10 Day Antibiotics

D. it seems the child may be allergic to the med.i would let the dr know that may not be good if he is allergic.if he keeps having ear infection i would change drs if necessary to get to the bottom of this.this may need more than just another antibotic.good luck for the child and you C. swanson.

YES you must do the entire 10 days. If you stop short the problem can come back even worse and be more resistent to the anti-biotics. Most people feel better after 4-5 days so they think they are done. Two weeks later they are sick they think "again", no it's still because they stopped the anti-biotics early, only the second time around the meds are less effective.

I would follow the instructions for the antibiotics.
also: maybe try another probiotic other than floraster?
go to Whole Foods, to their refrigerated section, where they sell the flax seed oil, that is where you will find the probiotics. look for the ones for children.

what really helped my sons w/ ear infections:
saline spray. it can be store brand kind, it doesn't have to be little noses or anything, just the cheap store brand kind. squirt it up his nose through out the day. he will hate it, sorry, but try to make it a game and be silly about it. don't suction or anything, just let gravity do it's thing...the pressure from the squirting helps clear everything out...

YES!!! You have to give the full ten days. The problem may clear in a 3 to 5 days but the bacteria could still be alive. By not giving the full dose you can be creating a stronger resistance to that antibiotic. Talk to your pediatrician about this. I am speaking from experience and my pediatrician is a member of the family, so I get a lot of good inside info. Good luck and I hope he feels better.

Dear D.,

My best advise (having worked for Pediatricians for over 10 years) in a nutshell is...YES, absolutely Luke must finish the 10 day prescription even though he is feeling better after 5. However, by taking antibiotics you are killing ALL the bacteria that resides within. If you haven't heard we have 2 types in our bodies good bacteria (antibodies in white blood cells) and bad. It's the bad that cause all the problems (the diareah)and they are strong. An antibiotic can't tell the difference between the good and the bad and kills them all. So to restore the natural "flora" in the stomach, intestine etc you need to replenish the good bacteria so it can defend the body against the next attack of bad bacteria, and going to a day-care, he is bound to meet up with the nasty guys again and quickly. At least when he does, he will be ready for the attack and maybe able to fend off all the cold and flu bugs. The PROBIOTICS should be taken along with the antibiotic prescription only about 2 hours after. Natren is a supplement company that makes the finest probiotics out there and they make them for infants & children also. You can find them online. If time allowed I would explain in more detail, you should definately consider giving his body back the good bacteria, which is said to be "the bodies first line of defence". Take care & good luck. A.

In the future, ask the doctor to give you a different antibiotic. My doctor gives me one that is 5 day once a day antibiotic... I love it.

As for the one you are taking know, it is good to give him the med all the way through, since the infection can come back.

If the infections come back or he keeps getting different illnesses I would pull him from daycare. Some kids are still very susceptible at his age and not ready to be exposed to sooo many germs and illnesses yet on a regular basis. He is very young to start preschool/daycare. Unless it is absolutely necessary to send him there, I would keep him home until he is older, more developed and his immune system is more mature. These instances of infection can be quite damaging to the ears, intestines, etc for a toddler not to mention that he has now started his body off to becoming resistant to antibiotics at such a tender young age.

You will have to weigh out the risks/benefits of having others care for him now versus waiting till he is older...
Best wishes to both of you!

My son had terrible ear infections when he was younger and we finally had tubes put in. The ENT that did the procedure said he wished we'd come to him earlier because he doesn't believe that oral antibiotics help ear infections at all. He said that just makes a child resistant to medicine and it doesn't even help! He recommended using only drops - Cypridex (I believe) worked wonders! It's been 3 years since he had his tubes and he did get a few infections awhile ago but a couple drops of the medicine and it was fixed overnight! I highly recommend drops over oral medication!!!

Who ever told you that 4-5 days and it is gone is dead wrong. In fact you put your son and the rest of the world at risk for more resistant bacteria. Call your doctor and explain the situation. They should give him another antibiotic. Even if he feels better the bacteria that cause the infection are still there and can easily comeback if you only give the antibiotic for half the time needed. Good Luck

yes you have to give the full ten days but you may ask to switch the antibiotics. early in age i realized augmentum gave my kids terrible diahrea and i have refused that antiobitic ever since. so my kids eitehr get omnicef or amoxicillin.
so my advice is either continue with this antibiotic or ask for a new one explaining why
good luck

I'd get another pediatrician who knows more about ear infections. Look for a Doctor of Naturopathy.

