I don't know much about children as we haven't any However, I am not convinced with antibiotcs. I developed an ear infection last New Year and my eardrum burst, I had four different types of ABs and none of them worked, in the end I was put on a sterioid and AB ear drops, eventually 2 months later it slowly started to get better. Also even though my eardrum burst I didn't feel any better, the pain was still really bad so don't assume your son feels any better because its burst, he may not.
I really hope that you get it sorted soon and that your son is feeling better. Sue
Kind Regards
Pelmetman Dave
Pelmetlady Sue
Pelmetdog Troy
Thank you so much to you all for your responses and advice.
Short term: Urine and blood tests have ruled out anything sinister, including Diabetes. Scan results = kidneys fine. Seems to be a resistance to the Amoxycillin - the bacteria in the UTI is one that is known to be resistant to penicillin (I didn't know Amoxycillin was just a 'brand' name for penicillin, how daft am I?). He has been on a new AB (not ideal, I know, but I just want this sorted for him) - Trimethoprim - which seems to have done the trick.
So...moving forwards, hopefully towards removing the need for ABs altogether - where now? Do probiotics actually support the whole of the system? I've not read up on them, I'll admit, but I got the impression that the yoghurts etc only acted on gut bacteria.....would a multi-vitamin / multi-mineral help? He's a pretty good eater, certainly gets his 5 fruit and veg a day (in fact, gets more like 7 or 8 but these are mostly in fruit), he is your typical 4 year old who will eat loads one day and nothing the next....
I took my dog to play frisbee. She was useless. I think I need a flatter dog.
For future reference.... all the antibiotics with a '...cillin' at the end are penicillin. I guess they must be in different doses or mixed with other stuff, I'm not a doctor either but I do have a serious allergy to penicillin, I was on flucoxocillin when I went into anaphylaxis.
Poor wee man, I hope he is on the mend.
If he is eating all his fruit and veg I doubt a multi-vitamin would help I am sure that the yeo-valley kids yogurts have all that healthy bacteria in them... I don't think it needs to just be the natural stuff.... either way, it is supposed to be good for your system all round rather than just you tummy. (I think)
Ann Pan
"Some days you're the dog,
some days you're the lamp-post"
Hi,
I'm a bit of a lurker but felt the need to reply to your post as I totally understand your frustration.
I've lost count of how many ear infections my son has had. I have seen no end of doctors with him and all they have ever done is given him ABs. Most the time they didn't seem to work and the infection eventually cleared up on its own. Last year was particularly bad and he was literally ok for a week or two before getting another infection and this went on for weeks. All the doctors I've seen have said the same thing, that he would 'grow out of it'. I'm probably jinxing things but touch would he's only had earache 2 or 3 times and it never got past a day or two so he's not had any ABs this year :)
I'm not a great believer in ABs but I know where your coming from when you say you just want to help your son. It's horrible watching them in that pain and the fevers that go with it.
Hopefully the doctors are right on this one and he is growing out of it (something to do with less infections as the tubes grow). I also had constant ear infections when I was younger and still get earache quite regularly (infact I have it right now! )
Have the infections varied between ears? I ask as it is always the same ear with my son with it occasionally happening in both. Also does your son have any problems with his hearing? My son had his hearing checked by a specialist last year and it turns out he has limited hearing in his good ear meaning when his bad ear plays up he's practically deaf.
I am so glad the tests were clear. Yes, probiotice 'boost' your entire immune system. 90% of your immune system is in your gut, I don't know if the probiotics actually boost the rest, or just take the strain off the 90%. But they will help everything.
"You are a strange little mouse."
"Thank you." -Tale of Despereaux
I haven't read all the posts so may be repeating something someone else has said, but I take Bee Propolis when I am ill, it has natural antibiotic properties, also Royal Jelly is excellent, and garlic capsules, not sure how you could get a small child to take these but I swear by them.
Helbells - fortunately, he LOVES garlic - even raw, but I will definitely try the Bee Propolis with him too. I find he will take most things once he knows they are followed by a cube a chocolate...(you know, needs must....)
Clarry - thank you so much for not lurking but typing on my account - I am very touched! Our experiences seem very, very similar. With Ellis, it is always his right ear. We are under a hearing specialist ATM because he wasn't settling well in pre-school (very distracted by noise, often clamping his hands over his ears because it was all too noisy for him). At the moment, the specialist thinks he's going to be fine - eardrum is healing OK (other than setbacks from other infections), middle ear DOES have fluid, but not 'Glue-Ear', but as he has no associated infections such as throat or chest infections they are not, at this point, looking at a referral to ENT; although he does snore and has all the symptoms of inflamed adenoids.
Thing is - I was the same as a child - but my parents always blamed it on a particularly bad dose of Measles I picked up when I was four which led to a breakdown of my immune system leading to Quinsy (sp!) and abcesses in my ear canals that have permanently damaged my hearing - I also have adenoid problems.
When he has an infection, his right ear does get very badly affected. He calls it 'having bubbles in his ears', which - being a sufferer of ear infections myself, I can completely relate to (although the doctors can't). He's such a happy, easy going boy normally, but when he'll ill he shrieks with pain as though he's been stabbed - it's so frightening, and you feel so helpless when all the paracetamol in the world won't make it stop.
This new stuff has, at least, stopped the urine infection in its tracks. We leave it a week, then do a wee sample to check it has fully gone. Now we are just waiting on the next ear infection - Clarry, I do hope you are right, and we get less as he grows up. I can't bear seeing him go through it - I remember it to well myself.
Thank you so much for sharing your experiences with me, I really appreciate it xx And thank you so much to all of you for all your love, best wishes and help - blessed be!
I took my dog to play frisbee. She was useless. I think I need a flatter dog.
My (not so) little man has yet another ear infection at the mo and his eardrum has burst this afternoon. We ended up in a&e in the early hours of this morning because he was in so much pain. Came away with amoxycillin
He has an appointment to see the audiologist in August for his hearing again as it's getting worse but we're having no luck still regarding the infections. So frustrating!
Anyway, it made me think of you and your boy and I was wondering how you're getting on now?
However, I am not convinced with antibiotcs. I developed an ear infection last New Year and my eardrum burst, I had four different types of ABs and none of them worked, in the end I was put on a sterioid and AB ear drops, eventually 2 months later it slowly started to get better. Also even though my eardrum burst I didn't feel any better, the pain was still really bad so don't assume your son feels any better because its burst, he may not.
Sue
I am sure that the yeo-valley kids yogurts have all that healthy bacteria in them... I don't think it needs to just be the natural stuff.... either way, it is supposed to be good for your system all round rather than just you tummy. (I think)
)
