3 year old been poorly for a week - your opinions please

[2mummies]

Our bright bubbly cheeky 3.4 yr old dd became poorly exactly a week ago, high temp, shivering, crying/moaning, and begging to go to bed. Like most kids, she's never usually in any rush to get to bed. Despite calpol and nurofen at regular intervals her temp kept rising to 39c in between doses. Slightest runniness of nose, and she said she had a cough (not coughing at all), but can usually mean she has sore throat/cold when she says that. Also, when she got out of bed in the morning (2 or 3 days running) she said she couldn't walk. She could, but it obviously hurt her to. She said her knees hurt.

Took her to docs on Friday as temp was concerning us, doc checked her over in all the usual ways, "she has a virus, keep up with the meds, goodbye", usual.

She improved a bit over weekend, temp settled, and just had coldy symptoms and a bit of tiredness, laid herself on sofa for an afternoon nap, etc., plus was being v difficult and argumentative, which she usually is when she's getting a bit better after a cold.

Sent her to nursery on Monday. Picked her up and she was bright enough but they said she had been a bit teary and her nose was a bit messy. As soon as we got her home she fell asleep on sofa. (She got out of afternoon naps about 8 months ago.)

Last couple of days she's been at home with us, fairly chilled out, only brief trips out. She gets up fairly bright, then goes downhill throughout day, until she's exhausted by 5.30pm (her usual bedtime is about 9pm ~ we have a slightly different schedule to most). We' e had to our her to bed before 7pm the last 3 nights, with her begging to get there.

She's been eating less than usual, and drinking and weeing less (pooing as frequently as normal, but it's normal consistency), but not to extremes.

She's still having sharp differences in temperature. She often says she's cold and shivers, with chattering teeth, whilst her skin is warm. Wants blankets and closeness. But also very sensitive to touch. Complains wildly when I brush her hair, dress her, etc. usual symptoms of sore skin from a temperature maybe?

I think that covers it. We're taking her back to docs in the morning, but I just wondered if anyone has any thoughts? Or if their child is suffering anything similar at the moment? We are going through a hugely stressful time at the moment, selling our home and severely struggling business which we run with my parents, so maybe we're over paranoid, but we can't help being worried about our little sunshine as she's usually pretty hardy.

[2mummies]

iPhone went funny at one but there, was meant to say "We've had to out her to bed before 7pm..."

Also, she's very pale, and 'eye-y' and her glands were up in her neck to start with, but not so much now.

Any replies gratefully received.

[2mummies]

Stupid phone, tired me, think you'll have worked out I meant 'put'

[andimfeelinggood]

Hi there, I'm no expect but it might be chicken pox?
The symptoms before the spots come out can be like this.
But you're taking her to the doctors tomorrow so hopefully if it is anything that needs sorting you'll be in the right place. Hope she feels better soon.

[Bimblepops]

Hi 2,
It sounds as though she has flu. You just need to continue what you're doing - keep an eye on her temperature, calpol and neurofen when she needs it, lots of liquids and lots of love.
She'll bounce back soon and it'll be as if nothing happened.
X

[dikkertjedap]

Sounds like flu. If she says that she feels cold and she feels hot, did you take her temperature? I would definitely not send her to school again until she is better.

[takeaway2]

Does she have a rash or any spots? If she doesn't get better by this weekend, this sounds like she's been ill for 2 weeks?? Maybe push for bloods to be done? Of course go back to the dr too.

[2mummies]

Thank you for your replies and reassurance. So appreciated. To last poster, yep, keeping check on temp, mostly btwn 36-38c. Definitely keeping her off pre-school until she's completely better. She did seem ok for it on Monday, but was obviously a mistake. We don't usually send her when she's poorly.

Last thing, she's had slapped cheek disease before, and for three days of this, on and off, she's had bright red rough skin cheek on one side - symptoms would fit, but it seems it's not something that usually occurs twice?

[2mummies]

Takeaway - no rash or spots (as yet, touch wood), we do keep checking tho.

First reply poster, maybe it will develop to chicken pox, not heard of any around at her pre-school though. Would prefer it to be that than anything more serious though.

[dikkertjedap]

Strictly speaking from 37.5 upwards could be regarded as fever. Are these her temperatures with/without Calpol/Calprofen?

Flu often causes higher temperatures, so it may or may not be flu (there is a lot of flu going round). There is also a lot of whooping cough (but then you expect regular coughing, it could start of like a flu like illness in the first stage with the severe bouts of coughing in the second stage).

