Although frustrating, this is a common scenario in Pediatrics, especially if parents are expecting immediate results. Why does it happen?
The Tincture of Time
One of the strongest medicines in Pediatrics is often time. Most kids, especially those with viral infections, will get better on their own. They often don't need an antibiotic and just need a little time or 'watchful waiting'. This leads to the most common reason that you child hasn't gotten better yet, and that is because you just haven't given your child enough time to get better.For example, kids with the common cold are often sick for a few weeks. They often worsen over 3-5 days and then gradually get better over the next week or two. If you saw your Pediatrician on the first or second day of the illness, you shouldn't usually expect your child to be better in just a few days, even if he did get an antibiotic (which don't work for viral infections).
The same goes for stomach viruses. Although vomiting with these infections usually only lasts a day or two, the diarrhea might linger for several weeks.
Remember that there aren't many true '24 hour viruses'. Most take a week or two to go away.
Non Compliance
Another big reason for not getting better is that you are not giving or your child is not taking his medicine. In younger kids this is usually because they simply refuse to take their medicine, either because it doesn't taste good or because they are simply being stubborn. If this is the case, talk to your Pediatrician, who may be able to prescribe a better tasting medicine or one that can be given less often.Older kids and teens are often given the responsibility of taking their medications on their own, so it can be hard to tell if they are using them or not. One easy way is to just think about how often you have gotten refills. If you were given a one month supply, you haven't gotten a refill in several months and your child still has a lot of medicine left, then he likely isn't using it.
Food & Drug Interactions
Another reason for your child to not get better is that the medicine he is taking is interacting with something else, such as a food, drink or other medication. Be sure to read the package insert to see if there are any food or drug interactions for the medicine your child is taking. Be sure to keep in mind that OTC medications and natural therapies can also sometimes interfere with your child's medications.Medication Side Effects
If your child worsens after starting a new medication, you should always consider that he may be having a side effect of the medications he is taking.One common scenario occurs in kids who have a simple cold and then get fussy and are up all night. Most parents first thought is that their child has an ear infection, and while that often does occur, it could also be that the cold medicine that you gave your child before bed is making him irritable and have insomnia.
Reading the package insert can help you to see what common side effects of the medication are. Be careful, because these will often include very rare side effects. Instead of looking at every side effect listed, concentrate on the common ones, especially those that occur more commonly than placebo.
