Zithromax (Antibiotic) Experience- Lethargy

Read the package closely. I believe you take 2 the first day. This is kind of a bolus to get it in the blood stream. Any questions call the pharmacy.

Pneumonia takes a while to resolve. Eating is not that big a deal but he really needs to be drinking all day long or he could get dehydrated and that would make him lethargic. Do anything it takes to get him to drink. New straw, cup or make sweet tea or lemonade. No milk products right now. If he is not drinking, call the doctor about his being tired.

ETA: TALK TO YOUR PHARMACIST BEFORE GIVING DAIRY
(or other foods rich in calcium)
.
Many antibiotics bond to calcium (rendering them inert), which makes the antibiotics useless.

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1) The standard dose of Zithromax is a 5 day course (2 pills on day 1, then 1 pill for the next 4 days). HOWEVER... doctors will increase that time period to 7, 10, 14 days on a fairly regular basis for severe infection.

2) He's lethargic because of his immune system, not the antibiotics.

A) The immune system, when it's in full gear:

- Shuts off the digestive system (to shunt 'power' to the immune system)
- Shuts off the motor system (to shunt 'power' to the immune system).

Why? Because we have finite energy capacity. The 2 GREATEST drains on our energy are ratiocination (the act of sitting/standing but NOT moving, just not being a floppy lethargic ragdoll limp puddle), and digestion. Even running as fast as one can only uses something like 2% of our energy reserves. Ratiocination and Digestion = over 80% of our daily energy expenditure. (Hint: One of the best weight loss tricks? Sit up straight. Don't lean on stuff. Seriously.)

When the immune system shuts off the digestive system, and shuts off most of our motor cortex... we aren't hungry, and can barely move. Period. Because the immune system has shut those systems down to power itself.

((In the event of an emergency, the adrenal system WILL override the immune system. HOWEVER, that completely shuts the immune system off. There's a long complicated chemical process involved; but it boils down to: Doesn't matter if you recover from measles, if the bear has already eaten you.))

2B) The immune system is located primarilly in the lymphatic system... but antibodies are developed in the bone marrow (why our bones and joints ache when sick) and thymus. Antibodies & WBCs developed in the bone marrow are known as B-Cells, and the ones produced in the Thymus as T-Cells.

These cells are MOSTLY made up of lipids (fats) with just a dash of protein thrown in for structure.

The BEST sick foods on the planet are food that need almost no digestion.

- Super processed / broken down
- HIGH in fat
- LOW in fibers and difficult to digest things

= Fatty meat & bone rich soups (like chicken soup)
= Fast food (NOT 'gourmet', we're talking mcdonald's cheeseburger, not a chicken club with lettuce n whole grains).
= Pure / Simple sugars (the brain runs off of sugar, and nuthin' but sugar)

.....

In order to keep up the production of antibodies... and keep the brain regulating the immune system and homeostasis; feed your son broths, simple super sugary juices/ clear sodas, and fast food. Typically broths and clear sodas to start, and then the happymeals.

The exact same reasons why fast food is so bad for us when we're healthy, is why it's so good for us when we're sick. Super high calorie, fat content, sugar and salt load, and almost no digestion required.

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Personal Exp:

I got pneumonia every winter for 12 years. Some years were worse than others. In GENERAL... I slept for 1-2 weeks. As in 20-22 hours per day for 1-2 weeks. Your immune system YANKS energy. The more serious pneumonia cases took about 6 months to fully clear up. The less serious ones about 6 weeks. Pneumonia is a serious / hard hitting illness.

My son got pneumonia almost 2 years ago. It took over a year before his chest films were clean, and spent over a month in the hospital in the early stages (aka worst stages). My son's ADHD as well. It is a very night and day difference. One of the hardest things was dealing with the relapses. Every time they start moving around, the immune system gets shut off. Right when he was starting to recover... his dad took him on a hike instead of staying home and watching movies with him (I was in the ER that day since I hurt myself). My son was back to 103 fevers, and supplemental o2 for a week following that stunt. This will be a LAZY LOOKING winter for you. But while it may LOOK lazy, your son will be working really, really hard.

Your son is tired "because" of his immune system, "because" pneumonia is a hard hitting serious illness that he is going to need a LOT of rest to recover from.

