What should i do?

Question

i've taken my 3 year old daughter to the doctors twice now and both doctors have said she has an ear infection but the won't give her anti-biotics! this has been going on since last friday and it's getting worse, calpol is not working. what should i do?

Answer 1

Hi I know how you are feeling, Try and give her Nurofen for children. I give it to my children when they are really not well and its works really well. The nurofen for children is for fever and PAIN which your daughter must be in. You can use the nurofen for children as young as 3 months.The nurofen is so good that you can only give your daughter 5mls in 24 hours. You can give her calpol and nurofen together which does help alot. My son gets ear infection and the two together works really well but you must give the two together.
I do hope this has helped you and your daughter

Answer 2

Doctors are starting to not prescribe anti-biotics for every ear fro two reasons: 1) Often an ear infection will clear up on it's own without medicine; and 2) Kids to take too many antibiotics get immune to them so that when they get older and really need the antibiotics for something worse than an ear infection, the antibiotics don't work.

I've actually taken my child to doctor and been told that he had an ear infection. They didn't give him anything for it. He was sleeping all night and not in any pain, so we let it run it's course. I think that's a good strategy. But--if your child is having discomfort, they can give you some ear drops for the pain and if the infection does not clear up after a few days, they should go ahead and give som medicine.

Answer 3

The reason that they haven't given anti-biotics is because often these infections are viral and will pass by themselves relatively quickly.

Doctors are also reducing the use of anti-biotics due to virus's becoming 'immune' to them-one topical example being the MRSA virus which reeks havoc on hospitals.

This said however, your daughter is obviously still unwell and in pain and this infection is not leaving unaided. You need to book another appointment and point out that, with all due respect, she's your daughter, you know when it's serious and when it's not and you will not risk her long term hearing by allowing an infection to rage on unchecked-you expect something to be done -now! If, at that point you don't get any joy then I would suggest you go to your local A&E department-not the best solution I know, but needs must when the devil rides, as they say.

Good luck, and don't forget, YOU'RE the parent and it's YOU who knows your child best.

Answer 4

My daughter has had constant ear infections that start within days of each other since she was 3 months old and has always been treated with anti biotics(she is 2 now). The longer it goes on the worse the infection to the point where her eardrum and hearing becomes damaged .
I would go back and ask why they wont give her anything for it or ask for a second opinion . Failing that if your really worried take her to A&E , your her mother , you know best !
Also i found nurofen for children helpful especially with the temperature .

Answer 5

IMO If she has a bacterial ear infection she needs the antibiotics unless there is a very good reason for not giving them (you can get a secondary infection of the bit behind your ear - used to be common in the days before antibiotics). Go back to the doctors and ask why they won't give antibiotics (perhaps she doesn't have a bacterial infection in which case antibiotics won't work or perhaps there is an infection going round that is resistant in which case giving it the antibiotics risks making it more resistant) and see if they can give her a stronger pain reliever.

Have you tried alternating calpol and ibruprufen?

Answer 6

It all depends on the doctor you see, many are loathe to give antibiotics too readily and research shows that ear infections tend to clear up on their own within a week. My 6 year old has had this problem frequently since he was very young and unfortunately it never clears up without antibiotics. In the meantime try Nurofen for children, it can be given as well as Calpol and in my experience is more effective - check with your pharmacist re. doses etc. Good luck

Answer 7

Not long ago there was a study done to determine the effectiveness of antibiotics on ear infections versus ear infections that received no antibiotic treatment and instead cleared on their own. It was found that it took essentially the same amount of time for the treated ear infection to clear as it took for the infection that was left to clear on its own.

As a result, pediatricians are now more and more staying away from antibiotics. There is, of course, the issue of over-use of antibiotics as well as this recent medical information about ear infections' clearing on their own.

I think you should call the pediatrician, say it doesn't appear that your child is getting better on her own; and ask if you should bring her in. If your daughter has not yet been immunized against Haemophilus influenzae (Hib vaccine) mention that; because there is a chance that would be important information in any decision to treat her infection with antibiotics.

Answer 8

If it's a viral infection, rather than a bacterial one, then antibiotics won't work in any case, sorry to say. You'll just have to keep a very close eye on her. Perhaps a pharmacist could recommend something if she's in pain, other than Calpol. If she's not better in a couple of days, go back and see your GP again. Hope she feels better soon.

Answer 9

Do not take this!!!!!! How can an infection pass by itself???? Get ur Daughter back to the doctors and demand the anti biotics... calpol will only reduce her temperature NOT cure the infection...!!!

Answer 10

She's too young for antibiotics, you could keep up the calpol with doses every 4 hours and alternate it with ibruprofen every 4 hours, if its that bad she will be having a dose every 2 hours. I was advised to do this with my son, and it does help to keep the pain and discomfort to a minimum. However this is only a short term soluntion ie. a day and night perhaps.