Anyone awake - anxious about my son

great advice here

please just take him to a walk in GP or A&E you will be frantic otherwise. I was the same when my two were much younger and turns out they both had viral induced wheezing. Not saying this is what your son has but it's better to get checked out

i’d alternate paracetamol and ibuprofen. I would right out a schedule now because you are tired and fraught so don’t try and remember what you’ve given write it down.

Give him warm drinks, whatever he fancies eating and all the tv he can watch.

No, it's most likely a virus and antibiotics don't work for that. Going to a & e should be a last resort at the moment as they're very over stretched. Ring 111 - they can make appointments for you in a & e if they deem it advisable.

Always scary when they’re ill at night or weekends but I Agree with watch and wait! If he’s happy to sit up and eat and watch tv he’s not too ill - uncomfortable and poorly but ok.

have a look at nhs on line for advice re cough and temperature management and signs to look out for.

putting extra pillows UNDER the head of the mattress is more comfortable than a pile on top 😊

menthol rub on soles of feet with warm socks on top actually helps

read the info on paracetamol and Brufen to be clear on timing doses

a temp of 38 is uncomfortable but not worrying - it shows his body is responding correctly to a virus or bacterial infection

Both get a nap when you can 😊

Indeed! https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/ibuprofen-for-children/taking-ibuprofen-for-children-with-other-medicines-and-herbal-supplements/

This is completely incorrect and is why you shouldn’t ask for medical advice online!

Oh, also, you can order a flu lateral flow test from Amazon for next day delivery so you could test him tomorrow to know for sure. I think Tesco also sell them if there’s one near you.

PS if it is flu he is going to feel awful for at least a week, possibly two, and he will likely infect the household so buckle up for a long ride.

This just sounds like flu and probably is because Flu A is rife at the moment. Obviously flu can develop complications and become very serious but at the moment it just sounds like standard flu. Other posters have given you a sensible list of things to look out for and if these happen he will need to see a doctor, but as he is now just keep doing what you’re doing. Don’t take him to A&E unless those red flags happen as he will feel absolutely lousy there and you will infect everyone there.

Also to help the cough, you could sit in the bathroom with shower on high to create steam.

Also maybe Amazon prime an oximeter, very useful bit of kit in my experience. Hospitals monitor respiratory rate, temp and oxygen levels and I find comfort in checking these at home when mine get poorly (due to the previous hospital stays).

Coughs are always worse at night because of lying down etc. It sounds like a nasty virus so I'd give calpol and see how is he today. Hopefully he wil lhave rallied a bit.
I had a high temp and cough last month - definitely worse when Iay down to sleep.

It sounds as if he’s not getting worse, anyway. It may "just" be flu, in which case there’s nothing much a doctor can do. As long as he’s not getting worse I would wait a day or two. Coughing at night can be lessened by raising his whole upper body with pillows so he's not lying flat. And remember it’s normal for temperatures to rise in the evening.

Hi OP, I completely understand the worry, I have struggled with health anxiety in the past (currently under control with antidepressants), but I would suggest he has only been poorly for 2 days. Taking him to urgent care would expose him to more germs. I would personally keep a close eye on him, make sure he is drinking plenty, is easy to wake/not too sleepy, and dosed up on Calpol. Watch his breathing that he isn’t drawing in under his ribs or tugging at the neck. If you spot any signs of struggling more with breathing or hard to wake then immediately to urgent care. Otherwise care at home and GP on Monday if no improvement. Day 5 of a virus is normally the peak and then they start to get better.

I speak from experience of 3 children, the youngest had multiple hospital stays due to weak lungs and needing oxygen when she got chesty bugs.

I hope he feels better soon.

In case it’s an infection and he needs antibiotics?

It almost 99% isn't.
Its a virus. No drugs needed.

TBH 111 won't do much at all.

They may suggest A&E- they usually do.

But do you honestly want to wait hours there and possibly infect all the other people in the waiting room?

Paracetamol is better than ibuprofen.

Ibuprofen can cause kidney damage and it's not much better than paracetamol. It's main difference is it reduces inflammation .

Normal body temp is 37ish

My DCs have had temps of 40C before and we managed at home.

