Help! Can Amoxicillin cause hyperactivity and insomnia in kids?

TinyPinkBug

The kids both have ear infections.  B has been on antibiotics once before and Ty never.  Both kids have become severely hyper and no one is sleeping!  It is crazy around here!  Pedi office isn't open today and google isn't any help!  Has anyone ever heard of this before???

wendyj

From PDR Health.com:

 

What are the possible side effects of Amoxicillin?

Side effects cannot be anticipated. If any develop or change in intensity, tell your doctor as soon as possible. Only your doctor can determine if it is safe for you to continue taking this drug.

Side effects may include: agitation, anemia, anxiety, changes in behavior, colitis (inflammatory bowel disease), confusion, convulsions, diarrhea, dizziness, hives, hyperactivity, insomnia, liver problems and jaundice (yellowing of the eyes and skin), nausea, rash, vomiting.

ArcticFox

Is it a syrup with red dye?  Maybe they are sensitive to that?

jnk062602

Both are right - it doesn't usually have that effect on adults, but some kids are more sensitive to it and if you have the pink one, that may effect them too.

Hope they are on the mend soon!

kevinandmonica2011

I remember when I was a kid, my brother had ear infections often and was a MANIAC on antibiotics. I don't know exactly what kind, but I would guess amoxicillin, since it has been very popular. Seriously, it was like crack to him. Hope the kiddos feel better soon and you can ditch the energy juice. Yikes.

TinyPinkBug

ArcticFox:

Is it a syrup with red dye?  Maybe they are sensitive to that?

Nope, dye free liquid.

Brianna didn't go to sleep last night until 9:30, usually asleep by 8.  Then she was wide awake at 1:30am bouncing off the walls.  I couldn't keep her calm and quiet so Ty was up at 4am.  Bri finally crashed on my lap at 7am and slept until 11am but Ty was up for the day at 4.  Ty was miserable, hyper and difficult but nothing worse than himself on a bad day.  Brianna on the other hand was impossible all day.  Just crazy and angry.  She was attacking everyone by biting, hitting, kicking, throwing things...  We probably spent 1/2 of the day holding her down while Ty screamed.  It was so bad.  I am calling the pedi first thing in the morning.

I am not looking forward to tomorrow.  Either I keep Bri home from school and have to deal with them fighting all morning on my own, send her and home she holds it together, or worse, it is a snow day and they are both home all day!

TinyPinkBug

B slept from 8pm to 9:45pm, kept waking/falling back asleep until 11:30pm.   Now she is up, wide awake just needing to be moving and whining.  And she just woke up Ty.    Hopefully DH can get Ty back to sleep, otherwise looks like no one is going back to school tomorrow.

And just for some added fun, my cable box isn't working correctly so no on-demand Little Bear.  The only show Brianna actually sits quietly and watches,

Telyco

Omg, let us know what the ped says!

TinyPinkBug

Talked to a nurse at the pedi office, she totally blew off my concern that it could be a reaction to the amoxicillin and said it just wasn't a possibility.  She said if I am that concerned then to just stop giving it to her.  She said B is probably just feeling better which is causing her to be hyper and not sleep, I told her that is not the case and she is mean and angry, not feeling better.  They still didn't want to see her.  So I finally packed her up and took her to school an hour late, I figured an hour break may just be what saves her life today.  By the time we left the house at 9:45, she dumped rice crispies all over the floor (hardwood so they travel), clogged a toilet with toilet paper, bitten Ty twice, knocked the shower door off its track cause she was mad I was in the shower, dumped the bowl of cat food into the cat's water dish, dumped all the clothes out of the dirty laundry basket, smushed Ty's banana into the living room carpet...  That is just what she did since DH left at 8am.  Now we are home from school and she is just in her room crying/whining and destroying things.  I can hear her, she emptied her dresser drawers onto the floor, dumped her books and who knows what else.  I hear her getting into something now but don't know what it is.  I just want some sleep!

wendyj

That has to be so frustrating and scary to deal with. I would call the dr's office back and demand another medication if they are not going to see her. You should not have to live like that, and I can only imagine how B's feeling right now.

Telyco

I would insist on talking to a doctor.

etallen13

Whatever ended up happening? Did the Dr. Say anything about it?