by Tixylix that were for 1 to 10 year olds, including decongestants and for chesty coughs in Boots today...

DS2 has just had a fluy bug whilst on holiday. Temperature, hacking cough, snotty nose. He recovered in 4 days with only Calpol, Medised and TLC (and a hefty dose of sunshine ).

Ah now the sunshine? Where can I get that from I wonder... Seems to have disappeared in favour of hail and thunderstorms. How dull...

Snickers - the common cold is a virus and some strains of it come hand in hand with a fever. The fever usually goes away after a few days, but the annoying uncomfortable snotty symptoms can last for a few days after that too.....
Apparently the common cold only lasts 4 days, so when us adults complain that we 'just can't seem to shift this cold' it's probably not the cold at all or perhaps one strain of the virus after another.... just realised how boring that is!! Sorry folks... I shall slink off now.

How is your DD today Snickers??

Did you know that cough medecines are not prescribable on the NHS (your doc can't give you a prescription for Tixylix for example). The reason is that there just is no evidence that they work - you may as well give children sugar water.
Asked resident GP (dh) about the prescription for antibiotics - he says some docs will do that to stop you coming back in a few days asking for antibiotics, but the majority of colds don't need them and even bacterial sore throats get better by themselves normally and the antibiotics only shorten the illness by a day or two at the most. He's not an antibiotic presciber - in fact his practice has the lowest prescribing rate for them in our whole region. Our kids have never had them.

Are you sure GPs can't prescribe cough medicines? Mine prescribed paediatric linctus for my dd (she's less than a year old) for her nasty lingering cough that was bothering her a lot at night (agree that there's no evidence that cough mixture's work, they generally only soothe the throat).

Yes, haven't bothered with any cough medicines because our lovely and very knowledgable pharmacist said they weren't worth bothering with. He couldn't suggest anything else that might be of use though.

Ds was put on pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) for nearly a month to clear the gunk in his system.

The GP had thought he had an ear infection (lots of goo coming out of his ear) and initially prescribed antibiotics. When it hadn't cleared up enough before we went on holiday (this was back in Januuary, when we were due to go off skiing)for him to see the ear drum and confirm it wasn't perforated (or worse, only just healing), we had to change all our arrangements and travel by train all the way (we had booked flights, using Airmiles, from Glasgow to Paris, which I just had to lose - and we're not even sure that insurance will be pay for the reaaranged travel, even though they would have paid the higher cancellation costs!). It started oozing again when we were in Meribel, but the doctor there said there was no signficant infection (and that we could have flown!).

We took him back on our return and the GP prescribed the Pseudoephedrine to "clear up his tubes" - and suggested that before we fly again in future, we get a repeat prescription.

We did get loads of warnings about watching out for any signs of hyperactivity, but ds didn't seem to react aversely.

Tyxilix Nighttime works a treat but I think that's because it has a sedative...

I avoid anything with ephidrine or pseudephidrine in it as it adversely affects both my mum and dad (racing heartrate etc). Presumably this is the hyperactivity you were warned about, JanZ.

Thanks for asking Mum2toby - she is still very congested. Has stopped being able to drink milk so well, but ate a bit more food today (although more yoghurt than savoury). Temp seems back to normal, but still giving the calpol. Sounds like her throat is sore (hoarse cry now). Chirpier this afternoon, but difficult to settle. Hated being put onto her back for nappy change, PJs on etc (but just laid there and cried loudly and sadly - no fighting to flip over) and had to get to sleep on her tummy, because she just screamed on her back. Was woken a couple of times since bedtime - she just can't seem to get comfortable. Have an elec. vapouriser, and have placed a strategic tissue with a couple of olbas oil drops under her sheet at the top of the cot, and have put on snuffle babe, and now panicing whether you can overdo it - still doesn't seem to be helping)... Hopefully tomorrow is another day, and my happy girl will return to us once more...

The things you learn though - thanks for the interesting facts on viral colds as well Mum2toby and everyone else who's taken the time to respond xxx

LizC - paediatric linctus is pretty much sugar in water according to dh!
He's a great fan of steam for bunged up babies, taking them into a steamy shower room or boiling a kettle in an enclosed space, or if you cant do all that, a wet towel on a radiator overnight, with olbas oil on it - he was dubious about Olbas but now he has seen the difference it has made to our two he recommends it to others. Mind you, he's reasonably open minded for a GP ( ) and has an acupuncture qualification - he loves doing that!