Amoxicillin and Hyperactivity

My 3 year old son is currently on Amoxicillin from a recent ear infection..this is his first time on any anitbiotic..my husband and I have noticed irritability and some aggressive behavior..oh! he also has had diarrhea everyday since..maybe that's why he's cranky..I elected to lower his dosage from twice a day to once a day..I've noticed a difference and it seems like we are getting our happy kid back. I believe as parents we are the experts of our kids and one size does not fit all..

J. B

That's interesting, because we experienced the same thing when my son was on amoxicillin. He's only 3 but he was a maniac. Everyone said they'd never heard of such a thing, but we were witnesses to the high energy levels. I never found anything to back up my theory though.

Antibiotics change the bacteria in your gut - so a lot of people take probiotics or eat yoghurt with live bacteria.
The behavior you describe is hypomanic or manic - and happens to some people when they take antibiotics. Some people who are bipolar have to be careful when they take antibiotics because it messes with their brain chemistry. I think it is because the meds deplete their bodies of some B vitamins. Check with your doctor if you think your child needs something.

Is your child taking any cold meds along with the antibiotics?
Decongestants and antihistamines can make my kids wild.

Also, if you start those antibiotics finish them. I saw the post about non-drug remedies. I am concerned that you may decide to stop the antibiotics which can result in drug resistant strains of bacteria. When you end up with this kind of infection you have to be on IV antibiotics for 10 days to get rid of.
I am not against natural remedies- but know there are risks when you do not take the whole round of antibiotics.
Good luck!

Once you hit the 24 hour mark, the antibiotics have a good start at killing the bacteria. A lot of children go nuts for a day or two because they all of a sudden feel a lot better. If it is a concern you can call your doctor, but do not stop giving her the medication without talking to your doctor. Give it exactly as prescribed. Untreated (or not properly treated) strep infections cause Rheumatic fever. That can then lead to Rheumatic heart disease which can lead to the valves in heart not working right and the need for major open heart surgery.

My daughter recently had strep throat, too, and we had one of the worst weeks we have had in a long time once she got on the antibiotic and started feeling better. She was very hyper and also very defiant. We really did wonder if the antibiotics had an effect on her brain or the chemicals in her body or something. I do think that part of it was just that she felt SOOO bad when she had the strep throat, that once she started feeling better, she was so happy not to feel bad that she just went wild. I don't know...just a theory, but I guess some people are saying antibiotics can have similar effects. The thing is, she has been on antibiotics multiple times, and it never had that effect before. Who knows, but if it gives you any comfort, she is doing a lot better this week (even while she was still on the antibiotics). Good luck!

Hi,

I think I posted a question like this a while back and I didn't get many (if any) responses. I had this same problem with my son, but it was mainly at night. He didn't seem off the wall so much during the day, but getting him to sleep at night was horrible. When we did get him to sleep, he would wake up a few hours later hyper and ready to play for hours. He had to stay in his crib, of course, but it still kept us up. Weird, isn't it? I guess it doesn't happen to everyone (I googled it and didn't find any info on it!) but it obviously happens to some. At this point, I would always ask for some other type of antibiotic because of this (even though he hasn't been on any for a year). Oh, and he's usually a great sleeper- never wakes up and gets out of bed or anything, so it was definitely not normal for him. Maybe you could ask your doc if you could switch to a different one?

My grandson was prescribed Amoxicillin last week and for the last four days has been out of control hyper. I can't get him to take a nap and everything is a fight or struggle. I have to ask if it is a side effect from this medicine. He is three yrs old and naturally had a ton of energy, but this behavior isn't normal.

Janet G. What the heck is wrong with you? You seem like you have all the answers, so riddle me this: my son had a double ear infection 6 times in 4 months. Should I have given him some kind of voodoo ritual and a pat on the back with a pocket full of butterflies and rainbows? Btw, cartoon characters are involved here. Cmon. I’m in healthcare and sold antibiotics for a living for a long time. It takes me a lot to even fathom taking one, but don’t act all high and mighty cause your granola attitude thinks it’s what is best. Go to Whole Foods and find a “chill” remedy.... and sorry, not sorry, I have to add. What do you mean by “first time having strep?” Do you have a Medical degree? Would love to hear your background since your so opinionated. None of my physician friends are even vocal on the net.....

http://www.livestrong.com/article/51088-side-effects-amox...

look at this link, it ia a side affect of the medicine

I know this is an old post, but we just went through this over the weekend! Our 5 year old also had strep and was prescribed the pink Amoxicillin liquid. He went from feverish and lethargic to super hyper! He was dancing, talking and singing at high speeds and couldn't sit still for 5 to 6 hours after taking it. His bedtime is 8 pm and since there was a dosage to be administered at bedtime our nightmare soon began! he went from 'happy' crazy to angry when we told him he had to go to bed, throwing cushions and dropping to floor whining and crying (not normal for our child at all) It took many hours for him to come down from this state of energy and ended up not sleeping until after midnight. We called the doctor and took him back the next morning. They called it an adverse reaction, not an allergic reaction, but all the same are keeping him off all 'cillins' from now on. He was prescribed instead Azithromycin. I am writing now incase other parents are googling for info as I was all morning. I have seen many cases similar to ours on the internet, but not a lot of solutions. TO ANYONE READING THIS: Please stop giving your child this drug if they have any similar reactions, take them back to the doctor and get something else to treat the illness. It not only drives the parents crazy and disrupts everyones sleep schedules, but cant be healthy for a young child to have such a shock to their systems! If this post helps even 1 family, it will be worth it! Good luck everyone!

My 1 year old daughter also becomes hyperactive after taking this medicine for an ear infection. The first night she slept great. The last three nights have been awful and she is constantly flip flopping in her crib and kicking her legs...she wakes up very upset and immediately stands in her crib.

From my own experience taking antibiotics, I had a reaction to Zithromax. It made my eyes dilate and I was off balance and couldn't drive a car. I later broke out in a rash. So I know they can do weird things to your body.

My grandson who is 3.5 years old is on Amoxicillin for an ear infection. The ear infection is gone now but he is irritable, wired, and impatient. His preschool has reported that just this week (He started on Amoxicillin Monday evening.) he has been kicking, hitting, and not cooperating with the teachers. This is very unlike his typical behavior. It will be interesting to see if his behavior improves once he is off the medication.