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Children's health

Any ideas as to what may be wrong with ds2/how I get the dr to see he's ill?

18 replies

CherylAnnTweedy · 07/12/2010 07:16

Trip after trip to the gp, have been told the usual "there's nothing wrong, probably just a virus, give him plenty of fluids & paracetamol". 3 weeks of this and he's still no better.

It started as inflamed tonsils, his tonsils are very big anyway and will be likely to have them out in a few years, but every now and then they get very big and red. GP - no tonsilitis - just give paracetamol. According to ds1 he was sick a few times in the night over the weekend while they were at my exes.

He's been complaining of tummy aches and leg aches. GP - tummy - attention seeking, legs - growth spurt - give paracetamol.

Very itchy bum - treated for worms.

He's okish during the day but get to approx 4-5pm and he just flags. Goes very white, red sunken eyes, looks like crap and like he hasn't slept for a week. He hasn't eaten dinner since Weds, although is eating breakfast & lunch. Evening time he gets very hot, temp showing as 38 on our thermometer (I think it's about 1/2 a degree out). All he wants to do is lay down on settee. Been going up to bed about 6 and falling straight to sleep, very unlike him. Coughing all night long (not an asthmatic cough at all, almost whoops, but not quite) - doesn't cough at all during the day, gp- chest clear, he'll get over it.

He's now very snuffly as well although not a lot coming out when nose is blown and his breath absolutely stinks (but tonsils are not up now (very big but no bigger than is normal for him))

Complaining of "every part of me hurts", also occasionally complaining that lights are too bright.

I AM going to get him to gp again today, but what do I say to them? How do I get them to listen to me and see that he's not well? If I get no joy out of duty dr at surgery then I'll take him to out of hours when he will at least look ill, but again what do I say, how do I stress that he's not right?

I know my son, I know he's not well, but I don't know what is wrong and what to do for him. That's the doctors job. What they've been telling me for the last 3 weeks isn't helping. ALso my children don't get ill. They are ill usually maybe once a year and usually once they've been sick it's out of them after only a few hours.

Sorry for long ramble, I'm at my wits end, don't know what else to do, or where to go for him. I just want my little boy back.

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mumbar · 07/12/2010 07:31

I'm afraid I have no advice, but agreee you need to see GP again - maybe a different one.

I hope you sort things out for DS.

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Lulumaam · 07/12/2010 07:35

that does not sound right at all

why was he not given antibiotics for the inflamed red tonsils?
or
he might have just had a virus and be having post viral illness/fatigue

it is not right for a child to stay unwell this long..

he has a fever, coughing, loss of appetite, aches & pains, fatigued..

that needs getting to the bottom of ! see a different doctor or see out of hours ?

poor DS and poor you

what a worry

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Lastyearsmodel · 07/12/2010 08:00

I have no answers but just adding my sympathy - DD1 has been similar. I came on MN this morning to help me decide whether to send her to school or not. She's 4.6 and has been off for a week now but still complaining of tummyache, sore legs, sore throat, etc. Lowered appetite, tired a lot, very similar to your DS. She had chickenpox 3 weeks ago so I'm interested to read Lulu's post about post-viral illness or fatigue.

Got a GP's appointment this morning anyway, so you've helped me decide we should keep it. It's her nativity tomorrow and I don't want her to miss it, but if I'm honest, I think it means more to me than to her. And if I'm even more honest, the thought of another day by myself with DD1 and DS bickering and DD2 (13 weeks) crying does not fill me with joy, but I don't want to send her to school if she's not up to it.

Gah, motherhood! Sorry to ramble/hijack, but this thread has helped, thank you.

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CherylAnnTweedy · 07/12/2010 08:47

Motherhood indeed Lastyearsmodel! Where's the manual telling you what to do? Hope your dd gets better, sounds exactly the same as what ds is suffering with. I'm due with dc3 tomorrow so I'm telling him or her to stay put for a little bit. My sympathies with the chicken pox, DS2 had it quite badly a few years ago and he was off nursery for about a month it hit him so badly.


