I have been applying erythromycin to my 11 week old son for 7 days as prescribed by my pharmacist. It is still running, should I continue?

Question

My pharmacist prescribed erythromycin cream to apply to my son 4 times a day for 7 days. Today is the 7th day and his eye is still running, it's less dark than at the beginning, the secretions are now light yellow but still very present. I noticed that the secretions came out more when I just applied the cream. After a while when there is no more cream in his eye, it runs less. Should I continue to apply the cream for a few more days? Thanks a lot! Hello, Yes I applied the ointment 4 times a day except for one day that I applied it 3 times. And I would say the secretions changed color after about 4-5 days. Also, is it normal that I feel like the secretions are coming out more right after I apply the ointment? Thank you so much!!!

Jean-Sébastien Lecompte · Accepted Answer

Hello, I'm glad to see that the ointment has at least reduced the symptoms. From what you tell me the infection seems under control, but it's not gone completely. At this point, I think it would be best to go to the doctor or optometrist. Normally, the infection is supposed to be pretty much cleared up after a few days. Maybe the bacteria involved in the infection are more resistant. Before suggesting a solution, I would need to know 2 things: The frequency of application was indeed 3 to 4 times a day? How many days after starting the ointment did you notice an improvement? The infection may be more resistant. I think the time to improvement was a bit long, but at least there was improvement. It is indeed possible that the mucus comes out more after application, but I'm not sure if that's a generalization (you don't see that in all patients). We could try to continue the application of the ointment for another 3 days (so total treatment time of 10 days). If after that time there is no improvement and you still notice yellowish discharge, I suggest you see a doctor or optometrist to see if it is something else or if another antibiotic could be used.