My 2 y/o son currently has a severe ear infection. I took him to the doctor on Monday and she prescribed him Zithromax. Since then he has been EXTREMELY irritable. He was fussy before due to not feeling well, but it has really gotten worse. There are times throughout the day that he is fine and happy, but in a situation where he would normally pout or have a temper tantrum he just absolutely loses control. Tonight he was crying and screaming so hard over not having a cookie before dinner he was gagging. The only other time that I have seen him act like this is the only other time he was on antibiotics. In the fall he had an ear infection and was given Amoxicillin. I noticed the same change in his behavior. He is not at all beyond throwing a fit, but nothing like this. This is what makes me think that maybe he is sensitive to medications?. It thought it was the Amoxicillin which is why the doctor gave him something different this time even though she said it was unlikely to have a reaction like this, but same thing with other meds. Just wondering if anyone else has experienced anything like this with your children and medication, and if so have you found a resolution? Thanks for your help.
Hi, Stacie
My son, (now 21) was found to be allergic to sulphur based drugs when he was 2 1/2. He had a bad reaction to Cechlor sp? It made him lethargic and delusional.
Research the drugs your son has been put on and find the common denominator, more than likely that's your culprit. Once found, tell his dr. and keep him away from any and all meds containing it,
Good luck,
Barbara
Is he on anything besides the antibiotic? Steroids (prednisone, methyl-predisolone) cause this type of reaction in me. I am not manic depressive / bipolar but when I take steroids they make me feel like i'm losing my mind. You described exactly how I feel when I'm on them.
Hi Stacie,
My husband had a VIOLENT reaction to Zithromax when it first came on the market. Since then we have chosen not to use chemical antibiotics as they may or may not fix the immediate problem, but they always break down your immune system making you more susceptible to the next germ that comes along...along with long-term degernerative issues. The behavior issues your child is having are actually quite common.
There are natural antibiotics. Elderberry, garlic or collodial silver are what I use if the need arises. It hasn't in years. My family doesn't get sick anymore. I believe it's because we have purposed to build our immune systems. My 90 year old Dad has contracted pneumonia twice in the last few years (not because his immune system is weak but he can not swallow and he has aspirated fluids that have gotten infected) and both times we have healed it with collodial silver. The doctors were stunned both times.
Everyone has reactions to all synthetic chemicals, whether pharmaceuticals or household cleaners. It's just a matter of time to see what condition appears down the road. To answer your question, YES, my family had issues when we used to take pharmaceuticals.
Let me know if you'd like more information. I love to help!
Regards,
.
It is possible to be allergic to antibiotics but it's kind of likely to be alelrgic to more than one class/family.
Your son's issue is most likely NOT an ALLERGY, per se. But he could be sensitive. I am not allergic to Penicillin but it makes me vomit, so I can't take it. But I've taken Amoxicillin more times than I can count over the years. I have to eat before I take Zithromax or it causes a lot of stomach issues (cramping, rolling, and nausea). My 8yr old also has to eat first. I pretty much eat or have him eat before dispensing ANY medication (even tylenol!) unless the medication instructions explicitly state it shouldnt be taken with food. Maybe this could be your child's problem - and he doesnt have the verbal skills to say he's nauseous or his stomach is cramping.
This is a sensitivity, not an allergy, as allergic reactions are a bit more serious. I am allergic to Sulfa medications. How do I know? The first time I was given it as a child I went into shock and nearly died. (I was never given it again).
I suggest following the other mom's advice and find out what the common denominator between the two medications is. Talk to your doctor to see if s/he has any suggestions on other medication, and if s/he thinks the two reactions to the two drugs could be related.
My children reacted like that when they had ear infections. Have you ever had an ear infection? They hurt. Ear infections made my kids irritable and fussy for a couple of days before the medicine kicked in and they felt better.
