So poorly.

[SantosLHalper]

dd (6) has been ill with what appears to be awful flu since saturday and today seems worse again. she has a terrible cough, temp of 39 that nothing touches, snotty, achey...She has seemed better but today can't get out of bed.

The doctor says we just have to ride it out and she'll get better. He has given her antibiotics today in case its bacterial.

I am freaking out, I don't cope well when she's ill and she has never been this ill ever.

Sorry, just need to rant and dh is at work and everyone else is in festive swing.

[TheUnmentioned]

poor you. and her.

we are going through similar with ds who had a temp of 39.9 which calpol just didnt have any effect on.

I now have it and my asthma is horrendous and dd who is only 12 weeks is coming down with it maybe. Definitely off her milk and coughing.

Oh and its ds's 4th birthday.

It sucks doesnt it?

Just remember she will get through it and you're doing ok.

Re the temp Id ask the doc to weigh her, she may be over the weight for the 1-6 age of calpol etc so maybe could have more but a doc would need ot prescribe this.

[Ilovebaking]

Can you give her calprofen and calpol or alternated? Calprofen is much better at reducing the temperature. Key is that she drinks little sips often. Maybe you can let her listen to some story cd if you have one and if she feels like it. My dd (almost 5) had just flu, a whole week of temperatures of up to 40.6 celcius during day and night, unrelenting but it did come down about a hour after a dose of calprofen, but then a few hours later it went up again, calpol didn't help at all. First GP said viral, nothing you can do. Then she developed bacterial conjunctivitis and a severe anti-biotics so different GP has not prescribed anti-biotics. TBH I think that some GPs are too reluctant to prescribe anti-biotics at the moment, and do it too late, the first GP always labels everything 'viral'.

[SantosLHalper]

I have got her temp down now with calprofen and calpol. She's on the sofa chuckling at cartoons but obviously still very unwell.

Doctor started antibiotics this morning so loading her up with them too.

She hasn't eaten for 5 days but is sipping at juice and water. managing to keep her well hydrated.

Its night time when I get scared as the coughing is so relentless and nasty.

Just seen the news. Hadn't realised it was an epidemic.

[Merrymissychristmas]

Have you tried steam to ease her cough? Sit in the bathroom with the shower running or if you have one of the facial steamers help her sit over that. You can add olbas oil to the water. Tea tree is good too for inhaling. I find dd tolerates the tea tree better than olbas. Hope she feels better soon.

[thatsnotmymonkey]

yy to a steam, or if you can get to an argos buy a humidifier, it is a real boon for nasty coughs.

My DS is just over this, he was so ill. Frozen juices, innocent smoothies, ice cream etc are a good way of getting in more calories/fluids.

[SantosLHalper]

She won't have anything other than water and occasional glass of fruit juice. I am freaking out about how long she has not eaten for.

[dikkertjedap]

Humidifier is good (or damp cloths on radiator), but I would be careful with adding anything as it maybe too strong when they are so young. Also, manuka honey (health food stores, tesco etc.). Extra pillow. Luke warm chamomile tea or just sips of water. Juice might be a bit acid if she has a sore throat. I wouldn't be worried about calories, it is more that they drink. They will eat double when they feel better, at least that is what my dd is now doing. Today she has been absolutely stuffing herself, every 2 hours she comes asking for food. For her the anti-biotics has made a huge difference, her conjunctivitis is now gone and she no longer complains about ear ache. So I don't think it is necessarily just a virus or if it is a virus (I initially though she had flu) maybe they get a secondary infection really quickly eg after 2-3 days of the virus (but surely that is unusual so quick???). I expect that there is a lot of misdiagnosing going on like last year when they were missing tonsillitis and meningitis and other bacterial infections because everything was labelled swine flu.

Hope everybody gets better soon.

[SantosLHalper]

Have put bowl of water on radiators and bought Vix plug in smelly thing to ease breathing.

Its the not eating I struggle with. It really triggers my worry button whenever she stops eating.

[dikkertjedap]

I agree it is worrying, but humans can go a long time without food, it is fluid what is the biggest danger. Years ago there were those hunger strikers, they didn't eat for ages, much longer than our dds. I understand that it is hard, but when my dd didn't want to eat and I tried to give her something, she said mummy I don't want it because then I have to vomit. So I just had to trust that. I put a little bowl with some tea biscuits and plain crackers next to her bed for her to take if she wanted it. Lo and behold after she had about 3 doses of anti-biotics fever came dramatically down and next day had gone altogether and she started eating. She also hadn't eaten for five days btw. Hopefully once she had 24 hours anti-biotics she starts feeling well enough to eat.

[SantosLHalper]

Thanks for words of reassurance. This flu or whatever the hell it is is just horrendous.

[CharlieMcGee]

My DD is the same we have been to the Dr's this morning as she was coughing so hard in her sleep she threw up a load of brown snot :(.

GP said it is a virus and we just have to keep her warm and hydrated.

The cough is very scary but I gave her some medised and that seems to have it calmed down for now.

[Sirzy]

Don't worry about the not eating. DS was in hospital recently and didn't eat for nearly a week and the staff weren't concerned at all - as long as he was drinking they were happy.

[SantosLHalper]

Well, she's still ill, but on the mend veeerrry slowly. What an awful virus. She's had antibiotics as got infection on chest. She's still not eating unless we coerce her and I am still freaking out.

How long can a virus last...?

[moosky]

Hi

Glad DC is on the mend.
Just so you know and not to scare you but DD was ill with this awful virus for a week. Just made it back for the last 2 days of school last Mon//Tue. So, she's had a clear week of illness and now seems to have the virus back again... :(
Temp is 39.2 and yet again she has a sore throat, headache and cough.
It is vile!!!

[dikkertjedap]

I still have it, whilst dd is better now (she was given anti-biotics, I wasn't). Is she drinking okay? Would she take chicken stock or a thin vegetable soup? A few crisps (as they have a little salt and she may have lost that with fever etc). Hope she gets better soon.

[SantosLHalper]

I also still have it, so shouldn't be too surprised that she does too.

She'll only drink water or juice, but has eaten a little more today. She says things taste funny and thats why she doesn't want to eat. I can empathise. Christmas dinner was a total waste as I could barely taste a thing either.

My dd has a remarkable capacity not to eat though - she has always been the same - so it freaks me out when she's like this. It will passs, I just wish it would hurry up....