If you go back for a follow up its ear infection and antibiotics, when do you go? We just finished a ten day course of antibiotics for a double ear infection on Weds, and the ped said 2-3 weeks just to look and make sure it's gone since it was her second in a month and a half. I feel like she is starting to get fussier again already and I don't know if it's just her being two or if it could be her ears. But not sure if I need to wait a few more days after the antibiotics are done anyway. If I wait to next week I can see our regular pediatrician though. Our nurse call line is not really helpful.
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I'd wait until anibiotics are done. We've never done a follow-up for ear infections, but he has a really bad one right now (they were worried it was going to rupture), so I might take him in late next week after his meds are done to be sure it's good. That said, I always follow my instincts now about when to take him in, since I'm almost always right. If you feel like you need to go now, then make the call.
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@BananaPancakes: she finished the meds on weds. But they said to come in 2-3 weeks after the first appt.
I think she is just being cranky but I don't know. They do have Saturday hours so if she's a pain all afternoon and in the morning maybe I will call. But at the latest I will go on Tuesday when our doc is in.
And with her very first ear infection I didn't realize she had one until her ear drum did rupture! I felt so bad. I had called to make an appt that morning after her being off for a while and by the time we came in it was oozing pus. So gross.
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@Foodnerd81: I'm in the same boat! I was texting with my sister earlier today asking about this question. Our girl finished up her meds a few days ago, and has been so cranky today. I actually bought an otoscope for $25, but I don't know what I'm looking at just yet. I'm wondering if I should take her in so we're not stuck over the weekend with a growing problem. She also seems to be working on molars and is still snotty, so that could be the real problem. I don't know!
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Same question here. We have a double ear infection, LO's first ever. We just started the antiobiotics two days ago but I'm already wondering if it will be appropriate to bring her back in to check on it. Fortunately she has her 12-month well visit coming up soon so we could just wait until then.
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We usually made the follow up appt at the sick vist. This way, I am on the hook for it, otherwise it's just another thing I forget to do.
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@looch: oh I'm definitely bringing her in next week. I just kind of want to take her in today or tomorrow so I'm not worrying about it over the weekend but she did say two weeks...
@Happygal: I think I might buy an otoscope and ask her to show me how!
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@PawPrints: it has always taken a full 48 hours for me to see a difference. And I expect it to only take 24 hours and start getting mad/ worried when she doesn't show any improvement. Then 48 hours later she wakes up a different person.
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I bought an otoscope from Amazon so I can look myself. My ped suggests 2-3 weeks after you finish the course
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@yellowbird: you probably have enough training for this, but for the average non medical person, I'd recommend against this approach. Ears are hard! It makes most medical providers a long time to really get good at telling the difference between different types of effusions, improvement, rupture, scarring.
If LO is improving in terms of fever and pain, not much point to check until a couple weeks after antibiotics finished. They will still have an effusion at this point, so it won't change management. Of course if still having fevers after a couple of days or severe pain, get them rechecked sooner because they might need a change in antibiotics.
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@sapphire: true, I'm definitely not an expert! I use it so that I can have an idea of maybe that's what's bothering my baby. Then I go right to the ped of it keeps up or looks weird
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2 weeks
ETA: 2 weeks from diagnosis, not 2 weeks from finishing meds
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@sapphire: ok so the antibiotics do need to be totally finished for a time before checking? That was my main question. I just wish my kid would stop being so annoying. Is there a drug for that?
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We were in for a double ear infection and were told to make a follow up appointment for 2 weeks from that day. So we just finished 10 days of antibiotics and are going back in on Monday for our follow up.
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@Foodnerd81: don't wait. Perhaps the antibiotic was not effective. No reason for you all to suffer. My mom used to take my bro to the doctor "if he doesn't need something, give me something!"
In all seriousness, sometimes the prescribed antibiotic doesn't cut it. Don't wait!
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@SweetCaroline: well this was her second round of antibiotics in less than two months, and this was the stronger ones since possibly the first didn't clear it up completely. I think she is probably just being an annoying two year old but we will definitely go back on Tuesday.
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@Foodnerd81: Better to wait until antibiotics are finished to tell if it's cleared up, but certainly go sooner if there are signs or symptoms that are concerning to you
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16 comments