I posted a question about my little one (17 months) being sick on Friday......we it got worse Friday night and he ran a 101.4 fever all night....we did tylenol. He kept getting up every 30 minutes or so........so we took him to the dr on Sat...she said ears clear, chest clear but really bad mucus in nose and blobs of drainage in throat (sorry for the gross pic) - she said it could be bacterial given the color so she would recommend antibiotics but we could wait till mid this week to see how the fever goes.......Sat night was not bad he slept and got up twice...we were constantly using saline drops and a lot of gunk was coming out...come Sunday during the day his nose dried up and I would only get a little bit of gunk out when I suctioned but I could tell he was still draining in his throat as he tried to stick his finger in his mouth, he saliva was really sticky like and he kept coughing wanting to throw up but couldn't but no fever---same last night no fever but goodness did we have a rough night - 4 car rides, 2 stroller rides, lots of rocking and he slept for 6 hours total between waking up every 2-3 hours - he would cough and immediately start crying......so I called the dr and they said let's give him antibiotics....he has never taken antibiotics before and I am confused how this would help - he has no fever and the antibiotics would not help with the coughing.....we need to get the gunk out is what we need to do....I am calling the dr back but wanted to see what my fellow mamas could advice me on based on experience........TIA!!!!
Also want to add that he is teething - upper incisors and lower molars but this is most in pain he has been in with teething - all other teeth bothered him but not to this degree........
he does have very thick yellow mucus........he threw up twice over the weekend (both times after taking tylenol) and a lot of mucus came out that way too......
Thank you ladies....your input was most helpful.......I talked to the nurse again and she has called in the antibiotics..we are starting today........another first for our baby...hopefully he will be happy and mucous free soon!!!!
hello Ladies........4 doses in and he is a lot better.....still a little cranky, nosy is not stuffy it is leaking again so we get a lot of gunk out when we suction and that provides him relief and the color of the snot is not so yellow any more.....so the antibiotics are working....we are doing probiotics with the antibiotic to counter some side effects per our dr......thank you for your support!!!!!
It sounds just like my own sinus infections that will not go away without anitbiotics. I would give them to him, especially if the doc wants to. They dont' give them out now unless they think they will do more harm than good. Listen to your doc and discuss it with them, but it sounds like he needs the rest. Oh, and I seldom get a fever with my sinus infections, so the viral part may be waning, but the bacterial part isn't. GL!
As they say, antibiotics are not for viral based illnesses.
Now, personally speaking:
1) my son had the Flu a couple of months ago. No antibiotics.
2) My son a couple of weeks ago, got sick with a cold that is just as you described per your son. It is a bug that is going around in my city. Lots of kids and adults are getting it. Now, my son is STILL coughing/mucus etc. So I took him to the Doctor. Because it was lingering. But his mucus is not green/yellow... so no antibiotics.
3) BUT... I myself, have gotten the SAME cold, that my son had. Same symptoms as your son. BUT, versus my son, MY mucus is Green. My getting that same cold, has progressed more, than in my son. AND I went to the Doctor yesterday... and I now have BRONCHITIS. AND so, I now have Antibiotics. And a nasal spray and an inhaler. All prescription.
And last week I also had Laryngitis as a result of that cold.
4) So the point is: everyone is different and the progression or seriousness of their cold. It MAY indeed warrant Antibiotics. For me, it is helping. I already notice a difference. And Bronchitis is contagious. As well.
5) Coughing occurs because: it is either Post-Nasal dripping and down the throat. Or, it is from the chest in origin. Both, create mucus.
But, if there is an infection, say a Sinus infection, then it CAN... infect the lungs too. I know... because I have had that happen to me. I now have Bronchitis.
So the other point is: you need to make sure, your son is getting and taking, what needs to be done. Even if that is Antibiotics. Because also, he is young. And you do not want his lungs... to get weak. It will then take longer for him, to recover.
AND, since he has had a Fever... that means, that he has/or had an infection of some kind.
Or that it was the Flu.
Flu... versus a "cold", includes Fever.
Also keep in mind, that young children often cough... when sick and when they have mucus... because they are not old enough to know how to SPIT out the mucus. And the mucus then accumulates in their throat or chest... and they can't get it out. And coughing will typically occur more at night... because the person is laying down, and therefore the mucus pools in the throat. And causes the gag-reflex and the person then coughs.
And your son may be throwing-up... because of the accumulated mucus, in his throat or stomach. Kids, when they cannot spit out mucus, they just swallow it... and then it goes in their stomach, for example.
I would never, ever take antibiotics "just in case". Antibiotics are losing their potency because they are prescribed for everything, even when they aren't truly needed. An awful case of strep throat is going around right now and it is antibiotic resistant because of things like this. I definitely wouldn't do it.
so is he better after the antibiotics??
My kids never had pain or symptoms during teething so I wouldn't attribute any of this to that.
If he has an infection (which he likely does since your doc mentioned color of the mucous) then the antibiotics will obviously help. Are they necessary? Who knows. Most run-of-the-mill infections will typically go away on their own, but sometimes they can turn very serious when untreated. So I usually opt for antibiotics for my kids when an infection is suspected.
The coughing could very well be caused by the post-nasal drip, which is caused by over-production of mucous, which is caused by the infection.
I say if the doctor suggests it, do it, why let him suffer for longer than he has to? I would have put him on the antibiotics last week, myself, but that's just me.
