When to worry about a temp??

[lyssie29]

Hi my 3 year old has been ill on and off for a week or so. She had the stomach bug and then a little cold and cough. On Monday she was ok in the morning but by afternoon had temp and refusing to eat etc. By the night time she was ok again. On Wednesday she seemed not herself again but very loud and misbehaving. She woke today she was ill again. I have given 2 does of calpol (6hrs apart) and her temp is still just below 39. When should I take her to docs? You can tell she's ill she's pale and not eating and pretty lethargic. I'm guessing some sort of virus but what should I do if her temp doesn't go down? Surely calpol would have helped. It will take half an hour to walk to doctors so I don't want to take her unnecessarily.

[Lukeandlorelai4Ever]

Have you given nurofen too?

[Tatiebee]

A week is a long time to still be poorly, I'd suggest going to see your GP.

[lyssie29]

@lukeandlorelai4Ever no I don't have nurofen in the house only calpol.

@Tatiebee it's kind of been on and off for a week. I'm not sure if they are separate viruses since her immune system would have been weakened from the sickness bug.

[Lukeandlorelai4Ever]

Could you try her with nurofen too? My own dd needs both when she has a high temp. Calpol isn't enough to bring it down.
Poor little thing, it sounds like two separate illnesses. Is she drinking fluids?
I would try her with nurofen if you can manage to get it. If she's still unwell tomorrow then gp before the weekend comes.
Hope she feels better soon

[lyssie29]

Unfortunately I can't eat any as I'm on my own so no one to bring it and I don't drive so it would mean a 20 minute walk with my daughter and then 20 minutes back which I don't think she could manage. I will give more calpol soon and see how she is in the morning

[shewolfmum]

Why are you trying to bring it down? It is doing a job. Noce guidelines are don't reduce a fever and def not calpol and nurofen. If you think she is too hot skin to skin. Watch for floppy and unresponsive. Temps can go up and down for a week quite normal. If hydrated i wouldn't worry.

[shewolfmum]

*nice

[Lukeandlorelai4Ever]

How is she this morning?

[Witchend]

Depends on your dc.

I go if the illness is either out of their normal routine for illness, or I think they may need medication.

With dd2 her temperatures rarely needed anything other than over the counter stuff. but her temperature regularly hit 40, occasionally 41, and would stay there for 3 days before falling slowly. If it followed that path I didn't worry (well perhaps the 41s I got a bit concerned).

Ds's temperature I worry if it gets over 39. But for tonsillitis he goes into what I describe as a complete collapse. He tucks himself up into bed and sleeps with a mild temperature for 24-48 hours. He won't drink (much, I usually manage to syringe a few ml of water in), if he needs to get up to the toilet he crawls, and is very difficult to rouse at all.

Dd1 always downplays her illnesses and wants to go to school (not missed school now in over 7 years).

If dd1 said she didn't think she was well enough to go to school, I'd probably be rushing her to A&E... with the other two I'd tell them not to be so silly and the school will send them home if they're ill.
If ds had a temperature of 40, I'd get it investigated; if dd2 was unresponsive with a mild temperature, I'd be worried.

But this is my experience with each individual child has shown that this reaction is normal for them. and doesn't need treatment. It would not be right to ignore those symptoms for another child.

[lyssie29]

She was well this morning back to her normal self and went to nursery. When she got home she became unwell again so I took her to walk in incase she's got an ear infection or something. No ear infection and she wouldn't wee to check for uti so just keeping an eye on her she seems a lot better again though.

@shewolfmum it says on NHS website that nice recommend giving calpol with a temp if the child also is visibly unwell or distressed.

[lyssie29]

@shewolfmum they also give it in hospital and at walk in centres of the child has a temp and is unwell.

[shewolfmum]

I know...they often don't follow the guidelines. We have forgotten to nurse our kids through illnesd and not have them jumping up well again the next day!

[IAmAPaleontologist]

Bless her, it is a long time to be miserable and getting her checked over after that length of time is sensible.

As others have said though a temperature does a useful job. While the guidelines do suggest giving calpol is the child is also in pain the general rule of thumb is to let the temp do its thing. Of course you have to sensible too and a dose of calpol to help it reduce a bit at night so the child can sleep is helpful for healing too.

Some kids just seem to be more prone to temps than others. I've one who never gets a temp really so if they have one they are def poorly and another who gets temps of 39-40 whenever they get so much as a cold.