Child Gets Fever & Vomiting After Antibiotics

I would not take my child to the hospital for a fever and vomiting unless there were other symptoms (ie dehydration) or they had the symptoms for over a week.

If you take your child to the hospital, that is what they are going to do...check for a UTI, check their appendix, run blood work. When they rule the bad stuff out they typically will tell you it is viral.

Why are you taking him to the hospital for these symptoms? When you are run down, it is probably best not to expose him to all the germs that are in a hospital.

Glad he is feeling better now.

Actually, 103 isn't that high for some kids. Are you giving yogurt or probiotics while he's on the antibiotic? He needs them, his gut flora is all messed up right now, and THAT weakens the immune system, which probably made him susceptible to the viral infection. Start there. Let the fever go a couple of days, as long as he's not screaming in pain and can rest, let it do it's work and don't give meds. Push fluids, LOTS OF FLUIDS, have him always be drinking something like tea or broth or watered down juice. Cut out all sugar and don't give food until he asks.

Antibiotics have nothing to do with viruses. Your child likely is picking up viruses separately from the infections for which he's prescribed the antibiotics.

The symptoms you describe sound like typical stomach virus and are not a reason for going to the hospital. You expose him to more germs and viruses when you take him there. Do you call your pediatrician before you go? Is the pediatrician advising you to go to the ER? I would bet not -- please call the pediatrician first next time. If your pediatrician does not have a system where you can call 24/7 and get a real person to call back to answer your questions about whether a hospital trip is needed -- you need to change doctors to one who does have such a system. Most do.

It is possible that he is weaker and more susceptible to viruses after he's been sick with an ear infection but the antibiotics themselves are not going to "cause" a viral infection.

Is he in day care or preschool or kindergarten? Do you send him back to any of those once he's had a few days of antibiotics? (It's typical to return to school etc. after 48 hours on most antibiotics.) If so, then he is likely picking up viruses at school, unrelated to his ear infection or the medication.

I would work on getting his recurring ear infections handled better (he may need an operation on his tubes). And talk to your doctor before the next time -- tell the doctor about the hospital visits. You are leaping to the hospital very quickly and possibly exposing him to more infections when there.

He could have a virus on top of whatever else (not all ear infections are bacterial) or he could have a reaction to the meds or both. We had a problem with DD and amoxicillin when she was a year old. 2 days in, she puked every time she had the medicine and the doctor gave us something else. It's now noted in her chart and we avoid it. Her big bro and aunt are allergic to penicillin so we're not entirely surprised.