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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Viruses are good for you

125 replies

Edenviolet · 18/12/2013 20:03

Apparently....

Took ds1 and 2 to gp today. Ds1 for the second time in four weeks and ds2 for the sixth time in four weeks.

Both have had temperatures, coughs, sore throats and earache and have had calpol and nurofen daily for four weeks and still have temperatures. I think they need antibiotics but gp said no then told me that "viruses are good for them, the more they get the stronger their immune system will be"

Utter rubbish.

Viruses are Not good for you. Dd2 got "just a virus" last year and ended up seriously unwell and with diabetes because of it. I am really annoyed that they keep dismissing us and say things like this when in fact viruses can actually cause a lot of harm

OP posts:

lilyaldrin · 18/12/2013 20:42

Do you need to keep giving them painkillers?

Paracetamol shouldn't be used just to lower a temperature.

PatTheHammer · 18/12/2013 20:44

Woah, never really read anything quite so presumptuous and rude as the earlier posters on here who are ignorant that viruses can cause auto-immune responses. My DD (7) has rheumatoid arthritis, again most probably caused by a virus that she had that went un-noticed.

I agree that if you have no confidence in your GP you should change. I changed for the opposite reason as I had a mad old GP who didn't feel like she'd done anything unless she sent you out for a prescription for ABs. That was despite me knowing the illness was viral and her telling me it was viral..................ummm, why exactly ARE you giving me this prescription then?!
Clearly she did it for the quiet life as she must get tons of people who moan and demand ABs when they don't need them.

ErrolTheDragon · 18/12/2013 20:46

Paracetamol shouldn't be used just to lower a temperature.
we've been advised in the past by medical professionals to alternate paracetamol and ibuprofen to control high temperatures. But may not be wise for prolonged use - childhood fevers high enough to need this usually don't last long.

There is evidence that fevers are part of the body's defence system so it's probably not a good idea to overly suppress them.

Original poster

Edenviolet · 18/12/2013 20:47

Without regular paracetamol and nurofen ds2 is hot and unhappy and clutches at his throat (he's 20 mths so can't say what hurts) he keeps pulling his ears (which may just be referred pain, the gp said they were a little red but not too bad and that nur would help)

I just don't want him on medicine for so long. Other dcs were poorly with it but had calpol/ nurofen at bedtime as they were not as bad as ds2 has been.

OP posts:

bruffin · 18/12/2013 20:48

I knowvtwo children who developed diabetes from viruses. There is also resesrch that links mumps to diabetes as well.

candycoatedwaterdrops · 18/12/2013 20:48

Pat Viruses have not been proved to cause autoimmune diseases. Viruses can trigger them off but people are usually susceptible to them anyway. There is no known cause of most autoimmune diseases yet.

ThePlatypusAlwaysTriumphs · 18/12/2013 20:48

While I agree that it is not good practice for GPs to over-prescribe antibiotics, I do think that some of them are too reluctant to prescribe them at all, and it does sometimes seem like "just a virus" is a line to be trotted out.

medical training or not, there is no way a GP can actually know what the causative organism is without specific testing, which rarely seems to be done (costs money) If they are right in their assumption, all well and good, but if they are not a bacterial infection that could have been easily treated in its early stages can become something far more sinister. One of my friends took her ds repeatedly to the GP over a 5 d period with a high temp and him screaming constantly. Without muh in the way of a physical examination GP repeatedly told her it was just a virus. Until he collapsed and was rushed to hospital, where they found a bacterial infection in his ear had formed an abscess which had burst and spead to his brain- absolutely horrific. He had to have catheters into his skull, was on a ventilator, developed septicaemia, DIC, had to be on heparin for months, had to learn to walk again...possibly avoidable with a sensible initial course of antibiotics.

I sometimes think GPs get so fed up with people wanting ABs for a cold that they miss some of the things that DO need antibiotics (although I understand them getting frustrated with it!)

WhenSheWasBadSheWasExhausted · 18/12/2013 20:48

Sorry your kids are getting sick often. My dd has been ill with cold after cold for 7 weeks now.

