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Original poster

What do you reckon measles, rubella or allergic reaction?

68 replies

KarmaNoMore · 06/03/2021 11:28

Posting in chat for traffic, I have gone into NHS 111, and waiting for a call from the nurse but the site says that they may call but... may not if too busy.

Teen DS woke up with a rash on Thursday, he has acne so we thought it was just spreading but now is covering his face and his torso. He had a bad headache on Thursday night and Friday morning, but other than that and the rash he is ok.

He has only been out for a Lateral Flow test last Wednesday, went for a walk on Friday last week. He is fully vaccinated (and prone to allergies)

He has another LFT at 3pm, shall He miss it just in case?

What do you reckon measles, rubella or allergic reaction?

OP posts:

Original poster

KarmaNoMore · 06/03/2021 14:06

Thank you all, the nurse finally called when I was on the phone with 111. She is arranging a video call with the GP for this afternoon.

DS thinks the rash is getting better, but I think the rash is just joining together. Wonder how on Earth he managed to catch something in lockdown... teenagers!

OP posts:

Original poster

KarmaNoMore · 06/03/2021 16:05

Wonderful, DS’s has woken up saying that his neck is feels stiff. The doctor called, didn’t check the rash, didn’t care about the fever, the stiff neck or that DS had a negative covid test last Wednesday. She said he needs to have a proper covid test and once he gets a negative result to go to a pharmacy to have the rash checked.

I couldn’t get a place at the test centre until tomorrow, which means probably he cannot go to the pharmacy until Monday. I’m worried.

OP posts:

littlewedding · 06/03/2021 16:12

Why have you jumped straight to (now) rare diseases which he is immunised against, rather than other non-specific viral infections which cause rashes?

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CovidKingfisher · 06/03/2021 16:21

Stiff neck doesn't sound good at all does it?
What did you mean when you said the rash 'mostly goes' when pressed?

Cherrycynic · 06/03/2021 16:28

Could just be a viral rash, we've had some scary viral rashes here!

I wouldn't be happy about the stiff neck though, I'd want him seen in person.

CovidKingfisher · 06/03/2021 16:41

I can't believe the Dr didn't even check his rash-wth??!! Seems all common sense has gone out the window and only covid matters now

flossletsfloss · 06/03/2021 16:56

I can't believe the GP wasn't bothered about the rash, fever and stiff neck!! Can you call back and express how worried you feel?

WithASpider · 06/03/2021 17:05

This looks just like what my DD had over Christmas. 4 Drs and 3 nurses later she finally got antibiotics, then it started to go. I strongly suspect it was Scarlet Fever but they kept insisting it was an allergy even after DD2 caught it too.

I would call the Dr/111 again and insist on a face to face, especially now he's complaining about his neck too.

Penny31 · 06/03/2021 17:11

How does he react to bright light?
I’d be off to a and e if itwere my child. Fever, rash and stiff neck should not be ignored. Good luck, let us know how you get on

OverTheRainbow88 · 06/03/2021 17:23

Stiff neck, rash and temp- personally I would take to the children’s hospital or a&e.

whatsleep · 06/03/2021 17:33

All of those symptoms can be linked to meningitis. If it were me, I’d be taking him to be seen. Unbelievable that GP has not asked to see him 😡.

LynetteScavo · 06/03/2021 17:42

He needs to be seen in person. I'd be taking him to a walk in center or calling 111 ( who would book you into the walk in where I live).

CovidKingfisher · 06/03/2021 18:27

I’m worried

Trust your instinct @KarmaNoMore.
I'd take him to a&e too, better to be safe than sorry. You can always leave him in the car while you ask to be seen if you think he may be contagious.

Original poster

KarmaNoMore · 06/03/2021 19:34

Apologies for the delay in answering, ran out of battery.

DS had a good sleep and is now up, his face looks more very swollen (the blotches have joined up, I guess), the torso and arms are are still the same. The fever is gone and he seems in good spirits. I gave him a mix of Pyriton and cetirizine as suggested by the doctor but they have made no difference.

Sensitive to light? I guess not, he is at the Xbox just now. He has refused to have dinner but has not complained more about the neck. I’m crossing my fingers that the bad neck is due to spending most of the day in bed.