Give him yogurt as often as he will eat it, and bananas, and lots of gatorade or pedialyte to drink. My son gets Zithromax when he gets the baddies(he gets bronchitis every fall). Antibiotics mess your natural bacteria up seriously, and yogurt helps replenish this.

He also needs a LOT of rest. When I had pneumonia, I was bedridden for a week, and could barely lift my head up to drink juice, soup and take my medicines. His not coughing and the fever breaking are two good indicators that the medicine is working. Seven day regimen is for severe cases, and/or additional infections.

As long as he is drinking fluids and eating some, he will be okay.

BTW, a cute trick to get a kid to open up? Take a foil covered yogurt cup--wide mouth(like vanilla or a non fruit on bottom flavour), and place a popsicle stick in it, then freeze. Ask him if his tummy is well enough to have a popsicle. Give yummy treat over to well deserving child.

Hope he feels better soon.

The lethargy could just be because of the pneumonia...be sure he's getting lots of fluids and rest.

There is Zithromax and there is the Z-Pak (which often is a double dose on day 1 followed by 4 days of a single dose and it continues working for a few days longer). If you have a question about dosage, ask the pharmasist and/or doctor

Pneumonia comes in different types and it can be very serious. I had it a few years ago and was out of work and basically on bed rest for 6 weeks. Of course, your son would feel lathargic. You can also tell that the antibotics are working because you have no fever and coughing.

Take the full doze of medication. If you don't notice a change after that time, call his doctor.

Take it from a veteran of pneumonia.
It can make you very, very tired.

It's a sure sign that your body needs to rest, to sleep, and to heal.

You're not going to get a lot of answers out of him. He doesn't feel well and he can't answer in a way that you can understand.

I've had to have double courses of antibiotics for pneumonia. Sometimes the first one doesn't knock it out. Also, I have been known to get combos of pneumonia and sinus infections.

If your son was nauseous, you'd know, because he'd be barfing. Or gagging.

Pneumonia knocks the slats right out from under your feet and if your son needs to sleep.......there is a reason for that. He needs rest so that his little body can heal itself.

In many ways, our bodies know what to do.
If your son needs sleep, let him sleep.
When I have pneumonia, I can easily sleep 20 hours a day.

Keep him hydrated as much as possible. Juice, frozen popsicles, tea, whatever he can manage.

Don't worry about the lethargy. He needs to SLEEP. Let him. That's how his little body is trying to heal itself.

Just my opinion.

I always love Riley's explanations! She's one smart lady!

I will tell you a much less scientific explanation based on my experience with a Zith pack. The first two doses (given at one time) kick my butt from here to Tuesday. I always end up with diarrhea because of it, my stomach feels awful and I feel like I got hit by a Mack truck. And that's worse than what I'm sick with, too!

It gets easier the 4th day, which is nice and all, but the 5th day is the last pill. Now, the Zith pack is supposed to stay in your system for 10 days. So I am lucky if I am feeling better from being sick by day 5, but I still feel crappy on those antibiotics until I'm not taking them anymore.

And I haven't had pneumonia since I was 2 years old.

Yes, pneumonia packs a punch and is actually kind of scary.

I think that she gave him 7 days because of his pneumonia, not a tiny bit of red ear. The red ear right now is so not a concern - the regular zith would knock out an ear infection. He needs the big guns for the pneumonia.

Make sure he drinks plenty of water to help him stay hydrated. Don't let him just lay down all the time. He needs to be sitting up some so that his lungs don't get filled with fluid.

The one good thing about him being so lethargic is that it is making sure that he rests so that his body can fight this germ. It's fighting really hard right now.

Hugs to you and him!
Dawn

He's probably just really worn out. My kid had pnemonia too last year. He wasn't his usually bubbly self for awhile. The antibiotics can take a toll on the body, and he probably has been through alot with the fevers and coughing, etc. I would give him another day or two. Give his body a chance to just get better. Rest, fluids. Is he drinking enough? Dehydration can also cause lethargic symptoms. Make sure he keeps up with fluids.

When a doc wants to put me on Zithromax I tell them it does not work for me. I tell them that I'll be back in a few days for a real antibiotic....

I have the best luck for pneumonia with Rocefrin. It burns like a hot poker when it goes in, even with the Novocaine they shoot in first. But I am always better within a few hours.