Fever for 6 days with flu - normal?

[DIWhy]

DD has had a high temperature since Friday night (spiking at 39.3). Has been complaining of sore throat, earache, tummy ache, sore chest when coughing, sore calf muscles & hasn't eaten much since Friday.

Her temp has been coming down with calpol/nurofen, she was seen by the doc on Monday who said ears & throat fine. Went back on Weds pm bec she'd been complaining of sore chest when coughing, chest is fine & he also felt around her tummy. This is when he said 'I think she has the flu'.

She is definitely feeling better because she's been playing, and eating a bit more, and generally much happier. Ears & throat now OK, she just has tummy ache & cough/snotty nose. Her temp has been ok during the morning (mid 37s) but creeping up in the afternoon. I thought we were fever free today but she was complaining of feeling cold so I checked and it's up to 38.1. By this time last night she'd already had a dose of calpol after a temp of 38.5 mid afternoon.

So, her fever is definitely lower than it has been the last few days and she's definitely feeling a bit better, but the fact that the fever is still there is worrying me. Is this normal to have a fever this long with the flu? Do I call the doctor tomorrow or do I not need to (also worried because it's Friday tomorrow & then we're going away on Sunday)..

Sorry it's long

[BeaWheesht]

I wouldn't worry too much unless the fever becomes consistent.

Ds had flu and had a temp of 39.9 which then went back down to 38ish for a day and then back up to 40 with calpol so we knew it was a bacterial infection. He was delirious and coughing and obv very hot. Oh and not eating.

However, If you're worried then get her checked.

[lougle]

DD2 has been feverish (39 - 39.7c) since Sunday. Cough, sore eyes, exhausted and pale, sore throat. Think it's just a bad virus going around.

[drjohnsonscat]

DD has had this for a few days too - sore throat, sore eyes, aching legs, fevers up and down for days. We've not been to the drs because I'm assuming it's just one of those things that will go in due course and so far she's not getting worse (just not getting better iyswim). It's a shame to see her miss so much of the Christmas fun at school etc.

[DIWhy]

that's reassuring. I was (am) just worried because 'people' always say that a fever shouldn't last more than 4 days...

I know drjohnson it's such a shame especially the christmas show after all the hard work of rehearsing for what seemed like months!

will the doctor think i'm a pain in the arse if I call again tomorrow then?

[BeaWheesht]

Who cares what the doc thinks. I DONT think this is the case with your dd but docs thought I was pain in the arse when ds had swine flu and I was because I trusted my instincts and I was right he had pneumonia!

[DIWhy]

temp is back to normal for the first time this morning, but waiting for it to go up again late afternoon
if it was a chest infection or something it wouldn't ever go down to 'normal' would it?

[maxmillie]

Got to be checked out I think but just to let you know, my 5y old had a similar illness a few of weeks back, his temp was up at 39/40 every day morning and evening for 7 or 8 days. Even with Calpol/ibuprofen it only ever came down to 38. He also had really bad hive type rash over his body every night for 12 nights! (not exagerating). This was the week after a nasty flu type thing (snotty nose, aches and pains etc) which then turned into a chest infection. He was seen by numerous doctors, GPs and out of hours, and they eventually concluded it was just a nasty cold/flu type virus.

He was a bit tired and post-viral for awhile and had 4 or 5 days off school but it fine now. Maybe your DD has a similar thing? Hope it passes soon.

[ShowOfHands]

DD had flu in March. I was convinced there was something else/something bacterial going on as her temp was consistently shooting back up for 8 days. She was lethargic, pale, sore, sleeping for 20 out of every 24hrs, snotty, coughy and tearful. I saw the doc 3 times in the 8 days she was ill and they were v v thorough and reassured me each time that she was just suffering from actual flu and because we don't see it often, we forget how bad it can be.
She is 5 and couldn't get to the loo to wee as her legs hurt and she was weak. She would try and stand and would fall down complaining of aches and shivers and even wet herself a couple of times. Doc advised we give her coke to drink as she wasn't eating and her blood sugar levels were suffering and she had no energy.

Then on day 9, she woke up, no temp, no cough, nothing. She bounced right back. She was tired for a while, still pale and recovering but it was like a switch flicking. I came down with it and I lost an entire day. I got up to walk downstairs, fainted, crawled to the phone, rang my Mum and cried that I couldn't look after the dc and fainted again. I can't remember anything else. She came over for the day and apparently I was feverish, hallucinating and/or asleep for the day. I could not believe how shocking I felt. Made me realise how bloody awful it was for dd.