AIBU to think 38 temp every afternoon isn't normal? Gp useless!

[Dennisreynoldsduster]

DC had a virus and ended up in hospital for a night a month and a half ago. He had a fever, it came down and was normal for a few days, then (because we were told to keep tabs on him for a week) it started going up in the afternoons. Always the same time. Up to 38, would come down on its own without calpol.
He's a hot boy, we've never had a reading in the 36 bracket unless it's the early hours of the morning but surely this must mean he still has an underlying infection somewhere?

He's well, apart from some teeth coming through, and eating (pickier at lunchtime for some reason now) fine, drinking liquids, wet and dirty nappies (teething nappies are such a joy), he's playing, chattering, shouting, up to all kinds of mischief.

Because he's fine in himself, GP not even slightly interested, just said put the thermometer down and go on how he feels. But I'm only using the thermometer because with the kiss test he feels hot!

I'm a bit annoyed that the GP hasn't even seen him, and worried he could have a UTI even though the GP said because his nappies don't smell funny and he's not struggling to pass urine, it won't be that.

Am I being too PFB? I am prone to anxiety - health anxiety in particular - so I do find it hard to navigate instinct/irrational and rational reactions. DH thinks if GP says all fine, it's fine but I just can't see how 38 is normal - it's a fever!

He's had two covid PCR tests during this, plus the one at hospital, and all negative so it's not that, and GP knows all tests were negative so I thought he might see him now and check his ears/chest/throat etc.

[Aklein38]

@Dennisreynoldsduster did this ever settle down?

I feel like I could have posted exactly this. I suffer with health anxiety
And my 23 month old DS has had multiple viral infections recently which has made me obsessed with taking his temperature daily up to 30 times a day! I know I need to put the thermometer down as he doesn't seem unwell it's just whenever I feel or kiss him he feels very hot and reads 37.8. Sometimes it can hit 38 at times if he has been active but at bedtime it goes down to 37.2 so I don't think it is a true fever just that he is warm. But I keep thinking what if I'm missing something. I should also say i poke the thermometer as far in as it will go to capture the maximum temperature...

[Dennisreynoldsduster]

I just wanted to come on and say thank you to everyone who replied

DS didn’t have an elevated temperature at all yesterday and I haven’t taken it at all today.
I did speak to the GP but the GP was more interested in talking to me about my anxiety.

I did have a bit of a break down on the phone and got really upset and he’s recommended some wellness techniques but also prescribed me some medication so I’m hoping this is going to be a turning point

I’m not ignoring the situation with DS if he looks unwell or feverish again we will take his temperature, and I’ll speak to the GP again but his nappies have gone back to normal, he’s no longer dribbling and all his teeth are through the gum and just need to properly reveal themselves now.

But if it wasn’t for this thread I don’t think I would have fully seen how anxious I was being so thank you

[Dennisreynoldsduster]

@BlackberryandNettle sorry meant to tag you, he’s getting canines through, and just had (this week) his first molars. Seven weeks!!! You must have been having a nervous breakdown!

[Dennisreynoldsduster]

Yes premolars and molars as well as canines

Thank you @Bellringer you are so kind

[BlackberryandNettle]

Is he teething molars? We had 39+ every night for 7 weeks with the eldest's molars. Unusual but does happen.

[Bellringer]

Hooray. Too much technology! Deep breath and keep breathing. Walking and swimming may help, also writing a diary or journal.
Have you tried mindfulness meditation and counselling? Maybe better than medication. Your partner sounds ok, hope he stays supportive.
Grief and uncertainty are really destabilising, you've had a gutful and everyone is anxious, nothing works properly. Take care and be well

[Dennisreynoldsduster]

I have done
I’ve given the thermometer to DH

There would be no reason to think anything was wrong with him at all aside from the numbers and the one reading DH took this afternoon was 37.5

[Darkstar4855]

I would stop checking his temperature as long as he is well and happy in himself. I don’t think your GP is “useless”.

[Rosesareyellow]

Yes just a normal kiss on forehead o cheek - I suppose it works for me because I kiss him a lot so it’s then very noticeable when there’s a temperature change - wheras I don’t really touch his face with my hands much, I could probably touch his face and say yes that’s hot but not whether it’s a lot or a little hotter than usual.

[TwoLeftElbows]

We always went by whether their body felt hot and dry down the back of the neck of their clothes. Was told not to go by how extremities felt. But this may be out of date now.

[Dennisreynoldsduster]

With the kiss test do you just do a quick kiss on the forehead?

[Dennisreynoldsduster]

Yes it does work on me and DH fine but I think I just ram it in my own ear without much caution whereas with DS I’m more careful but I don’t think I’ve been doing it right

He’s within the normal range this afternoon after doing it how DH does it and how the booklet says (been doing everything else right but not pointing it up towards opposite temple) so perhaps that’s been adding to it

[Rosesareyellow]

Have you tried the thermometer on yourself? We’ve got two ear/forehead ones, both useless - I think the ones you put under arm or tongue are much less temperamental but obviously tricky to use with a little one. My DH was a bit under the weather once so we were looking out for Covid symptoms - it gave us a temperature of 43.6 and I said to him I think you might spontaneously combust according to this ... he did survive.
I find just kissing DS on the head I can instantly feel if his temp is high, better than using my hand. I don’t bother with the thermometers any more.

