Too Many Medication

Updated on May 21, 2007
V.C. asks from North Charleston, SC
12 answers

My daughter who turns 8 months tomorrow is now on her third antiboitic this month. When I first took her to the doctor beginning of this month about her cold he gave her one then but it was not working so after 10 days I called back and told him it didnt work. So he gave her another one to take for ten days. Well yesterday she had a fever so me and my boyfriend took her to the hospital where they said she had an ear infection gave her another antiboitic. My sister thinks it just her teeth and thats why she had a fever. She was not pulling at her ears anything else to suggust she had an ear infection. But she is getting her first tooth. Well the fever is gone thanks to motrin but the other medicine is giving her bad diarreah. Any sugguestions on what I should do. This is my first child.

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So What Happened?

I want to say thank you for all of your advice. I decided to stop giving her the medication. I told her doctor what I was doing. I told him that I believe that it was just her teeth. As for the respatory infection I want him to give her something different because the antibotics are not working for it. Maybe I should get a second opinion.

More Answers

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K.W.

answers from Sumter on

As far as the ear infections, GET TUBES PLACED. Winter time is coming up and she has already had several infections. This will only get worse this winter. I waited 9 long months with my first child hoping he would "out grow" them. HA,HA. Din't happen. He never had another ear infect. again.
As for the diarrhea due to antibiotics, try Lactinex grannules. Mix it in her baby food 2-3 times a day. It must stay refrigerated until you use it. I used this with both of my children and it is WONDERFUL!!!!! Especially for Augmentin, which caused the WORST diarrhea. You can find it at most pharmacy's but I would call first. Some do not carry it. You do not need a prescription, but it is kept behind the counter due to need for refridgeration. My pediatrician recommended it to me. I think that it is about $12 for a pack of 10-15, but IT WORKS and is worth every dollar.
Oh and when my 4 1/2 month old was going on his 5th ear infection, I scheduled his tube placement. He is now 10 months old and has only had 1 ear infection since, which was easy to treat with antibiotic ear drops. NO diarrhea. Good Luck. Ask your pediatrician if you are unsure of the Lactniex. It worked every time for me.

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M.P.

answers from Huntsville on

Why did the doctor prescribe the medication in the first place? A cold is a virus and cannot be treated with antibiotics. Did she have an ear infection the first time? I would quit all antibiotics, use saline drops for her nose, throat and cough and try to use the suction for her nose. Antibiotics are so overused and can do more harm than good. If the symptoms still persist after a week, call the doctor, but kids get colds - often more than 8 a year and many times back to back. There is no cure other than rest and fluids and OTC medicines don't really help. A doctor that is quick to prescribe antibiotics for colds is one you should probably think about switching away from. Your child could develop resistant strains of infections as a result of too many antibiotics and then it will get bad. Hopefully it will resolve itself as most colds eventually do. Ear infections can even resolve themselves most of the time. I put a couple of drops of peroxide in my son's ears at bathtime whenever he gets a cold and it draws the wax out and he has not had an ear infection since I started doing it.

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R.W.

answers from Charlotte on

Your doctor doesn't sound very good if he is giving her antibiotics for colds, which do not respond to antibiotics. The antibiotics are creating havoc with her system. They are killing off the good bacteria that she needs as well as the bad. Finish whatever she is on now, or the bacteria will become more powerful, and then don't give her anymore antibios. Do some research on building her immune system naturally. Also, give her a good yogurt that will put back her digestive bacteria that she needs to keep from having diareah and yeast infections. And find another doctor!

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S.

answers from Spartanburg on

I have had personal experience with what you are going through when my daughter was younger. She stayed home with me til she was 18 months and then I had to put her in daycare and the ear infections and upper respitory infections, and colds started and by the time she was 2 years old I was desperate to find something that would work so that I would not have to leave work to pick her up because of a fever. And of course everytime I had to get her I took her to the doctor and he put her on medication. She had been on about 6 rounds within that first 6 months and not to mention the expense, but antibiotics are not good for your body. I started doing some research and found that most ear infections do not need to be treated by antibiotics that they will clear on their own, just to treat with motrin to help relieve the swelling so the ear can drain, then if it is just a cold antibiotics can do nothing ever. A cold is a virus and antibiotics only treat bacterial infections. What I found during my research was Collidal Silver. It seemed like a wonder drug when I read what it can do. It can clear everything from colds to HIV and is completely safe for the body. So even though I was a bit skeptical I went ahead and decided to try it. I bought a brand called silverbiotics and started my daughter on 1 tsp 3 times a day for 1 week, then went to just 1 tsp once a day for 2 weeks, then went off of it for two weeks, then repeated the cycle again. Now she is just on a prevent mode where I only give it to her when she is starting to get sick for 2 tsp 2 times a day for a week. Let me say that I started her on silver when she was 24 months old, she is now 5-1/2 and to this day she has not had to go back to the doctor because she is sick, just for her routine visits. You can put it in their ears and let it sit for about a minute and then turn them over and do the other ear letting the one you just did drain. you can put some on a cotton swab and swab their nose, and then they can take it orally, it tastes like water so it is easy to take. I would recommend with your little one to do 1/4 - 1/2 tsp 2-3 times per day for a couple weeks and see if it helps. Doctors put kids on antibiotics entirely too much and it actually breaks down their defense system because it kills all the bacteria including the good, and then it makes it easier for them to get sick. I would keep her on her current round of medication, but go to the health food store and get some collidal silver and start her on that as well. It is bad to not finish a round of antibiotics once you have started so you will want to make sure she finishes her 10 days. but see how this works. She could have these symptoms from her teeth coming in, or she could have something else, but bacteria/virus' cannot live in the presence of silver. If you wanted you could do a search online for research w/ collidal silver and you will be amazed at what you find. I do wish you the best and hope that everything works out to the best.

