What Dose of Antibiotic Was Your Child On??

Updated on November 13, 2012
R.M. asks from Evanston, IL
11 answers

My 4 yr old has had some kind of sickness for a week. The fever was on its 6th day so I took her in to the Dr. yesterday. This was not her pediatrician, it was the Urgent Care and it was the PA. Her lungs are mostly clear but he said there was a tiny bit of bronchitis. Ears and throat were clear, sinuses very full of thick clear boogies. He put her on an antibiotic, mainly because the fever had lasted so long. I am typically anti-antibiotic but since I too was concerned about bacteria with the fever not going away I filled them and began giving them. My kids have only had antibiotics a few times but it seems like my daughter is on a super high dose of amoxicillin! She was prescribed to take 1 1/2 tsp twice a day. I have given her this dose twice. The suspension is 400/5 ml which means that she is taking 1200mg a day, split into 2 doses. I have looked everywhere online and even though "safe" limits are 80 mg per kg of bodyweight, the usual dosing I am finding is 25-45 mg per kg. Her kg conversion is 16kg because she weighs 36lbs. I called a 24 hour pharmacy this morning and they said that that IS a really high dose but it is still within the safe range (barely). If we were dealing with some highly resistant identified organism here I would understand but geez, they didn't even truly know what it was! I know a lot of sickies are going around right now so if your kid has recently been on antibiotics, what was their dose? Thanks!!

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M.L.

answers from Houston on

I have to agree with the moms who said fluid in the lungs is likely the culprit for such a high dose. After having recently had pneumonia, it's something you don't want this child to end up with. My pneumonia started the same way, high, long lasting fevers, and chest congestion that was resistant to amoxicillian.

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B.C.

answers from Norfolk on

The pharmacist was the right person to talk to.
Other kids colds/medications/treatments may not relate to what is going on with your child.
I would think the doctor is concerned that the cold might be resistant to medication and wants to knock it out since it's gone on this long.
Talk to your doctor if you have questions but in the mean time
give her the medication as directed - don't stop unless the doctor tells you to or before it's used up.

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K.S.

answers from Denver on

I would maybe call the doc again for clarification, but don't stop giving it to her in the mean time. I'm with the others, I'm guessing they are making sure the bronchitis doesn't turn into pneumonia, and maybe they think it could be a sinus infection as well?

My daughter is sick right now as well, and is taking 2 tsp twice a day of the same thing. She is 12. Good luck!

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L.F.

answers from San Francisco on

Call your normal doctor and ask them. I have had instances where the pharmacy gives my child the incorrect dose AND medicine. THankfully I check everything before I give it to my child, but people make mistakes....be careful.

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R.M.

answers from Cumberland on

Maybe they are trying to prevent pneumonia with a large dose-if a child is still running a fever while on an antibiotic-chances are, it is pneumonia. The important thing to remember/do, is to give the doses at precise intervals-which may mean waking the child-otherwise, you will cause resistance.

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I.G.

answers from Seattle on

I would hold off and call the doctor. Doctors are human, they make mistakes! It would not be the first or the last time that a doctor misread her weight or made some other small mistake that lead to prescribing the wrong dose. Call the urgent care clinic and ask for clarification.
Good luck!

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G.♣.

answers from Springfield on

I haven't been there myself, but I wouldn't mess around with fluid in the lungs.

When my little guy was just a month old it was discovered that when I fed him, the breast mild was going into his lungs. The doctors were very concerned and addressed it immediately (ran tests, x-rays, etc). He was immediately switched to the bottle with a thickener so this wouldn't happen again. The nurses were very adamant that he not be fed any other way and that if he were we might soon find ourselves in the emergency room with pneumonia.

Fluid in the lungs is not something to take lightly. It's very possible the he prescribed a higher does as a precaution because of the fluid in the lungs. I would continue with the dose he prescribed and call your ped in the morning.

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C.R.

answers from Kansas City on

That seems very high! My 11yr old had to take 7.5ml twice a day which equals the amount you are giving your 4yr old. My 11yr old only weighs about 53lbs and she had a hard time taking that amount. I can't imagine my 5yr old taking the same amount as my 11yr old. Did they tell you to give her probiotics while being on the antibiotic? My doctor said to do that to protect her tummy from the antibiotic. If you can, call your regular doctor and ask if they think that is too much for your daughter. They know her and have her charts to refer to.

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T.S.

answers from Lima on

Well I know my 2 year old was on a 3 times a day dosage at 1 tsp each but I am uncertain on the suspension amount. If her fever was high, it could explain why they are giving a high dosage. My 4 year old is rarely on antibiotics. My 2 year old is on bactrium once a day at 5ml due to a level 3 vesicoureteral reflux disease. She was in the hospital in pediatrics for 4 days because her reflux was backing into her kidneys causing a severe kidney infection. Luckily with her being on a low dosage of an antibiotic now has helped reduce a chance of another infection. But while she was in the hospital, she was given 2 different antibiotics 3-4 times daily. Of course her fever was 105 too. 1 1/2 tsp sounds right but to be sure, I would call your pediatrician Monday to see if it sounds right to give her. I am sure that since she had a 6 day fever that is why they prescribed the amount they did.

Try giving her some colodial silver. It helps clear the infection faster.

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S.H.

answers from Honolulu on

Call your regular Pediatrician and ask.
Or take your child in to your regular Pediatrician for a 2nd opinion.

Bronchitis, is either bacterial or viral. It is contagious. It can turn into Pneumonia. Or into secondary infections. I know, that happened to me and also to my M.. But my M. didn't go to the Doctor right away, and she got scarring in her lungs now.

Just call your Pediatrician and double check on the dosage.

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D.P.

answers from Los Angeles on

I can't tell you about dose, but I can tell you that some doctors jump too quickly, to antibiotics. Our first pediatrician gave antibiotics 4 times to my daughter by the age of 2 1/2. Then one day, after getting sick the third time in 5 months, he said she either had bronchitis or asthma, and prescribed antibiotics again. The next day I took her to another MD (who was very resistant to antibiotics) and a homeopath MD. Both said it was not bronchitis and not the take the medicine. I used the homeopathic stuff and she got better. She is now 10 (moved to the other doctor) and has not been on antibiotics since. She also had 105 last year for 4 days (brought down to 103 with Tylenol), and by the time I brought her in (I had been on the phone all week with the doctors office), they said it probably had been swine flu, and gave her nothing. So, anti-biotics are not always necessary. Our doctor says antibiotics is the best poison, because sometimes they are necessary. I would take her to someone else (who is known for not jumping to antibiotic), even if you want to find out the right dosage. Good luck.

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