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SN children

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Original poster

Think DD has tonsilitis. How the bloody hell am I going to get antibiotics in her?

30 replies

AtYourCervix · 28/02/2011 21:17

Pusy spots on tonsils, high temperature, not eating much today and gone to bed early.
She hasn't taken any form of medicine for years (and thankfully hasn't been ill).

Do I wait for her to get better on her own or attempt to give her antibiotics (assuming of course she is the same tomorrow and needs them).

with any luck she'll be better and won't need anything but if she does how?

hints/tips/magic anyone?

OP posts:

Marne · 28/02/2011 21:21

Try and give them too her. Dd2 is a night-mare with meds, we use a syringe and it takes 2 of us to get it into her. You could try mixing it with a yoghurt or a drink or use bribery .

Good luck.

Original poster

AtYourCervix · 28/02/2011 21:22

she doesn't eat anything yogurt or milky.

OP posts:

waitingforgodot · 28/02/2011 21:24

are the antibiotics tablets or liquid?

Marne · 28/02/2011 21:26

You could ask for capsules/tablets, they might be easier to get into her (hide it in a spoon full of nutela).

sumum · 28/02/2011 21:34

How old is she? will she give herself it in a syringe, if she is in control it might help.

Original poster

AtYourCervix · 28/02/2011 21:35

not been to docs yet - just realised she was proper ill not just pre-school-jitters at teatime when she wouldn't eat, them i looked at her throat.

will phone docs tomorrow and see if they have an appointment before 'a week next thursday' (their standard)

she is dreadful at trying to get stuff down her. she was supposed to take antacid type stuff a few years ago and just couldn't in any form, even hidden. and she's too old and savvy to have a spoonful of nutella without there being a reason for it iyswim.

we can but try though.

OP posts:

moosemama · 28/02/2011 21:45

I'd second asking for capsules rather than liquid, as they're much easier to hide in food and don't taste as strong.

When ds1 had to had anti-virals (which were the most vile tasting things I've ever come across) we mixed them into really sugary jam, spread on cooled crumpets with stacks of butter and that seemed to do the trick. Although I guess swallowing might be an issue with tonsillitis.

Does she not have any milky stuff at all? What about ice-cream? If she'll have it, could you posibly add the capsule powder to some ice-cream and tell her the ice-cream is to ease her sore throat?

Original poster

AtYourCervix · 28/02/2011 21:50

aha - i like your thinking - she does eat icecream.

just checked her and she's asleep but sweaty.

OP posts:

mum2GKH · 28/02/2011 21:58

DD (4) flatly refused all medicine on a spoon since a baby. I still 'hide' calpol if needed in yoghurt. On Friday the doctor confirmed tonsillitis and I thought bloody hell, how will I get penicillin in her of all things. It is really very liquid (not like calpol etc which is slightly thick) so she opened her mouth and I poured it in from a spoon after she examined it first. I am still in shock she's taking it. It it orange flavoured and sugar free. Sorry don't have any practical advice but maybe, just maybe she might tolerate it now if she's a bit older? DD felt quite grown up when she realised she was taking 'medicine'. Very best of luck.
Ps. Really worth it as huge improvement after 2 doses.

purplepidjin · 28/02/2011 22:06

Ooh, as she's ill you can have a special Mummy+DD day making scrummy things to eat

Like homemade icecream lollies to help her throat

Just slip the anti-b's in about 10 mins after they're in the freezer - and when she's moved on to the next activitiy

Strong tasting stuff to hide medecine in:
Lemonade
Fruit juice
Mashed banana
Choc spread, peanut butter, jam, marmite. Mix in before spreading on toast.
Icing on top of a fairy cake (butter icing is best for this)

Hopefully you can slip it into something she normally eats and she won't notice!

mummytime · 28/02/2011 22:07

You should be able to get an emergency appointment, they are shorter but we can always get them the same day.

intothewest · 28/02/2011 22:07

I agree with MUM2- In the past I have had to do the syringe thing and it was really hard-

Ds needed calpol recently - I told him it was special medicine to make him better - poured it in to the spoon-noticed its colour and he took it off the spoon-What an difference time makes

good luck

Original poster

AtYourCervix · 28/02/2011 22:10

my one single day off this week (am offically on leave but having to work extra to pay for broken car). i was going to go to the cinema. alone. damn.

she only normally eats bread and crackers so not much scope for mixing. ice cream or icing good ideas though.

