Question
The boy is almost five years old and has been coughing frequently. He has been taking traditional Chinese medicine for about 20 days. Last week, his cough became severe, leading to a fever of over 39 degrees. He went to the hospital, where the doctor prescribed azithromycin and other cough suppressants. Because he didn’t pay attention to the instructions, he took an overdose of azithromycin, taking it three times a day, 0.25mg each time, for three boxes totaling 18 tablets. Later, he realized the mistake and went to the hospital to ask the doctor. The doctor asked him to check his liver function, which was normal. At that time, he still had a cough but no fever. The doctor advised him to stop the medication for 5 days and then take it seriously for another 5 days. Now, 5 days have passed since he stopped the medication, and the child is not coughing at all. Doctor, do I still need to finish taking the azithromycin?
Answer
Dear baby, this situation should be considered as possibly caused by mycoplasma infection. I suggest you stabilize the treatment course, usually estimated at 10 to 15 milligrams per kilogram of body weight, taking it once a day for three days. After taking it for three days, you should stop for four days. This is a treatment course that must be stabilized to ensure the child’s complete recovery. At the same time, encourage your child to drink more water and consider oral immune-boosting medications. These are my suggestions for this issue; I hope they are helpful to you. Wishing you a speedy recovery!