Henry has ANOTHER ear infection. This is our 4th since mid-December. I know, I am preaching to the choir, I know many moms who have had sick kiddos who can sympathize with me. The daycare called today at 9:00am to let me know he had a fever of 100.8. 20 minutes later when I picked him up he had a 101 degree fever. He seemed pretty lethargic at home, just wanting to snuggle and sit in his swing (which I just brought out of storage because daycare said that is how they get him to nap). He ate lunch, took 2 bottles and took a nap for an hour and ten minutes. At 2:00 he went to Grandmas so that I could be on conference calls and get some computer work done. Ryan picked him up at grandmas and she said he had been laying on her chest for the last hour and was burning up. When he got home I had Ryan run out and purchase an ear thermometer because I just don't like the "under the tongue, up the butt" thermometers. It read 102! We all headed out to the urgent care at 6:30 and finally got home at 9:15. Ugh! The PA took a influenza test while she was there just to be sure he didn't have the flu. That came back negative, thank goodness.
Henry has been on Amox. three times and Zithromax once. She wanted to put him on Zithromax this time and I had to say something. For those who do not know, I used to sell antibiotics and there are some that might as well be a placebo, Zithromax is one of those. I am not saying it doesn't work at all, it just works less than 50% of the time. I just had read an antibiogram that showed of all the antibiotics that treat the most common bacteria for ear infections, Zithromax was the antibiotic the bacteria were least susceptible to! So, I kindly asked for Clairithromycin, which is in that same class but less likely to cause resistance and has a better susceptibility rating and she obliged but tried to tell me how nasty it tastes. Honestly, maybe I am a bad mom, but I don't care if it is nasty, I just shoot it to the back of his throat so he hardly tastes it at this age. Truly, it's the best you could give the kid without shooting him up with Rocephin! I am hoping this gets rid of the infection because if it still persists after this, we may be discussing other options with the pediatrician.
When we got home, Ryan put Henry in his pajamas and got him ready for bed. I was curious on the taste of the medication and here is the gist of it: It does not taste bad when you first have it to your tongue, its the after taste that sucks. It has a very strong medicine flavor. So, I made Henry his bottle, shot the medication in his mouth and immediately gave him his bottle. No sweat! One dose down, 9.5 days and 19 doses left.
9 comments:
I hope he feels better soon, seems like there is an ear infection epidemic (not that it is contagious but you know what I mean).
I've read that ear thermometers are the least accurate because the angle/placement of the probe has to be just right to get the right temp. For the butt/tongue thermometer how do you usually take his temp? We've NEVER done a rectal temp on Blake, our 1st Ped (in AZ) said it can be done in the armpit and then just add 1 degree and that is also how our Ped here in IL does it too. The only time Blake has had a rectal temp taken was when we had to take him to the ER.
Poor Henry! Hope this round clears up that infection.
Good for you for asking for another med. I had no idea about Zithromax. It always seems to work pretty well for us, guess we're in that other 50%, huh? I'd love to have that knowledge you do about the antibiotics!
We have always taken the kids temps under their armpit and added 1 degree to it. Now that Quinn and Logan are older it's under their tongue. But Olive's is still under the armpit, it's always been pretty accurate too as when we've had to go to the pediatrician's office it's about the same as we got at home. Just a thought. I too hate the idea of doing a rectal temp.
Our pediatrician and the hospital has always done the ear temperature. We let them know how we take his temperature so they know what to comapare it to. I wonder which way it typically reads inaccurate, too high or too low? I guess we were told however you take their temp, just make sure you inform the nurse of the method. I have never taken a rectal temperature, that just freaks me out but I have done the armpit. Truthfully I think it comes down to the fact that I am an immediate gratification person with very little patience so I really like my new ear thermometer. :)
I HATE Zythromax. It caused Tyler to throw up so it's now marked in the "allergy" category, even though I'm not totally sure he's allergic to it. We do not take it. He's on something else, must be that one you put Henry on.
BTW, we use a thermemoter that goes under Tyler's arm.
Well, you all got me thinking so I did a little reading and the sources out there do recommened the armpit method, which I never doubted, but like I said - immediate gratification and maybe I am lazy. :) Anyway, in the info brochure in my thermometer it points out that depending on the method you use, the range of normal will vary. The ear tends to be higher so normal range is up 100.4. I went a little further and asked the nurse today when I spoke to her about Henry running another fever of 102 this morning (ugh!) and she said that the ear with the infection will ALWAYS run warmer because the bulging ear drum will be hot...good to know! So I should take his temperature in both ears just because we know for sure there is an infection. Well, she was right, the other ear was 100.9, so just slightly lower. She also told me that Motrin and Tylenol only knock a fever down 2 degrees, that was somthing I was unaware of as well. Good thing you all got my brain going today!
poor henry...we feel your pain as baylen is on e.i. #5. our dr. wants him to get to 8 before we go to ENT. i think he wants to see if he'll outgrow them or if they will continue to appear. but they do suck, don't they?!
you guys will all think i'm a mean mom but we always do rectal temps. it's the fastest and the kids don't really mind it. brynn is getting older so we do under the arm but i prefer rectal. our doc says it's best taking temp method but i'm sure every dr. has a different opinion.
Ok, I'm behind on my blog reading but I find this temperature thing VERY interesting. I have the worst time w/ the thermometer. We have the ear one, but I can never get it to work. I'm very fortunate in that Lydia has been really healthy so far so I rarely have a need to take it. I'm like you Sam, I don't have the patience for the armpit. I have actually thought about springing for that temporal artery/forehead one. Maybe I just need a new digital one to try in her armpit.
Hey Sam,
I don't know if you remember me, Joanna, Shane's wife. He was in Andy Ross's wedding. It's been a long time since I've seen you. I was messing around on FaceBook trying to catch up with people and their lives. I was looking at Ryan's page and noticed you do this blogging thing.
We have tried every therm. out there...no joke! I think the armpit method is very accurate, but I'm impatient. We use the ear therm. and we love it. We even tried the temporal one, but it was off big time so we returned it.
The Z pak doesn't work for me either. I was just sick and the doc tried to prescribe it to me, but I asked for Biaxin...(Clarithromyacin...sp?) It definitely didn't taste bad going down, but when I went to bed and for a couple hours in the morning when I would cough I could taste it. Sort of like a metalic taste..it was gross, but the meds worked! They also were hard on my stomach like no other med. I've taken before. Even if I ate with them my stomach would still hurt.
I hope your little Henry gets well soon. It's an awful feeling when their sick....you just feel so helpless.
Tell Ryan "Hi"
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