[Dennisreynoldsduster]

For what it’s worth he doesn’t look like he did when he had a proper fever - you could see then that he wasn’t well, he was bright red really flushed, glassy eyed etc and distressed, being sick.

None of that is happening at the moment

[ThinWomansBrain]

@Lucifersladylove

Body temperature isn’t the same for everyone. If he runs hot anyway it could well be that this is normal for him. Body temperature does rise in the afternoon typically. If he looks well then i would agree with your gp that he’s fine.

This

My temperature tends to run low - with those temperature guns in lockdown, I frequently had to go into lockdown to access places, including the dentist.

I do understand your concern though.
Maybe just keep track of it, and ask your GP to verify if needs be - and discuss with them in advance.

[Dennisreynoldsduster]

The problem is I can’t trust my instincts because of my anxiety. I ALWAYS think something is terribly wrong, whether it’s a sniffle or a cough or whatever.

DH has just done it to humour me and I think I’ve been taking it wrong. I’ve been putting it in the ear facing down and the instructions say to point towards the opposite temple, which gives a significantly lower reading, otherwise it can press against the ear canal wall

I don’t know if that would register higher but that probably means he hasn’t been as high as I’ve thought if that’s the case

[KleineDracheKokosnuss]

My youngest runs hot. We had a couple of weeks of nursery sending her home, before they figured it out too and simply started ignoring the thermometer.

[Nocutenamesleft]

@Funfortheroad

I hate to see three pages of a mum's feelings that something 'not normal' is happening with her baby being minimised, and her being told it's all in her head, it's her anxiety etc. She's taking his temperature as she feels something isn't quite right. The temperature reading is confirming that something isn't quite right. And no it's absolutely not normal to spike a temperature of over 38 every day. OP, it's probably teething but if you feel something is 'off' then don't be afraid to go back to the GP. It's their job.

I agree

Mother’s instinct is the best thing we have as a mother. I’ve never known it to be wrong often. Gut instinct is what you need to listen too

[Funfortheroad]

I hate to see three pages of a mum's feelings that something 'not normal' is happening with her baby being minimised, and her being told it's all in her head, it's her anxiety etc. She's taking his temperature as she feels something isn't quite right. The temperature reading is confirming that something isn't quite right. And no it's absolutely not normal to spike a temperature of over 38 every day. OP, it's probably teething but if you feel something is 'off' then don't be afraid to go back to the GP. It's their job.

[TheReluctantPhoenix]

www.webmd.com/first-aid/normal-body-temperature

Please see the above link (is in F rather than C, but you can either convert or note general principle.

Normal varies from person to person and babies and children run hotter, 38 is high, but within the normal range of some children.

Fever is a symptom of an underlying disease and if your child has no other symptoms, I would follow your doctor’s advice and put down the thermometer.

[Nocutenamesleft]

[quote Dennisreynoldsduster]@Ahnowcomon would he have more symptoms with tonsilitis? He won't let me near his mouth because of his teething

I think I will call tomorrow and try to get a sample (fun) for a UTI check and see if the doctor will check him over just to put my mind at rest but the last couple of times I've spoken to them they said he doesn't need to be seen[/quote]
There’s a special type they can give babies. There’s a bag type thing that can be stuck over their gentials. So that you can catch the urine

Another way is to pop some cotton balls into his nappy and then pop them into the sample bottle. Though some gps don’t like to use that method. So best to speak to them about w good way to collect the urine. The other way is to just hang around with a sample bottle x

[roobicoobi]

SIMILAR not sinister what an autocorrect

[roobicoobi]

Have you posted about this before? I remember a sinister thread a few weeks back where someone was obsessing over a raised temp.

Why are you taking your child's temp all the time if they are fine and have no symptoms of being unwell?

[Nocutenamesleft]

However. During my time with so many fevers. She had over 100 in a 2 year period. I saw many many many drs

But we actually saw a specialist fever dr after her diagnosis with her immunologist. He said that it’s a really good thing to have a fever. Only to give them medication if they appeared in a lot of discomfort. Occasionally her temp would go up to 41. Which he said was the cut off. As in if it got to 41. Then go to hospital. As with a very high temp it starts to damage organs. However anything up to that point was fine. (Obviously he means this opinion for my child. Don’t take this advice for your own child). But a fever is heating up the body as to kill whatever it needs too.

38 isn’t too high. My child runs at 37.8 normally and nothing up to 39 worries me really. I don’t give calpol for that temp. My child actually doesn’t get sick with her fevers. Unless they go over 40. At which point they feel pretty grim. Plus otherwise we’d be giving her paracetamol all the time and paracetamol is a hepatic drug. Which means it affects the liver. So it’s not a good drug to keep using. Especially every week or even every month.

If your worried push for another dr.

[Nocutenamesleft]

My daughter got chicken pox aged 18 months. After that she’d get these random fevers. It would be every 10 days.

It took 2 years and multiple hospitalisations and after I saw a private dr she was found to have PFAPA. It’s quite rare. Our big big hospital only has 3 children right now with a diagnosis. My child included.

PFAPA can be started through a small infection. I’d have a google.