She was prescribed abs 3 weeks ago for a persistent cough, I wish I hadn't given her them. It did nothing for the cough (it was a virus) and she ended up with thrush and athletes foot.

PatTheHammer · 18/12/2013 20:49

Have you asked for a referral to an ENT? Recurrent ear infections are a bugger.

candycoatedwaterdrops · 18/12/2013 20:49

You haven't answered, how can you know it's bacterial when no medical professional can tell without tests?

PatTheHammer · 18/12/2013 20:52

Candy- I did say 'most probably', plus when you have spent months talking to some of the most qualified consultants in the area you do start to have quite a good knowledge of the current research, most of which they are doing at the moment.

AuntieStella · 18/12/2013 20:52

Reluctance to test is not just an issue of cost. It also takes a while for results to come back. By which time nearly every minor ailment will have cleared up spontaneously, irrespective of whether the infection is caused by virus or bacterium.

ErrolTheDragon · 18/12/2013 20:52

Poor lamb.
I think if I was you I'd ask if a test can be done to determine if there is a bacterial infection. I might also ask for a second opinion. And depending on the outcome of that, possibly do as Pat says and request ENT referral.

lilyaldrin · 18/12/2013 20:53

Errol - current NICE guidelines are not to use paracetamol and ibuprofen just to lower temperatures.

arethereanyleftatall · 18/12/2013 20:55

Do you always see the same doctor at the practice? If so, could you ask to see a different one?

Original poster

Edenviolet · 18/12/2013 20:55

Its hard to explain! Obviously I don't have my own lab to analyse swabs but I do have a lot of experience of dcs being ill. A lot of times they've been poorly and got better-clearly a virus, other times, despite gp saying its a virus they've got steadily worse like ds2 has and it turned out to be an infection of some sort.

There have been occasions where its been the opposite way too, we were told dd had a uti and given antibiotics- I knew she didn't so got a second opinion and it turned out to be something else (diabetes).

OP posts:

NCISaddict · 18/12/2013 20:56

Viruses are not necessarily less serious than a bacterial infection. The temptation is to say 'it's just a virus' but all sorts of serious conditions are due to viruses.

ErrolTheDragon · 18/12/2013 20:58

OK, thanks Lily - my DD is nearly 15 so it's been a long time since those calls to NHS direct etc.

ivykaty44 · 18/12/2013 21:02

coxsackie virus b is thought to possibly linked to diabetes not coxsackie virus a

DoYouLikeMyBaubles · 18/12/2013 21:34

A virus is an infection btw OP. You keep saying 'I know it's an infection not a virus'.

If they're getting ill a lot it would be worth speaking with your GP to try and get some answers about their low immunity, kids do generally get ill quite a lot it would seem but I'd worry about the medication they have to keep having.

Hope you get something sorted, and hope they're better soon!

Original poster

Edenviolet · 18/12/2013 21:40

They are always ill, have had lots of tests but no reason found. They get odd symptoms like facial swelling whenever ill but not sure why, its like an allergic reaction.

I just don't feel happy with the amount of calpol and nurofen we get through, gp assures me its fine but I'd rather they didn't have so much.

OP posts:

saysap · 18/12/2013 21:49

Seems to be a lot of medical experts on this thread !

cjel · 18/12/2013 21:56

Have you tried offering some warm juice or a cold flannel if you aren't happy with the amount of drugs you are giving them? Also do you think giving them a tonic or something may help?

Maybe baby DC would be happy with juice/squash if hes pulling his throat?

Original poster

Edenviolet · 18/12/2013 22:14

All four have been having vitamins/iron supplement since sep and all except dd2 have been having manuka honey daily (although not sure if it works but willing to try).

Dcs won't drink juice but ds2 has been drinking loads of water and wants to be bf a lot more than normal. I don't do the cold flannel on forehead as was told not to cant remember who by but apparently its not a good idea.

OP posts:

cjel · 18/12/2013 22:18

I was just trying to think of other ways to bring down temp than drugs. We still use cold flannels and seems to be ok< Some have 1st aid training but I'm not sure so prepared to be corrected? We have also used fans. Afraid we take meds as last resort!!! so not sure about all this. Have alternated calpol/nurofen for short time when needed though not for weeks.xx

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