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antibiotics - whether to give or not? UPDATE!!!

hey,

There are two full time doctors at my surgery - one who is very traditional and beleives in olive oil and other traditional remedies alongside not beleiving in taking temperature readings and other more modern doctor who will happily give medicine on prescription.

I took Louise and my dh to the doctors yesterdat as they both have dry skin patches. My Mum was worried that Louise's might be impitigo but luckily isn't but dh's is infected and spreading.

So, he said that Louise has infant eczema but dh has an infection that could be impitigo. Louise got eczema stuff which I'm grateful for - stuff to bath her in andcream. BUT he also gave them both antibiotics. (he offered them to me to but I have no patched so declined)

When we got home I read the info on the bottle and noticed that he's prescribed Louise double the normal dose for a child under 2 which I feel is a bit exessive when hers are more of a precaution as her dad has an infection.

I've been brough up to beleive that is not good to take antibiotics if you dont really need them because then when you do they will work better.

I havn't give Louise any yet as I was unsure of the double dose last night and just applying the cream twice has really helped her skin. So, I dont think I will give her the antibiotics?

What do you think? What would you do?

Lisa

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Update

On Saturday her eczema got much worse, I was worried that i'd spread an infection by using the cream all over her body so decided to give the antibiotics. BUT they made her so drowsy they made her fall asleep in the bath! We thought it could just be a coincidence but it made her drowsy when we gave it to her again. So, I stopped giving it to her.

I took her to the doctors this morning, the dry skin on her face has cleared up but the rest of her body is cover with red bumpy spots. He said that he can see now she doesn't have an infection so no need for antibiotics. (So she didn't need them in the first place) and i've got a different type of eczema treatment for her. He also gave her a steriod cream for the worst patches to help get it under control. He said it's trial and error to workout which moisturiser is best for her so fingers crossed we can get it under control soon!

[Modified by: Loopy Loo on 12 January 2009 15:16:32 ]

Replies

  • I wouldn't give her them if it were me. I hate antibiotics, they always make me really ill when I have to take them to I avoid giving them to my lo's unless absolutely nessecary. I would guess that the doc has prescribed them to ensure she doesn't catch oh's infection but unless she is showing symptoms I wouldn't give them.
    You are definately right about not taking antibiotics unless you need them. Over prescribing of antibiotics, combined with people not finishing the courses prescribed is the reason we now have bugs like MRSA that are resistant to antibiotics.
    xx
  • Personally I wouldn't give antibiotics unless LO actually had an infection. If the cream is working I would stick with that for now but that's just me. You can see how Louise is doing and make the decision.
  • I wouldn't give them to her if she doesn't have an infection, especially with eczema it is possible it will make her eczema worse. Eczema is relating to many kinds of skin rash in children but if it is the same kind as my daughter the rash's come up when the body is trying to get rid of something, and foreign antibodies will just trigger a big rash, at the same time if you are concerned you could let if sit for a day or two, if in 48 hours her skin has cleared up significantly then see how you feel.

    Good luck

    xx
  • Thanks for your replies, its reasurring to know that i'm not the only one who thinks the same about not giving them to her!

    It was only when I got home that I thought about it otherwise I prob would have said something to the doctor.

    It's interesting to know that it could make it worse hedgie. Thanks
    And Bedhead - until you said that I'd forgotton about the yucky nappy Louise had when she did really need antibiotics at 5 weeks so another reason fir not giving them if she doesn't need them!

    I'll give her another bath in the stuff I was given and apply more cream tonight and tom and see how she looks by tom evening.

    If it's not better then I will give her the antibiotics at the dose in the leaflet.

    I will aslo make sure that neither of them can pass the infection on! You can only get it if you have dry/sore skin or a wound already. The doc said that dh would not be infectious 48 hrs after he started the treatment which is good!

    The other thing that put me off was that they should be given on an empty stomach or an hour before food - very difficult with a breastfed baby who is fed on demand!
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