OP posts:

Original poster

KarmaNoMore · 06/03/2021 19:42

And yes, it is unbelievable the doctor was not interested in those things. She was very patronising, refused to talk to me as DS was 18 yesterday, ridiculed him for not knowing his medical history in detail (the poor guy has had so many issues with allergies in the past, I’m on first name terms with the head of paediatrics and his allergician at the local hospital. DS cannot even remember how many times he had been admitted to hospital).

But she went on and on about the covid test insisting she didn’t want to sound patronising but the LFT were giving a lot of fake negatives, and she needed a covid test. I said I would arrange it straight away but she kept going on how important it was for us to take her seriously as it had happened to her mum.

OP posts:

Original poster

KarmaNoMore · 06/03/2021 19:49

Why have you jumped straight to (now) rare diseases which he is immunised against, rather than other non-specific viral infections which cause rashes?

Erm, probably because I am not a doctor? but I have had measles, rubella and mumps as a child even I had all my vaccines. It is uncommon in this country (and thankfully in most of the developed world these days) but being vaccinated doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t get the disease but you can still get a milder form (Unless the vaccines have improved a lot in the last 20 years). So yes, if I mentioned measles it is because unfortunately, when I was growing up years ago, there were plenty of mild cases around to get familiar with how it looks. In fact, I am partially deaf thanks to it.

OP posts:

Original poster

KarmaNoMore · 06/03/2021 19:52

... and no, I couldn’t imagine how could he get measles in a place were there are so few cases and in the middle of lockdown. But you would have read that in my comments if you have RTFT 🙂

OP posts:

MargaretThursday · 06/03/2021 20:01

She was very patronising, refused to talk to me as DS was 18 yesterday, ridiculed him for not knowing his medical history in detail...

You want to get her talking to my 17yo. She can tell you all her medical history in detail, and with a few extra added details to add to the spice, could easily take a nice few hours as she loves to expand upon it.
Last time she spoke to a doctor (pain in the neck) we got urgently called in. When the doctor saw her she said "oh!"
Nice doctor had asked her "can you move the fingers on your left hand?" DD told her "no".
Issue: DD didn't include the information that she doesn't have a left hand.

Thankfully the doctor thought it was funny.

I'd watch the swelling of the face, which could be glands, but if he's on the x-box he's not sensitive to light, which is good news.

l2b2 · 06/03/2021 20:03

Re the swelling of the face.
Be mindful of Mumps OP.
Mumps can present with a facial / body rash too.

QuothTheSlothNevermore · 06/03/2021 20:12

Lots of rashes look very similar OP, you really need to let a doctor see him as some are totally harmless and some can be quite serious. FWIW it doesn't look like a meningitis rash.

If it's scarlet fever, it's easily cured with a dose of a penicillin (unless he's allergic to penicillins, in which case other good options are available). But that would be no good if it's something else, so correct diagnosis is essential.

QuothTheSlothNevermore · 06/03/2021 20:13

Please don't get important medical advice from the internet, get it from someone who can access his medical history and can check for other signs.

CovidKingfisher · 06/03/2021 20:16

@QuothTheSlothNevermore

Please don't get important medical advice from the internet, get it from someone who can access his medical history and can check for other signs.

Such as his GP who didn't want to know??

Original poster

KarmaNoMore · 06/03/2021 20:18

Wonderful, funny about leaving out that little detail of the hand .

DS has gone from very talkative to monosyllabic in his teenage, he hates making a fuss or being fussed about, in fact, he hates people knowing about his health issues. It is a problem though as he needs people around him to help him stay safe.

OP posts:

Original poster

KarmaNoMore · 06/03/2021 20:35

You can always leave him in the car while you ask to be seen if you think he may be contagious.

That’s a very good idea! In fact, I will try that with the pharmacist tomorrow morning (I’m sure they would be horrified if I bring him in with a viral infection on suggestion of the GP).

If he gets worse during the night I’ll do the same in A&E.

He is playing in the Xbox loudly with his friends. If his face was not looking so dreadfully inflamed I would be thinking it is just one of those things...

OP posts:

TaraR2020 · 06/03/2021 21:27

Don't be fobbed off op (I would have said an urgent gp consultation was entirely justified today).

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