Jump to content

Is it really bad to stop antibiotics a few days in?

Lochie

By Lochie
in The Family Room Discussion

 Share

Recommended Posts

Lochie

Lochie

Posted
Posted

Would really appreciate advice. Started antibiotics for first time ever for my 1 year old on Tuesday. Doctor gave them for a nasty double ear infection. He was noticably poorly with fever, spent Tuesday night in bed with me drifting in and out of sleep crying. Cue Wednesday morning and he gets up like nothing has happened and certainly this morning is back to his old mischievous self.


The problem is we have started antibiotics, but its like pinning down a rabid animal to get him to take it. Have posted on here before about covert tricks to get him to take calpol, with lots of great tips, but none of them work (tried syringe, in food, in bottle - he knows it all). He gets so distressed by it all (the only method that partly works is syringe) that he makes himself sick. My mum is looking after him this week as its my first week back at work, and says he actually has swallowed such a small amount that we should stop giving it to him as he is better now.


Does anyone know if it really is bad to stop a course of antibiotics part of the way in? When I was growing up I was told it was really bad to stop once you started as it would make the illness come back 'with a vengence'! Maybe that was just my mum's way of making sure I took it all!!

Fuschia

Fuschia

Posted
Posted
It's more bad for the community in general, is my understanding, as if not all the bacteria are killed off, the ones that remain (and can infect others) are likely to develop an immunity to that antibiotic and superbugs eventually result...
jollybaby

jollybaby

Posted
Posted

As Fuschia says - the risk is that the infection hasn't been completely treated and that any residual bacteria may thrive and ultimately develop resistance. Whilst this isn't great for the community - it can also be bad for the child as any subsequent infections may be with the more resistant bug and therefore may not respond to the standard antibiotics - hence your mum saying 'come back with a vengeance'- though this is by no means guaranteed!


The caveats to this though are - did you really need antibiotics in the first place (ie was it viral/ would it have got better anyway) and how long should a full course of antibiotics be - different doctors will prescribe different length courses.

Kes

Kes

Posted
Posted

I'm afriad your Mum was right Lochie, the little one will be feeling much better as most of the bugs wil have been killed off quickly by the antibiotics, however the strongest of them can hang on for a long time and if you stop treatment early you'll just have cleared away all the weak ones to make room for the stronger ones to grow. If you finish the course hopefully they'll all be killed off.


As Fuscia says, these stronger bugs can become immune to the antibiotics if lots of people don't finish them off properly.


Good luck with administering it and with starting back at work.


K

Kes

Kes

Posted
Posted

Also, just to add - did the doctor do a swab to check what was causing the infection? They are usually bacterial, but can also be fungal and it's best to know the exact cause so they can pick the best treatment. Also where in the ear is it? If it's in the outer part drops or a spray are generally better than oral antibiotics (at least in adults I don't know for sure about kids).


Unfortunatly I have lots of experience of ear infections!


K

Lochie

Lochie

Posted
  • Author
Posted
ok thanks everyone this is useful and has convinced me to see it through! Annoyingly as I wasn't at the docs I am not sure of the details of the ear infection but my mum said she wasn't told the length of the course, just to finish the bottle. My boss has just told me to do it with syringe and provide immediate distraction in form of toy/telly/chocolate - so that's the way its going to happen! oh JOY!
Polly D

Polly D

Posted
Posted
Like you Lochie, my mum always said the same thing but I had to put my son (19 months) on a course of antibiotics a few months ago, for a suspected ear infection and the doc cheerfully said 'if he seems fine after a couple of days he needn't finish the course'. So...who knows?!
esme

esme

Posted
Posted
From what I can gather it's bad to stop mid way through as if you catch something nasty again you may be immune to the antibiotics... so always best to finish the course if at all possible, even if they seem to have worked their magic quickly!
Lochie

Lochie

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Thanks - just to update I went to doc and she told me to stop (after a few days of spitting it out and not really swallowing much). Normally she said it was best to finish the course but in weighing up all arguments she said forcing him to such an extent could actually long term anguish when it comes to taking meds so it would be best to stop. So that is an interesting take on it....

Dreading the next time he gets ill! Anyway he is fine now ;-)

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing
  • Advertise Here

  • Latest Discussions

    • Blah Blah
      GALA 2026

      By Blah Blah · Posted

      While it is good that GALA have withdrawn their application for a second weekend, local people and councillors will likely have the same fight on their hands for next year's event. In reading the consultation report, I noted the Council were putting the GALA event in the same light as all the other events that use the park, like the Circus, the Fair and even the FOPR fete. ALL of those events use the common, not the park, and cause nothing like the level of noise and/or disruption of the GALA event. Even the two day Irish Festival (for those that remember that one) was never as noisy as GALA. So there is some disingenuity and hypocrisy from the Council on this, something I wll point out in my response to the report. The other point to note was that in past years branches were cut back for the fencing. Last year the council promised no trees would be cut after pushback, but they seem to now be reverting to a position of 'only in agreement with the council's arbourist'. Is this more hypocrisy from 'green' Southwark who seem to once again be ok with defacing trees for a fence that is up for just days? The people who now own GALA don't live in this area. GALA as an event began in Brockwell Park. It then lost its place there to bigger events (that pesumably could pay Lambeth Council more). One of the then company directors lived on the Rye Hill Estate next to the park and that is likely how Peckham Rye came to be the new choice for the event. That person is no longer involved. Today's GALA company is not the same as the 'We Are the Fair' company that held that first event, not the same in scope, aim or culture. And therein lies the problem. It's not a local community led enterprise, but a commercial one, underwritten by a venture capital company. The same company co-run the Rally Event each year in Southwark Park, which btw is licensed as a one day event only. That does seem to be truer to the original 'We Are the Fair' vision, but how much of that is down to GALA as opoosed to 'Bird on the Wire' (the other group organising it) is hard to say.  For local people, it's three days of not being able to open windows, As someone said above, if a resident set up a PA in their back garden and subjected the neighbours to 10 hours of hard dance music every day for three days, the Council would take action. Do not underestimate how distressing that is for many local residents, many of whom are elderly, frail, young, vulnerable. They deserve more respect than is being shown by those who think it's no big deal. And just to be clear, GALA and the council do not consider there to be a breach of db level if the level is corrected within 15 minutes of the breach. In other words, while db levels are set as part of the noise management plan, there is an acknowledgement that a breach is ok if corrected within 15 minutes. That is just not good enough. Local councillors objected to the proposed extension. 75% of those that responded to the consultation locally did not want GALA 26 to take place at all. For me personally, any goodwill that had been built up through the various consultations over recent years was erased with that application for a second weekend, and especially given that when asked if there were plans for that in post 2025 event feedback meetings (following rumours), GALA lied and said there were no plans to expand. I have come to the conclusion that all the effort to appease on some things is merely an exercise in show, to get past the council's threshold for the events licence. They couldn't give a hoot in reality for local people, and people that genuinely care about parkland, don't litter it with noisy festivals either.   
    • Insuflo
      Will Mandelson be accepted across the pond.

      By Insuflo · Posted

    • Ee
      Plumber recommendation - A.F.E Plumbing Services

      By Ee · Posted

      Aria is my go to plumber. Fixed a toilet leak for me at short notice. Reasonably priced and very professional. 
    • smith 41
      Lp record display

      By smith 41 · Posted

      Anyone has a storage or a display rack for Albums LPs drop me a message thanks

East Dulwich Forum

Established in 2006, we are an online community discussion forum for people who live, work in and visit SE22.

Home
Events
Sign In

Sign In



Or sign in with one of these services

Search
×
    Search In
×
×
  • Create New...