I would make an appointment with GP tomorrow to have her checked. If fever suddenly starts increasing then it could mean that she has contracted a secondary infection needing antibiotics, so probably a good idea to keep a close eye on her temperature.

Hopefully she is over the worst now.

[MegBusset]

Sounds like the virus DS2 (3yo) had over Christmas - it knocked him out for over a week. On/off fever, aching, sleeping all the while, not eating (he vomited twice too, on Xmas Day!).

[LakeFlyPie]

There seem to be some really grotty viruses around ATM.

DS (4.5) has had similar symptoms which I presumed were 'flu. He perked up a bit on around day 5 and then had a bit of a relapse for a couple of days. On the mend by day 10 but still tired and asking to go to bed early.

Have heard of lots of similar illnesses with associated joint pains, rashes etc.

Hope your DD feeling better soon, poorly children are stressful IME.

[2mummies]

Dikkert, her temp has risen to 39.4 without calpol/nurofen in the first couple of days, but now seems to be behaving most if the time, with occasional peak of slightly over 38c, which we then treat with calpol and it comes down again. But she is still complaining of feeling cold quite a lot (plus these shivers and teeth chattering occasionally)...

[SurvivalOfTheUnfittest]

We had it here for a week. Once an adult caught it and said they'd got flu it all made sense! Two weeks' later and they are still teray and tired but running about in between. Hang on in there.

[2mummies]

...had to break off to check rest of your post... What you mention of secondary infection seems likely, as she was quite a lot better for a couple of days but now is generally more temperaturey and unhappy. Indeed hopefully doctor will listen and take time to consider and do something about it!

[2mummies]

Meg, thank you for the reassurance, sorry to hear your son (and you) had a horrible time of it over Xmas. Such a bad time for illness. Hope he's all better now.

[2mummies]

Lakefly and survival, sorry to hear you've been having a time of it too. Bloody illnesses. My partner and I find we can cope with most troubles, but as soon as our daughter's unwell, everything feels so hard to manage.

[AlwaysOneMissing]

Sounds exactly like my 3 year old DS! We're on day 5 and he's still so unwell, High temps, lying on sofa, also complaining of sore legs/ankles! I am also now starting to think it is flu.
Poor children, such nasty bugs going round.

[fanoftheinvisibleman]

Sounds like flu. We all had it over christmas and it was awful. Ds bounced back quickest in about 8 days. I was ill from my last working day on 18 th dec until 31st when I was back at work!

It knocks you for six. I hope she is better soon.

[littleoldme]

My 2yo ds is just getting over this. After 5 days of 40 temps the doc referred him to the hospital. He's fine but the constant temp, even with meds was a concern. They kept us overnight.
If you are worried do push for a referral and put your mind at rest. Hope he's better soon x

[mummyplonk]

Sorry to hear there are so many poorly ones out there I couldnt read and run without quickly mentioning what happed to DS when he was 3, he had 2 weeks of flu symptoms. 39 temp, off food, legs aching. Twice he was taken to A & E and sent home saying it was "Flu" at this point he couldnt walk as his legs hurt so much. Eventually on the 3rd visit they did a blood test, he had something called Sceptic Arthritis which usually presents in children in their knees, elbows or hips. It is very serious if not treated (ds was discharged after being in for 6 months), it is fairly rare but as I found out is hard for them to diagnose another poster mentioned above the Flu symptoms are a secondary sign. So if the leg/knee pains get any worse please be forcefull for a blood test. x

[AlwaysOneMissing]

Oh my goodness Mummyplonk your poor DS, how frightening for you. I hope he is back to full health now (or is it an ongoing condition?)

Thank you for taking the time to post, this is mumsnet at its best, parents helping each other and passing on valuable advice.

It's hard when the children are too young to properly articulate the way they feel isn't it, but I will certainly be on the look out for what you describe.

[mummyplonk]

Alwaysonemissing, Thanks yes he is as strong as an Ox now, he will have to have annual X-rays until he is 18 years old as the infection spread to his bones, thus spending so long in hospital.

Hope your son is feeling a bit better today.

[BeaWheesht]

Ds had flu when he was almost 4 - it was later confirmed as swine flu. He was very ill with very high temps for 4 days then a bit better for 2 days then fevers of 40 with meds again - chest sounded clear but on Xmas day I insisted on further investigation due to temp and delirium and general not well ness! Turned out he had pneumonia.

You can have pneumonia without a sky high temp so if your worried I'd at Least get a doc to advise.

[BeaWheesht]

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