Child constantly ill since nov. Going to the doctors, but what could be wrong.

[Sunshinewanting]

DD is 8, Shes been constantly ill since Nov, virus after virus, sickiness, upset stomach. Flu, sore throats, colds.

Shes been ill this weekend, throwing up, raging temp. Was back at school today and then has come home unable to talk, gland up, temp again, eyes sunken, pale face.

Ive made her a doctors appt for the morning, as it has almost been constant.

Have we just been unlucky? shes not ever been an ill child? Are the school going to be on my back?

I do think shes been drinking enough, which im trying to sort out and i know wont have helped... but i am a little worried.

[pinkparrotpink]

She could just be very run down & her immune system not working well or it could possibly be a post viral thing. My dd was ill from the beginning of january last year with tonsillitis then a couple of virus type things, lots of high temps, permenantly swollen glands & sore throat, looked awful, sunken eyes, dark rings under eyes. When we saw the gp he was reluctant to do bloods, we insisted after about 3 months, he did say theat her immune system was probably lowered due to a virus & she was just more susceptible. I dont want to panic you but my dd still isn't right now & being investigated for chronic fatigue. It depends on your school how sympathetic they are, ours was ok to begin with then we had a few problems with them regarding her attendance, now its ok again. To cover yourself I would keep a diary of symptoms so you can always stress to school how many weekends she has been ill too so they know its not just school days she is ill & also so you have a record of symptoms IF it does go on a while, I didn't do this until about 5 months & could have really done with all the info when we saw a Paediatrician. I hope she improves soon, she must be fed up of it all now.

[Sunshinewanting]

oh no, that sounds terrible.
Thank you for the advice though, very useful.

DD's eyes are sunken and so dark, she looks awful. Its been over 3 months so im going to ask for a check up, shes not been to the doctors in years, shes not an ill child. so something must be up.

[Pancakeflipper]

Poor thing. Sometime children just have a run of ill health. Dr's sounds a sensible suggestion. I would try her with a good pro-biotic. Not one in a yoghurty drink but powder format ( add to cold drink). It can help with their immune systems.

[rubyslippers]

i have been through similar with my DD

she has been ill pretty much since October

i went to my GP who was very sympathetic and gave her a very good examination and asked lots of questions

this run of illnesses coincided with her startting nursery and i think her immune system couldn't cope and then with illness after illness she is just susceptible

[Mrcrumpswife]

Ask for a blood test to rule out Epstein Barr Virus, glandular fever.

It took 7 months of being fobbed off by the G.P to get DS disgnosed.

[Sunshinewanting]

yes, im going to ask for a water check and bloods.

In the times she isnt ill she is shattered, so something isnt right.

[pinkparrotpink]

sunshine - that is how my dd was, she did get tested for gf, more than once, it came back negative but apparently does often give a false negative result. My dd's main symptoms were huge swollen glands (all over not just in neck) & a sore throat as well as tiredness, pale etc. Once my dd was having a probiotic powder she did seem to get less other illnesses although struggled with the same symptoms. My dd (7)too had rarely been ill, in fact up unto this I think she's been to the doctors less than 10 times since birth, unfortunately then we went to approx one doctors visit a week as I kept taking her everytime she was unwell just to prove how frequent it was after getting told by a locum gp that it was due to emotional stress. I was told by our Paediatrician that post viral type illnesses seem to be on the increase & rest & regular short acitivity can help rather than the cycle we got into which was a few days at school then exhausted and taking 3 days to recover during which dd did nothing, he suggested a short walk round the block even on days when dd was feeling poorly & then really try to manage the activity on better days too. Easier said than done with a child though.

[debs227]

My DS is recovering now but has spent the last 8 weeks being very ill indeed.
He started off with what we presumed was a virus. He developed a cough which all children seem to have at this time of year.
He was extremely pale, lethargic, vomiting a little and the cough would come and go.
We visited our local GP's on 8 occasions and they ranged from it being a virus to possible asthma.
To cut a long story short two weeks ago he vomited blood and his temperature shot up so he got admitted to hospital. An X-ray was done on his chest and he was found to have pneumonia. This had not been picked up by several gp visits.
He is now well on the mend after getting the correct diagnosis.

[FoodieToo]

Debs that happened to us too. Ds was ill for three weeks. Four visits to Gp ,yet he didn't pick it up.

High temp,weakness etc. terrible. Eventually only diagnosed because the hospital did not have a clue what was wrong and did a routine chest x ray.

Spent nearly two weeks in hospital with a chest drain!!

Frightening that this could not be picked up.

[Whitneymae]

I really really don't want to worry you at all so please read this as a guide only.

My baby had virus after virus temp and rashes most of them ending up with him in hospital for four months the doctors told me he was just run down but I knew my child and kept pushing to see someone else finally I did he believed me and sent me to the children's hospital

Ronnie was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer in July 2012 had transplant nov 2012 relapsed last week I often think if they found it sooner and treated him sooner would he of relapsed?

Again is isn't to scare you it's most probably nothing but it shows you no your child better then any doc or nurse and if your not happy don't rest until you have the answers you need tell them you want to see another doctor take her to a different hospital anything you need to do until your happy with the answers your getting xxx

[DameFanny]

It may just be as simple as an immune system that's getting tired because there had been so much crap about this winter.

And the eyes and tiredness could be low iron, especially if she hadn't been eating properly and has been vomiting etc.

So, ask the doctor to check her out properly and don't take no for an answer, but also get something like floradix, which is a reasonable tasting tonic with iron in. And natural live yoghurt to build her immune system - stir in some fruit puree for a fruit yoghurt without added sugar (which can undo some of the benefit of the yoghurt).

Hope she feels better soon.

[Whitneymae]

Same story with us Lisa x

[roundabout1]

OP - How is your dd doing now? Any joy with the doctor?