4yod has ear infection, but doc holding off on antibiotics...
- 70 Replies
My 4yod has been sick with a severe cold since last Tuesday night. I've used 30 HOURS of my sick leave here at work, have missed more days these past 7 days alone than I've missed in the five years I've worked here...but I have LOVED staying home to take care of my sweet little sickie girl.
Anyhow, Tuesday she was tugging on her right ear pretty hard, saying it hurt, and by 4:00 p.m. was crying and moaning about it.
I took her in to the doctor this morning who said, "Yep, she's got an ear infection, but with the new rules for prescribing antibiotics, I'm going to have you try to hang in there a bit longer to see if we can heal this naturally." He then explained that peds aren't prescribing antibiotics like they did even a year ago. they're trying to let them heal naturally first.
But he did write a prescription for some numbing drops, which have worked FABULOUSLY!
His instructions:
- have her drink plenty of fluids
- her pee should not be yellow, it should be colorless. If it's yellow, she's not drinking enough fluids. (Neither am I for that matter, lol).
- give her the numbing drops every 2 hours (they've worked like a charm)
- give her a decongestant to help relieve the pressure
- don't have her blow her nose as hard as she's been blowing (it tends to send the infection back into her ear canal rather than blow it out her nose with her dripping sinuses)
- vicks for children on her chest
- a warm bath
I'm pretty happy about this new method of treating infection, actually. He did state that inner city doctors will still prescribe antibiotics as they did in the past because quite a few moms won't bring their child back in, if needed, so they simply start them on a round of antibiotics from the get-go.
Interesting!!!
I am glad that there is a change in the application of antibiotics. Generally, unless there is a fever that lasts for more than 2 days or it is very high, I hardly ever take my kids to the doctor. Obviously I would take them in if they had other things going on, but sometimes it really is better to let them heal naturally.
It has suppose to be like this for a long time. So many give them just for a red ear. There are different stages. The first two we just see our chiropractor and garlic oil in the ear. Has always cleared up fast. But when it is too stage 3, then we do antibiotics along with what I mentioned above. I am glad to see it might becoming more of a rule. My Dr has always been like this too.
I think it's ridiculous. If the child has a bacterial infection then they need to be on an antibiotic to clear it up. If it is just a viral infection, that is different. I would not jeopardize my child's hearing and ALLOW them to be in pain just so they don't have to be on antibiotics.
Yep. Doc was correct. The drops shpuld have been floxin or ciprodex. They work like a charm.
Quoting Anonymous:
I think it's ridiculous. If the child has a bacterial infection then they need to be on an antibiotic to clear it up. If it is just a viral infection, that is different. I would not jeopardize my child's hearing and ALLOW them to be in pain just so they don't have to be on antibiotics.
No, they don't. The drops and some motrin work brilliantly. My ds has had chronic infections still and he is 12. Why should he be on antibiotics if the drops clear the infection?
Numbing drops to not CLEAR up an infection. Antibiotic drops do. But that is an ANTIBIOTIC. I think it's stupid and cruel to deny access of medicine to your child just bc you can.
Quoting MrsDavidB25:
Quoting Anonymous:
I think it's ridiculous. If the child has a bacterial infection then they need to be on an antibiotic to clear it up. If it is just a viral infection, that is different. I would not jeopardize my child's hearing and ALLOW them to be in pain just so they don't have to be on antibiotics.
No, they don't. The drops and some motrin work brilliantly. My ds has had chronic infections still and he is 12. Why should he be on antibiotics if the drops clear the infection?
I was under the impression the OP meant antibiotic drops. I hope she was just confused. I see that she said numbing drops. No clue what those are.
Numbing drops to not CLEAR up an infection. Antibiotic drops do. But that is an ANTIBIOTIC. I think it's stupid and cruel to deny access of medicine to your child just bc you can.
Quoting MrsDavidB25:
Quoting Anonymous:
I think it's ridiculous. If the child has a bacterial infection then they need to be on an antibiotic to clear it up. If it is just a viral infection, that is different. I would not jeopardize my child's hearing and ALLOW them to be in pain just so they don't have to be on antibiotics.
No, they don't. The drops and some motrin work brilliantly. My ds has had chronic infections still and he is 12. Why should he be on antibiotics if the drops clear the infection?
our peds haven't prescribed drugs for ear infections for at least the last six years. there's a sign, and a poster, in each exam room describing the severity it needs to reach before they'll prescribe. I'm glad, when my oldest was a toddler they gave him amoxicillan every freaking month. it never did clear it up, because it was a viral infection. pointless antibiotics, I'm not a fan.
are you ok with another woman calling your husband "hun" or "babe"