Thanks for the advice mumbar & Lulu. The only 2 doctors available today were one I really don't like and one that we've already seen twice, so I'm going to stick it out until this evening and take him to the out of hours clinic. Need to write myself a script I think to make sure I get everything across.

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acebaby · 07/12/2010 08:55

Your poor DS Sad.

I would emphasize how long he has been ill for and on that basis ask for some antibiotics just to see if they help. Children normally pick up after a couple of days from a virus, unless it is something really nasty like full blown flu.

If they say they say it's viral, insist that they swab his throat and check his urine to confirm that there is no bacterial infection.

Good luck and I hope your DS feels better soon

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blinder · 07/12/2010 09:11

I always forget long lists of symptoms so write them down. Make a list of everything in your first post and read it to the GP.

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stickersarecurrency · 07/12/2010 09:13

I think this is doing the rounds, my 3 year old is getting over it at last. We had nearly 3 weeks of a horrible cough, fevers, aches and poor appetite. Took him to the GP (one I trust) after 5 days of coughing who reckoned it was likely to be viral and to give it another couple of days. Sure enough the coughing eased a bit but then he started complaining of sore ears so we took him back. He had enlarged tonsils and adenoids and has been on antibiotics for 5 days now and is improving. There were several days when he had to have Calpol and Calprofen intermittently or he would just be crying. DP has also had it and has been unwell for 3 weeks now with terrible headaches and sinus pain. I do think it's a particularly nasty virus but secondary bacterial infection is a risk and if there's a chance your DS will feel better with antibiotics then I think after 3 weeks then it's definitely worth a try.

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jenniferturkington · 07/12/2010 09:23

This sounds exactly like my DS this time last year. For about 6 weeks he was suffering on and off with fever, tiredness, constipation, coughing, cold symptoms and so on. Each time I though he was getting better and would venture out somewhere, he would flag after half an hour and lie down asking to go home Sad
It was truly awful, the gp in fairness was always quite concerened and at one point did prescibe antibiotics for his throat. When it continued though the gp assumed it was swine flu (it was during that era!) and said nothing could be given, just calpol. Anyway, a few days after Christmas we went away to hotter climates and he was transformed within 48 hours of landing- it was like a switch had been flicked! So basically, you need to go on holiday Wink
Just hoping my ds doesn't slip back to the same state this year as there are certainly no holidays on the horizon this year.
Definately take him back to the GP, and hopefully he will bounce back in time for Christmas.

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mummyplonk · 07/12/2010 09:26

Cherylanntweedy, your poor little one. I read your post and had to tell you about something that happend with my ds when he was 4yrs, can I please point out this is probably very rare and I dont want to worry you but I would be worrying all day if I didnt reply.

Ds had bad tonsils and had them removed in the Dec, in January he had raging temp and complained his legs hurt, didnt eat for nearly a week and progressivly got worse to the point where he screamed if we lifted him out of bed or moved his body, 2 x ambulance trips to hospital said it was the flu virus, 2 days later and no improvement, I felt it was more and 3rd doctor was sent out to the home, he ordered another ambluance and requested a blood test this time, it turned out he contracted something called Strep Throat, as it was not diagnosed quickly enough this unfortunately progressed into something much nastier and he ended up in hospital for 6 months.

If your instincts are not happy with what you have been told I would probably encourage you to ask for a blood test as this will generally rule out anything really bad. I really hope he is better soon and is on the mend for Christmas. Take Care.

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PacificDogwood · 07/12/2010 09:48

Cheryl, sorry your DS is so poorly.

Here is my tuppence worth (I am a GP):

3 weeks and more can be how long it takes to get over a viral illness. Sore throat and sore tummy often go hand in hand as the lymphnodes in the tummy also swell up and become sore when the one in the neck are inflammed (many an episode of 'grumbling appendix' is actually down to this). Leg pains/aching all over can all be part of the misery that is viral illness. Having a virus is not 'nothing wrong with him' but rather 'nothing we can do about it' Sad.

Tonsil size varies from person to person, large tonsil do not mean anything untoward in their own right. Kids tonsils are at their largest around the age of 8.

