To think teeth do not cause this sort of fever?

[QueenNefertitty]

DS is 15 mo and has been constantly unwell since September, with everything from tonsillitis to noro, back to tonsillitis and bronchiolitis etc etc

Today his fever has steadily crept up to 39 - along with his usual (blanching) blotchy torso rash that frightens the life out of me every time- (it's also not unusual for him to break through the 40 barrier when he's unwell)- which I'm treating with calpol and ibuprofen.

He's also got a very red face/nose, is drooling, and definitely teething.

DM thinks it's "just" teeth- I think that with a temp this high, it's something else too- and as he hasn't yet had the mmr (due to... his poor health recently) I'm terrified it's measles (what if this time the rash is a real rash!)

I'm not immediately worried about him- resp rate normal for a hot child, temp responding (slowly) to drugs, and he's not behaving weirdly...

But what do you all think? Could it possibly just be his teeth? He's due his molars...

For full disclosure- I would be delighted if so, as absolutely cannot miss work (again) tomorrow but no idea what I'll do if he can't go to nursery. Take him to work, probably...

[Oysterbabe]

No that won't just be teeth. I imagine he has a virus. Last winter DD was about the same age and had one every other week until February, it was really stressful.

[Oysterbabe]

Also our nursery won't take them until they've had a normal temperature for over 24 hours, normal by their standard is under 37.5.

[furryelephant]

Sounds exactly like my dd, minus the rash! I’m also terrified convinced after much googling that it’s measles! I don’t think teeth cause a fever, I think it’s been said there’s no evidence teething causes fever at all now. Hope he feels better soon

[QueenNefertitty]

@oyster

Because DS reacts incredibly OTT to colds etc. the nursery have been quite understanding- and accommodating in terms of letting him stay with low grade fevers- but I'd never send him in when he's been this hot anyway, really.

Just feel at my wits end. Am lone parent and terrified I'm going to be sacked- only been in the job 8 weeks and had 6 days off with his various illnesses.... That's even with my family stepping into the breech as necessary...

[LoniceraJaponica]

When DD was little she was prone to urine infections, and her temperature used to rocket. I think the highest was 41.6. Fortunately she was in hospital at the time.

It might be worth trying to get a urine sample dip tested to rule out a UTI.

I hope he feels better soon. I have walked in your shoes and know just how worrying it is.

[QueenNefertitty]

@lonicera

I did wonder about a UTI... I have a sterile bottle I think, may drop off a sample tomorrow. His GP is worse than useless though, so hold out little hope of actual assistance. Need to change GP but had basically no break between viruses/ infections in which to do so ... very frustrating.

@elephant ... misery loves company! Crossing fingers for both of us is just generic viral rash.

So... looks like DS coming to work with me
tomorrow. Good thing I babyproofed the meeting room a few weeks back ...

[QueenNefertitty]

Just checked the rash. Gone down as his temp has come down, so presume just feverish capillary dilation.

Poor mite. We're all we've got, and in the same breath I worry about him having measles, I'm worrying about my one o clock meeting.

Life is one long round of guilt and calpol at the mo

[Oysterbabe]

It's such a difficult time.
If it's any consolation once winter was over we had very few bugs and this winter has been soooo much better, she's only been off once so far. I think that first winter at nursery is a killer but the only way is up.

[QueenNefertitty]

So just to update- because I hate when you see these threads on google and have no idea what the upshot was...

DS was dx with another bout of bacterial tonsillitis today. Then developed petechia and a widespread rash by the afternoon. Currently in hospital waiting for a second round of blood tests-

handholding would be greatly appreciated.

[Sweetpotatoaddict]

Awh Queen that is rotten. A big hug your way, hopefully you get some quick answers and he responds to treatment quickly.
It is so awful when they are sick, you'd do anything to make them better. Take care

[GrockleBocs]

Poor boy :( Hope they're looking after the pair of you

[Phalarope]

Poor both of you. Have you got anyone with you? I hope work are cutting you some slack.