My son is allergic to penicillin. It made him break out in a rash and hives and it made him swell everywhere including his throat. I think if it was an allergic reaction you would have other symptoms too.
If you are worried call your pediatrican and ask questions.
Both of my kids have negative reactions to Zithromax and I also got tired of giving them antibiotics - it seemed like they were always getting ear infections so I started asking specialists what all my alternatives were and found Garlic Ear Oil. I put that in their ears once a week and haven't had an ear infection since! The brand I use is Herbs for Kids...
http://herbsforkids.com/product.asp?productid=380
Hi Staci,
I had a bad reaction to Amoxicillin in the early 1990s and I only took one tablet. It made me feel terribly sick to my stomach, an absolutely splitting headache (like I've never had before or since), and almost violent (something I've never felt before or since also). I too am sensitive to meds and that experience made me say... "I will NEVER take their drugs again, PERIOD!"
What's challenging in your situation is your sons age, there are many things you will have to be extremely careful of, both natural and not.
Here's a list of articles regarding Colloiidal Silver - a substance that I would not use on a child unless under the supervision of a Naturopath doctor
http://search.mercola.com/results.aspx?k=%20colloidal%20+%20silver
If it were me, I would go to Dr. Biddle, MD of Integrative Medicine in Asheville, NC http://www.docbiddle.com
There are many things you can do for ear infections and other ailments that do not need drugs, I'm sure Dr. Biddle will be able to inform you.
My medicine's of choice are therapeutic essential oils and food - those are the two things I've used for all my healing. I do sell therapeutic essential oils, if you're interested please contact me. Do not waste your money on essential oils sold in health food stores - they are NOT therapeutic in quality.
There are many things one can do to 'prevent' ear infections and non-drug choices for when we do get ear aches - I would take my son for a visit to Dr. Biddle, for sure!
Hope this helps,
Evelyn
Hi Stacie, I'm sorry about your son's ear infections. I know exactly what you are going through. Does your son drink milk? My son had so many ear infections in a row that they were going to put tubes in his ears. A friend recommended that I stop giving him milk. I did, and he never got another ear infection! Antibiotics kill the infection but they also destroy the good bacteria that keeps us healthy. I would try to discover the root of "why" he got or gets infections in the first place and eliminate that. Antibiotics can cause a major imbalance in the gut that can take 6 months to a year to correct. The son I was referring to was my first. He is now 13. I have 4 children all together and we have managed to avoid antibiotics for the past 11 years with the exception of a sever case of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever from a tick bite. If milk is the rot cause and you are concerned about calcium or vitamin D deficiency, be comforted in knowing that there are plenty of better and healthier ways for your son to receive calcium and Vitamin D than milk. I will be happy to speak with you if you'd like. Blessings, Teresa
I wanted to mention the Cold Socks treatment which works great on ear infections! Go here http://www.liferesearchuniversal.com/ear.html and scroll down.
I also recommend drastically cutting back on dairy and having Cranial Osteopathy or CranioSacral therapy done. That's what worked for my kids!
Good luck!
It is probably NOT the antibiotics that is causing his behavior...it's the ear pain. An earache pain comes and goes at all hours. I would ask the MD for some drops for the ear to numb the pain and that might help.
If his reaction is only when he has an ear infection, it might be the ear infection causing the behaviors. My children rarely have ear infections but, when they do, they seem to be more sensitive to everything. Do you have numbing drops for his ears? The pain might be severe enough to cause a bad headache or jaw ache and this can throw off any one's behaviors. I usually give my children ibuprofen or tylenol when they have ear infections and this helps subside some of the pain and the behaviors.
Also, when I had a terrible ear infection a few years ago, the air pressure caused a lot of pain and popping in my ears. I was in bed for days then had some hearing loss while my ears healed. If his ear infection is severe, be aware that you might need to change around your schedule to allow him some peace and quiet so he can cope with the pain.
Good luck because it is always difficult to watch your children in pain.