Having said all that, if you feel he is unwell beyond a simiple childhood illness, I think you should be listened to and your concerns should be acted on. I am well aware that mothers know their children best and you are likely to have seen him ill before and not worried as much as this time, right? Get him re-examined, explain your concerns and yes, a blood test might be the way forward. Which may involve a trip to hospital to see the paediatricians.

Very best of luck! I hope he is right as rain in time for Santa Xmas Smile.

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Lastyearsmodel · 07/12/2010 10:31

Wow, Cheryl, you're pg as well? I pour my heart out in sympathy with you. I was pg during the awful weather in Jan/Feb and it was one of the grimmest times I can remember. Dragging two toddlers through the snow and ice while feeling queasy and dog-tired.

Pacific Dogwood's advice is excellent and reassuring.

The constant decision-making, direction changing and dogged persistence are so wearing on you.

We're off to the GP shortly. I'll be thinking of you. Hope DC3 comes at the right time and without any problems.

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stirlingstar · 07/12/2010 16:37

Cheryl - very sorry to head about your DS. I came on to post a similar question, but will take the advice from this thread.

Just wanted to give you a bit of moral support (for what it's worth) - we're in a similar position with ill 3.9 DS1 who can't seem to get over virus/cold. He has intermittent fever (usually in evening, as you describe), I reckon he's eaten

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CherylAnnTweedy · 07/12/2010 18:22

Thanks for the advice everyone, he flagged massively this afternoon so I decided not to wait for out of hours. His temp at 3.30 was 38.3, got an appointment (with one of the doctors that I like, who takes a lot of time with patients) for 5.20. 20mins later he was worse, temp at 39.3!!! Took him down there and then, they got us straight in to see her, temp of 39.8, she had a good look and listen to him, a good listen to me, and basically I was right 3 weeks ago when I thought he had tonsilitis. So really not happy as if he'd had ab's then he'd have been over it a few weeks ago, instead he's got worse and worse to the point where I nearly rushed him to a&e over tonsilitis. But at least he now has something, he's now curled up, fast asleep on the settee, and hopefully baby will be good and stay put for a few more days so I can look after ds2.

Hope the other LOs are better soon too stirlingstar & Lastyearsmodel.

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Alouiseg · 07/12/2010 18:29

You poor thing :( if he doesn't pick up properly I think asking for bloods to be done is the next step.

(was fobbed off by gp for months, turned out to be Leukaemia!!)

Not that I think that is what your ds has but guesswork by gp's is fucking dangerous!

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PacificDogwood · 07/12/2010 20:57

Hope you LO will feel a lot better v v soon, Cheryl and everybody else.

Just wanted to add, don't worry about the not eating too much: they usually catch up really quickly once they feel better again. In the meantime there is nothing wrong with tempting them with things you know they like. And ice cream is positively therapeutic for sore throats due to any reason Wink (and full of calories).

You are right, Alouiseg, medicine is dangerous and getting the balance right of not doing harm by avoiding unnecessary testing AND not missing anything is what keeps me awake at night. Sorry you had a very bad experience.

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Rollmops · 07/12/2010 23:01

Go back to GP and demand request in no uncertain terms to have his full bloods done; if the oaf GP refuses, give him the Hard Stare and tell him you will need to speak to the head of the practice(whatever it's called)or will go to local NHS Trust.
{I'd bite his head off for not having done this earlier and on his own initiative}
Hope your son will get better.

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Rollmops · 07/12/2010 23:12

Sorry, hadn't read the whole thread; hopefully you'll get correct treatment now. Blush

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acebaby · 08/12/2010 09:11

Cheryl - I'm glad you got somewhere at the GP's and I hope DC3 gives you a short interlude. Now that your DS is settled, I hope you have your feet up on the sofa too!

PacificDogwood - thanks for posting. It is great to have the point of view of a GP, particularly in regard to the origin of mysterious tummy aches and long lasting viruses - very useful! I don't envy the massive responsibility that you and your colleagues have for assessing poorly children

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