Why is everyone so full of "Anti" Antibiotic rhetoric?

Question

My daughter has almost constant ear infections. Normal antibiotics don't do a thing for them and we've moved on to the higher tier ones. We're even going to have a consult with an ENT after christmas about tubes. And yet people still read us the riot act on how the antibiotics don't do anything or even make them worse and if we'd just leave it alone it would clear up. Well sure it might...but how many times would her ear drum rupture before she "got over it"? I do use the wait and see method with her but if she still has drainage and all the other symptoms after a few days then off to the doc we go. If these people don't know my child, don't know her medical history, or even look at her ears (usually they're seeping with ooze when she's got a bad one) where do they get off telling me I'm not doing the right thing in seeking medical treatment for her? Sorry I know this is a bit of a rant. Does this happen to anyone else? And if so what do you do when it happens?

Her room is as clean as it can be. She has a humidifier. Trust me when I say it's none of those "causes". When I was little I had constant ear infections. When my sister was little the same. Every single one of my cousin's had severe and frequent ear infections as children. I personally don't know a single person in my generation of our family who didn't at one point have tubes. I got mine in at 6 months and kept the till I was 5 and they solved all my problems. Two of my cousins had them into high school. One cousin recently had a relapse into ear infections and had to have a skin graft onto his ear drum to prevent severe hearing loss. Even my aunts and uncles had ear infections...only now one of them has had diminished hearing for most of his life because treatments weren't as advanced as they are now. We inherited genetic predisposition to them on both sides of our family. And now I've passed it on to my daughter as well. And her Ped. was my ped. and I trust her above all others.

Answer 1

I can answer this as a nurse and a mother and give you basically the same answer. People overreact . . . that's pretty much it.

People hear things on TV and they run with them, blowing the issue way out of proportion. For example, people were freaking out about West Nile Virus. While it is a serious problem, more people died last year from the flu. I think it is just human nature to take every tidbit to the extreme. There are those out there that misuse antibiotics, and there are doctors out there that prescribe antibiotics a little too readily. If you trust your doctor and your child continues to have a problem, just try to drown out everyone else's useless banter. You've got to do what is necessary to avoid permanent damage to your child's ears.

Good luck and God bless!!

Answer 2

That must be so difficult. How old is your daughter?

Is she old enough to have her tonsils out? In addition to anti-b's, have you guys tried any additional (not alternative) things?

Do her ear infections start from sinus drainage? Do you have pets? Do you store large amounts of paper in areas where your daughter spends lots of time? When was the last time her pillow was washed in the washing machine with hot water? What part of the country do you live in? Do you have a humidifier in your daughter's bedroom? Do you make a serious effort to keep humidity in the air?

Just a couple things to remember...and maybe you already know this: Dust mites love paper and pillows. Books, newspaper, school drawings, they all hold dust and mold, and cause sinus problems, and should be kept far from the bedroom. Pillows should be washed with hot water and soap to kill the dust mites.

Sometimes dry air alone causes sinus problems, in which case you can sit her in a warm steamy bathroom for several minutes so she can moisten her air passages. You can also boil water in your kitchen, or put humidifiers around the house. And don't forget those nifty saline nasal drops. Those are lifesavers in cold, dry weather.

Alas, pets are terrible for sinus problems. We had 3 cats, and we had to get rid of all of them. It was a terrible day, but it sure beats making a little kid get tubes in her ears or take anti-b's til she has built up a resistance to them.

I am not so anti-antibiotic as I used to be, but that is only because I was able to get myself off of them by using all the above methods. Believe me, that was a big effort!

Of course, I didn't go cold turkey with the antibiotics (my doc had told me I would probably have to take antibiotics for the rest of my life!!!!), but as I treated my sinus problems topically and tried hard to get rid of the things that started the problems (pets,dust, dryness), I found myself using anti-b's less and less. Now I get a bug once a year, and maybe take antibiotics for 10 days.

Don't worry about other people's opinions. They don't know how it is to have a kid with all those ear problems. What frustrates me about what you have said is that the doc doesn't seem to be suggesting ways to stop the root problem....he/she is just treating the symptoms, and acting like it is fine that they keep happening.

One last thing....is there anything else that can be done by the ENT that doesn't involve tubes? I mention that because tubes sometimes cause more problems than they fix. If it is the angle of her ear canals that is wrong, can she sleep propped up on pillows? Would that help?

Answer 3

Well you are doing the right thing for your daughter, most definatly. Ear infections are painfull & if left untreated can cause problems with her equalibrium. I am some what anti antibiotic, but they are around for a reason. I had so many infections when pregnant with my son I lived on amoxicillain, due to that my son is resiliant to it, howver he is able to use penacillin allternantives such as zythromax. We take them because they are needed! If we do not need them we do not take them, simple. It seems you are doing the same, & taking great care of your child...good or you! There are so many antiestablishment moms, no antibiotics, no vaccines etc. Do like me roll your eyes & tell them they are not docotrs & to get over it! Good Luck with the tubes I had them until 18, and once I got them only once in 14 years got a ear infection (middle ear) Sorry so long.

Answer 4

We also had to do higher antibiotics for my daughter's ear infection. We had augmentin and that didn't work so we moved up to an injection (not sure what it was).

Basically a bunch of people started thinking antibiotics were the cure for everything and using them all the time. Because of that antibiotic-resistant strains developed so they have to keep developing new antibiotics. People are (rightfully) miffed about this but sometimes they apply this to people who are using them in the way they were meant to be used or they just assume you are overusing them. Antibiotics are a great invention but should only be used when necessary. Obviously recurrent ear infections make it necessary.

Answer 5

Its a big deal for anyone to become immune to medications... for a child shes got her whole life to try and live out.
My daughter was on antibiotics twice a day for 2 years straight for prevention of kidney infections. This hurt her when her toe got a cut and infected. It took 4 changes in medication, removal of her big toe nail, and about 2 months worth of time for it to start to heal.
I would get her to the ENT as soon as possible...
I would only treat if 100% nessicary...
I would look for causes of the infection....
Although there are a ton of reasons why kids get them we found our daughter had a hidden reason...
Allergies. She was allergic to our cats and dog. It caused a slight post nasel drip and got worse and worse over the first year of her life. We moved and had to leave our pets behind. We eventually got another cat. When we got a ne pet her ear infections suddenly came back. That was the problem.
Take a good look at her...
Does she drink laying down?
Could she have allergies?
Smoke in the home?
Ashma... can put pressure on her nasel/ears.

Answer 6

I understand. My friend went through the same thing with her daughter who just turned 1 in October. She was getting ear infections right and left and her doctor told her that her best bet was to put tubes in her ears, so she wouldn't grow immune to the antibiotics. I would say your best bet would be to get the tubes put in her ears. From what I understand, it is a very simple procedure. My friends' daughter is doing wonderfully now. Anyway, I would get it done as soon as possible, so if your daughter has any other problems, she won't be immune to the antibiotics doctors try to give her.