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E.T.

answers from Florence on

Absolutely! Teething can do all kinds of weird things to babies, including giving them ear infections. Their is a lot of saliva being made due to her teething, and it can sometimes get backed up in the sinuses, drain into the stomach, you name it! If she has an ear infection, which can only be diagnosed by using an otoscope, then she definitely needs antibiotics. But don't let doctors push you around...they work for you! You can ask for Rosephin, a ONE TIME shot of antibiotics. It will have her feeling better in 24 hours! I agree that babies do not need overexposure to medication, but the common cold is different from infection. Great job looking out for your baby girl!!!

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A.D.

answers from Charlotte on

Yogurt works really well to help stop the bowels and cheese. Whenever the Dr. gives one of my children antibiotics I start them both right away as snacks! I would take your daughter to her regular Dr. and have her rechecked, that many antibiotics on any small child is too much! You don't want her to grow a defense against antibiotics. Explain all her symptoms and make sure your Dr. is not trying to rush you, teething can cause fever, loose bowels, runny nose, etc... Every baby is different, we have five and all five were different than the first on cutting teeth and even different teeth effected the same child in different ways. Just be cautious on the meds and trust your instincts, mommys are usually right! Good Luck!

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R.V.

answers from Norfolk on

I have one too and he is my first. I disnt have him on all the meds. but he had the same things. Fever, runny nose cold like symptoms. All the above. Well it was his teeth. He is an early bloomer. He has two teeth right now at 5 1/2 months and with every tooth it seemed he had a cold. With him he would pull at his ears but that is because the pain runs all the way around their mouth to their jaw which makes the ears hurt. The main symptoms you need to look for when you think she is sick is: does she play with you, does she notice you, smile laugh, anything. If she seems as if she doesnt even care who is in the room or even notice thats when you worry. Thats what my ped told me. Mine was very playful still when i thought he was sick. Im pretty sure its her teeth and she is fine

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S.H.

answers from Charlotte on

Please, stop giving her antibiotics! the only time anyone, baby or otherwise need antibiotics is for a bacterial infection that will not give up. Colds, flus, and ear infections are RARELY helped by antibiotics because they are viruses. Pleanty of rest, infant tylenol and water for dehydration. Viruses need to just run their course. If she has a fever that will not go down with tylenol for two or more days, then go to the MD, but other than that rest and fluids.

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T.A.

answers from Norfolk on

My son had the same problem when he was that age. His problem was ear infections witch took a few months to figure out. I ended up getting tubes in his ears before he turned one. Keep going to the doctors until you find out what the fevers are coming from so you can address the problem and be done with it.Hang in there!

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M.G.

answers from Gadsden on

It is true that different things works better with different antibiotics. I think an antibiotic will help get rid of the infection a lot quicker! It sucks when they get one right after the other. As for the cold, I don't think antibiotics are needed unless it was really bronchitis or something severe like that. All babies go through periods like this,some more than others! I would try not to stress. Your baby will get better soon. This is the season for it!

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D.C.

answers from Goldsboro on

i agree with the person who suggested tubes. My oldest son had 10 ear infections by the time he was a year old. Hi s ped wanted to do tubes at that age instead of waiting because of possible hearing loss at a time when he was learning language. He was 13 months when he got the tubes, they stayed in nearly a year before falling out. He never had another ear infection. He is now 16 years old. The respiratory inf. is most likely a virus...antibiotics will do nothing for them. My older brother was on antibiotics frequently as a young child...his body developed a tolerance for them, now when he really needs one, they have to find one that will work. Of course this was when pennicillin was regularly given.

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S.J.

answers from Charlotte on

Hi V.,

I had the same problem with my younger son when he was little. After we figured out what worked, we didn't have to go through that again. Since your daughter still had an ear infection, the antibiotics were necessary. My boys NEVER pulled at their ears or complained about their ears hurting. Their noses would start running, then they would get all congested, then the congestion would turn thick (and sometimes colorful). My doctor told me that if there was no improvement after 7-10 days, it meant they should be seen. A cold or the flu will start to show improvement within 7-10 days, an infection won't and may get worse. Sometimes (like yesterday) it's an ear infection, sometimes, it's OK.

You can get lactobacillus granules (the ones I have are called lactonex) at most any pharmacy (I got mine at the Target pharmacy). They are behind the counter because they have to be refrigerated, but they are not prescription. They help put the good bacteria back into the child's system -- like the active ingredient in yogurt. My kids won't eat yogurt, so mixing the granules into other soft foods -- baby food, applesauce, ice cream, etc.-- helped me a lot. It makes a big difference with the diarreah and diaper rash.

Good luck, I know how hard it is right now. Keep up the good work.

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