OP, Please call NHS 111 as soon possible. They should be able to make you an appointment for Urgent Care.
I have also just checked online and Ibuprofen MUST NOT be given to children under 7 years without prescription by a doctor.
I do hope your little boy gets better soon.

Things to check, is his tummy sucking in under his ribs when breathing, are his nostrils flaring when he breathes, is he having difficulty talking, are his lips changing colour.

I'd want to rule out croup. Does his cough sound like a seal bark? Crops generally worse at night.

Send your dh out to get an oximeters from the pharmacy to keep an eye on his o2 levels and I always found manuka honey great for coughs, has to have a minimum mgo of +250 (itl say on the front) , the higher the better. You can get it in Sainsbury usually or Holland and Barratt. My son would have a teaspoon but he held his nose then had a drink. Get some vicks on his chest and the soles of his feet then socks on. Call 111 for help and advise if needed.

The temp is okay, it's his bodys immune system being raised to the optimum temperature to fight the illness. Some more info on controlling his temp can be found on NHS website my phones not letting me post the link for some reason.

It’s really variable. I started trying it after the paramedics took my son out on the doorstep to se if it helped.

So we’d do a steamy bathroom and a quick visit to the cold doorstep, all wrapped up of course.

If you are blessed with DC who don’t sound like they are about to die whenever they have a cold, enjoy it! Mine were more the check every hour, use a spacer and inhaler while they are asleep and get ready to dash to hospital kind.

I think he sounds OK OP, the temperature isn't too high and DS6 gets the same with coughs. He can't sleep for hours as it's utterly relentless but I always worry about it more than he seems to mind himself.

I get the health anxiety, I have been there. Keep an eye on him, but he sounds alert and eating so will hopefully only get better from here.

Also, a high temp isn't always a bad thing.

It shows the body is fighting an infection.

If he's very hot, wring out a wet face cloth or similar in cold water and wipe his face with it.

Fellow health anxiety sufferer here, and mum to two children who have caused me many sleepless nights over last few years. A few things….

38.4 is high, but it’s not alarmingly high - and will absolutely not worry a doctor if a child is otherwise eating, drinking, weeing and ok in themselves (responsive, interested in their adult, talking, smiling).

The cough - again, my son get terrible nigh time coughs when he has a cold (their tubes are very small when they’re little and some are disproportionately impacted and cough more than others). If it’s a cough where he struggles to recover, or sounds wheezy in between, then he may need some help (usually his is a viral wheeze and they need an inhaler and spacer and maybe a quick whiff of oxygen). If it’s mostly at night and sounds mucusy, it’s probably nasal drip (still awful - used to make my son vomit). The best intervention - we tried many - is a humidifier - absolute game changer.

I’d call 111 if you’re worried. They will only really worry if there is a sign of bacterial infection (puss on tonsils etc), signs of infection that’s overwhelming (not weeing, very ‘off’, mottled skin, very cold hands and feet), or if his oxygen saturations are low (wheezy, cough through day and night, feeling off).

Lastly, I manage my anxiety by being able to do my own observations at home - temperature, oxygen saturdations, heart rate, respiratory rate and capillary refills. They don’t stop me taking him if I’m really worried obviously, but they do calm me when everything else is ok other than a mild temp and a tickly cough in an otherwise happy but snotty child.

Sorry ridiculously long post - I should say all of this is framed in my son having had sepsis at 1 and being admitted for a viral wheeze (oxygen level dipped). So I’ve seen him when he’s very sick vs when he’s got a virus / cold.

Calpol won't treat a cough,it's a pain killer it won't touch a virus, a fever also isn't a bad thing it's the body's immune response killing off germs do u don't need to suppress it from working, also I didn't think you could give ibuprofen only 30 mins after calpol that seems like over medicating

From what you've said it just sounds like a virus that needs to run its course - I'd be dosing up with calpol/ibuprofen as necessary and monitoring for any worsening symptoms but otherwise just rest at home. I wouldn't be ringing 111 or going to a GP at this stage. Honey and lemon in hot water (obviously let it cool a bit!) to help with the cough.