[QueenNefertitty]

Thank you all. You're very kind.

The good thing about this (?!) is that we've got an excellent paeds dr looking after us, who thinks enough is enough, and is putting DS on high dose of second line ABs immediately, and running complete blood work to rule out not only septicaemia etc but also anything underlying all of this. 3 episodes of tonsillitis, one bronchiolitis, one norovirus infection, an ear infection and two generic "viral" episodes in three months, feels like an awful lot for one baby.

Work are .... being quite silent. I suspect I'm in for some sort of disciplinary. Today I missed the annual board meeting at which we were presenting our mid year reporting, and my absence threw the annual social event, which is key to our fundraising, into absolute disarray.

But what else could I do? Ask a babysitter to come and deal with my potentially seriously ill child? If I'm heading for my p45, at least it's safe in the knowledge that I made the right decisions for DS.

DM here. She's quite lovely, if ineffectual and q needy. Nice to have the company though.

[Sweetpotatoaddict]

Glad you've got a good dr looking after him. Fingers crossed that all the tests find nothing wrong except from some exceptionally nasty viral infections.
My ds was a nightmare when he started nursery picking up everything, hospital admissions with breathing problems, and gastroenteritis. He's 3 now still gets things but nothing like the initial onslaught. Hope you both get some sleep tonight. Try not to think about work, there is nothing different you could have done.

[GrockleBocs]

That is a ridiculous amount of illness in 3 months for anyone let alone a baby. There must be something underlying going on. Hopefully that's something that's easily remedied like coeliac.
As to work I hope they aren't going to be difficult. Perhaps the silence is them not having time and/or sensitivity.

[QueenNefertitty]

@grockle

The coeliac thing is interesting... I'm GF for my skin (exclusion diet showed gluten was my psoriasis trigger)- and DS has twice had episodes in which he passed blood in his stool several times- one episode was quite a large amount of blood with lots of mucus --and coeliac was suggested then.

I'll be honest- I don't know much about it- why would coeliac diseases provoke these other illnesses?

[GrockleBocs]

*I'm a coeliac btw if that sounded flippant. It wasn't meant to be!

[GrockleBocs]

x post. I'm not 100% sure of the biology but I think the immune system is in a right tizzy when gluten is damaging the bowel and that causes problems with susceptibility to illness. Plus if the body is permanently fighting the gluten damage etc, it is harder for it to fight normal viruses and so on.

[QueenNefertitty]

@grockle

That's really really interesting. I'm a big believer in healing through diet etc- and had wondered whether DS had an intolerance previously- but hadn't drawn the link.if the bloods and throat swabs don't show anything, I'll ask for a gluten test to be done.

Thanks for the suggestion!

[GrockleBocs]

Sounds like it's worth checking then, yes. :)

[Schroedingerscatagain]

Hi Queen

I was like this as a child including hospital admissions developed all manner of problems, it took till my 40’s for them to diagnose coeliac disease

My specialist feels that all the tonsillitis, coughs colds etc were due to an immuno dificiency that is associated with coeliac disease

Definitely worth pursuing with your own connection

[Phalarope]

How's he doing this morning?

[Phalarope]

(er afternoon)

[QueenNefertitty]

Hi @phalarope

DS is pretty miserable. Hand foot and mouth and a nasty case of (ulcerated!!) tonsillitis (again)! But we've been allowed home from hospital with co-amoxiclav to try and get on top of the infection, while they grow the cultures from the tonsils in the lab. They reckon maybe strep which is why it's been so persistent.

One dr has suggested we might want to pursue tests for immune issues if it comes back after the new ABs . They suspect that the tonsils are the root cause and each time he gets it, his immune system is so knackered he gets whatever else is going around on top as a matter of course.

He's a bit dehydrated but not dangerously so (some wet nappies, just not many) and he is now tentatively breastfeeding/ accepting some water...

Long weekend of pushing fluids and cuddles ahead I think!

Thank you for asking