Some antibiotics are taken with food and others must be taken on a empty stomach and some can be taken either way. Antibiotics that may be taken with food, may be mixed in with food, like applesauce or pudding or drinks. However, you must make sure the child will take the full dosage, so mix it with a small amount of the food or drink. Symptoms of the earache should improve within 48 hours of starting the antibiotic. The congestion and cough do not necessarily improve with antibiotics.
Antibiotics do have an expiration date, so be sure to discard after that date.
Complete the entire course of antibiotics as directed, usually ten days, but some newer antibiotics only need to be taken for five days. Antihistamine and decongestant combinations have not been proven to prevent ear infections when used to treat cold symptoms. They may be helpful in relieving the cold symptoms. Because they are close to the eustachian tube, they may affect eustachian tube function and contribute to frequent ear infections when the adenoids are enlarged. Signs of large adenoids include snoring and open mouth breathing.