Sounds as if you're quite 'in tune' with your child, which is as it should be. Although a Dr. says it's 'unusual' for such a reaction, s/he doesn't know YOUR child like you do. I'd stop the antibiotic and see if the behavior changes back to 'normal' again, as that should 'nail it' if it IS the culprit. If the 'cure' is worse than the 'cause', it's not worth putting him (and yourself) through misery just to finish up the course of antibiotics. Just think, 100 years ago no one took antibiotics every time they got a chest cold, ear infection or sore throat (and they usually lived)! Just use some Tylenol to help keep him comfortable, and hopefully he's not one to have recurring infections!
It would be odd to have a reaction to zithromax. I think he just does not feel well. Are you giving him alternating motrin/tylenol every four hours? You could try and see if it helps. I also would not stop the antibiotics because the infection can come back worse than before the z-pack is only for 5 days anyway.
Try giving him a probiotic, acidophilus milk or yogurt a few hours after he takes his pill. I've taken both those antibiotics in the past few years and they made my tummy extremely upset. Antibiotics tend to kill off our good immune system bacteria, along with the bad guys. Some gripe water might help too, it uses herbs as a calmative and tummy soother. I hope this helps!
very common. my kids and I do the same thing! just keep up with the meds until they are gone and he will be back to himself soon!
ps try doing Tylenol and Motrin.... alternate not at the same time!
Very unlikely to be a reaction to the antibiotics. When you have an ear infection it hurts and most people don't understand how bad it can hurt. The pressure and the sounds can make the sweetest person or child become unreal. I have been a long time suffer of ear infections and my oldest daughter had them. My youngest has been lucky to escape this problem. Have you tried allergy meds during to the Fall to help? That is one thing that has seemed to help curve the onset of ear infections.
My daughter had similar experiences with meds, after she entered daycare and started having ear infections. Then, I heard an MD on a health show mention the following. Antibiotics actually suppress the immune system and prevent it from working normally. She also recommended that children w/ reoccurring ear infections stop, or at least highly decrease, the amount of milk and other dairy products.
So, I transitioned our household from milk to Silk Soy milk with the Omega 3 & DHA in it. Within 2 weeks we both stopped having a runny nose & eyes and hardy any congestion due to the decrease of flem development (which dairy causes your body to create more of).Since then, she's went over 2 yrs without an ear infection (until recently). I researched for a natural way to treat and found a protocol that works fast and effective. I now use a 1:1 ratio solution of H20 & Peroxide. I just have her lay down and put a few drops in her ear. We let it sit for 4-8 min, then do the other ear. Dry each well afterward. Typically in less than 3 hrs she gets complete relief. Oh, also remember not to use QTips in the ear. I actually asked for one of those little plastic tools they use at the Doctor's office. It's great.
I can tell you from my personal experience, that giving antibiotics to often at a young age, can reek serious havoc into adulthood. I was given to many as a young child. So, growing up, every time I got sick it was bad. I'd stay sick for weeks or months. Even with a cold. I finally learned at 32 about what the MD mentioned above and stopped using antibiotics. I'm 41 now, I've been healthier since. No more frequent trips to the doctor, or hospital, or being bed ridden for long periods, due to my weak immune system. For these, and other, reasons, I tell MD's that I don't want my child to have antibiotics unless it's absolutely needed. They tell me, "I wish more parents would say that." My 4 yr hasn't had any illness, other than minor ear ache, since she was about 1 1/2. I know she's going to have a much stronger immune system than myself.
I hope my family's personal experience can help.
Zithromax tastes like fingernail polish. An urgent care doctor prescribed this to my 3 year old on a Sunday morning for an ear infection. Monday he was broken-out in a terrible rash. Of course I called his regular pediatrician and she was surprised that he was given zithromax because of it's bad taste. She wasn't sure about the rash but I know it's got to be related. As for the behavior, my son acts like that a lot. It's the age.