OP posts:

intothewest · 28/02/2011 22:33

sorry about your peaceful cinema trip- hope dd gets better and you get a break soon

weegiemum · 28/02/2011 22:40

DO you know why you get antibiotics for tonsillitis?

70% of throat infections, even the really pus-filled ghastly ones, are actually viral. They get better on their own - in about the same time as a course of antibiotics lasts. Most of the 30% that are bacterial also get better on their own.

There is no way to tell on examination, either of the throat or glands or temperature, whether tonsillitis is bacterial or viral. The only way to tell is a throat swab - which is not a pleasant experience for a child.

The results from the swab take 5 days to come back - same as a course of antibiotics. The cost of the swab is about 3x that of the antibiotics to the NHS.

So when a concerned parent takes their kid to the doctor they often just give antibiotics, which 90% of the time make no difference whatsoever to the course of the infection.

This is all straight from my dh who is a GP and fighting a rearguard action about overprescribing of antibiotics - its a real bugbear of his. He's gone off to bed muttering and cursing about it again .......

Original poster

AtYourCervix · 28/02/2011 22:41

um. dd is never ill and last had antibiotics 9 years ago. not sure if she is singlehandedly responsible for the evils of overprescribing.

OP posts:

weegiemum · 28/02/2011 22:43

No, she's not.

But the likelihood is that she has a viral throat infection adn the antibiotics are not helping at all. So why stress about getting them into her?

None of my children have ever had antibiotics - cos they have never needed them.

weegiemum · 28/02/2011 22:44

And I realise this in in SN and a difficult topic - I posted this cos I thought it might actually be reassuring - that she overwhelmingly doesn't actually need them.

Sorry, it wasn't a rant againt you, it was the overprescribing culture. I'll go away now .....

purplepidjin · 28/02/2011 23:50

probably irrelevant after the above, but does she have an obsession over a particular colour? Calpol + food colouring...

signandsmile · 01/03/2011 07:44

I like the idea of marmite, that's brill will remember that.

This may not be relevant as ds (who fought like a tiger the only time we had A-b's) is only 4 and at time pretty non verbal.. I found wrapping him in towel and only putting a little drop on the spoon, and touching his lips, meant he kind of 'licked it in' had to do it lots of times, 10 mins for a spoonful, but at least we didn't have to 'sit on him' to force him to take it.

bettyboop63 · 01/03/2011 11:03

myDD went through 4 years on n off getting tonsilitis she had many antibiotics and in the end i went to a diff doctor who said im not giving her any i was so ANGRY as my DS had lost lots weight (she was slim already) so couldnt eat and she would get it it would go on the antibiotics then 2 weeks later it would be back she was put down on the list to have them removed then i saw this doc i didnt like who refused her he eplained as its viral by keep giving antibiotics its only temp they will return as you have no immunity against it he said it will be bad very bad for a couple of weeks give calpol then two hours later give ibuprofen as they are diff generic meds you can alternate them n keep her dosed up and ride it out alternating the meds keeps temperature down n stops pain getting too bad and he was right damn him it took 10 days and shes never had it again just normal sore throats , i bloomin hated him for that at the time but turned out he was right

bettyboop63 · 01/03/2011 11:06

oh n btw they were huge white n furry loooked disgusting but it did go on its own but nice not getting it again so was worth it

magso · 01/03/2011 18:28

Oddly ds coped better with a little medicine ('magic potion') cup rather than a spoon or syringe.

Original poster

AtYourCervix · 01/03/2011 19:32

right. i haven't done the doctor antibug route - she's much the same and now has a raging earache. probably just snot but now how do i get her to take a paracetamol? she is impossible.

OP posts:

purplepidjin · 01/03/2011 20:08

Soluble in lemonade/strong squash/juice?

Or in nutella/marmite?

Mash it into a banana?

Blend it up in tomato soup or fruit smoothie?

Does she have butter on her bread? If so, mix it with the butter...

Or, stuff raisins like the did in Danny the Champion Of The World!!

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