Diet has a lot to do with infections. For now, no dairy or citrus - no wheat, eggs, peanut butter and corn -no sugar or artificial colors/flavor - no junk food. All are inflammatory. Lots of liquids - water and vegetables plus low glycemic fruit - berries! Soups and smoothies (low sugar.

Go to a natural food store and ask for an herbal oil that is good for ear infections. A few warm drops in the ear will sooth and help the healing. Buy the book, Smart Medicine for a Healthier Child written by my friend, Dr. Janet Zand. This book will become your best friend.

I think Nutrition S'Mart is near you. Ask for Armando - he's a really good nutritionist.

Ear infections are so painful. It's tough. Email or call me if you want more support.

... for the health of your family,
e

I would take him to a Ear Nose Throat specialist if you already haven't. When my daughter was little and had ear infections they gave her drops to put in her ears. Once when she woke up, once in the afternoon and once at bed time. Worked like a charm with no antibiotics. Also he could have fluid on his ears causing the infection. Once my daughter had tubes in her ears she never had infection again.
Well worth checking out.

D.,
you need support! I have the most wonderful holistic doctor who specializes in homeopathy that can help your son. She has helped my children with so much in a natural way. The antiobiotics don't work on ear infections. They are only serving to screw up the rest of your son's body!!! Please, call Dr. Kitay, ###-###-#### and speak with her. She can put your child's body in balance and get him well without the drugs. You will see a whole new child very quickly!!

Hope this helps!
S.
LMT/Reiki Master
###-###-####

Has he been tested for allergies?

Yyou should always take antibiotics for the full termBUT if your son is having problems like that maybe he has an allergy or something. Call his dr!

Depending on the antibiotic he's prescribed, is the dosage given. The only people to consult on this is your pediatrician of pharmacist. Some antibiotics dose is for 3,5,7, or 10 days. They are not all the same. If you stop a prescribed antibiotic before its time, you risk creating a resistance to it, which means it might not work next time you use it.
Tell your ped. about the diarrea. He could recommend something else. It is good you are keeping him from school.
Good luck and prompt health to your little angel.

I would call the doctor! There is a chance of not fully getting rid of the infection if you don't finish the meds, but they can certainly put him on something else. Explain your concerns and they should have an alternate antibiotic to try. Good luck.

try going to a natural food store. you can get powdered probiotics to add to his drinks during the day that will help with the GI upset.

10 daus - check w/ your MD-
here's the deal=
the1st day the weakest bacteria are killed, the 2nd day the next to the weekest, and so on-
if you stop before it is done then you leave the strongest bacteria to multipy- and that is exactly how we now have antibiotc resistance bacteria.
So check w/ you MD, and do what protects your son the best, and all the rest of us who will have to put up w/ the strong bacteris left.
k

As my mom would say always feed him yogurt with any antibiotic and it will help with the diareah.

W. T.

I'm a little late in my response, but as a little tip (and I didn't read through to see if anyone else suggested it) but my son just had an ear infection too, and his doctor told us to give him a yogurt before each dose of antibiotic to help with the diarrhea. Not only does it replace the natural intestinal flora that is being lost, but it coats the stomach and may help with the diarrhea. Good luck!

Hi D., My son who is now three gets ear infections alot. In the past we used antibiotics which always resulted in diareah and a horrible diaper rash. THe last two ear infections my pediatrician and I decided to try to dry it up with zyrtec and nasonex and it's worked each time. So now the first sign of nasal problems i start the zyrtec. Ask your pediatrician about it. Hope this helps.
D.

In additon to Florastor, our last pediatrician said to give my son yogurt 1-2x/day to restore intestinal flora. Matt even likes frozen yogurt. Hope this helps!

Yes! You do need to take the whole prescription. The reason we have MRSA and other antibiotic resistant bacteria is that people quit early, just when the symptoms go away. YOu have to take the whole course to make sure the germs are DEAD, not just quiet.

With my kids, I've found that the BRAT diet really helps with diarrhea--that's banana, rice, apple sauce and toast. I give them other foods as they want, but make sure I have a lot of those for a couple of days. A little yogurt will help get his digestive tract back to normal. And avoid diarrhetic foods, like citrus fruit, tomatos, anything really greasy.

Of course, I recommend letting the prescribing doctor know about the side effects, just to make sure they're normal and see if he has tips.