AIBU? 4 day Fever and I’m panicking

[CaffeineChaosandCuddles]

My daughter is on day 4 of a fever. It’s been anywhere from 37.6-39.5. Calpol / nurofen ALWAYS brings it down ( not to normal, but it reduces )

she’s negative for Flu A, B & Covid

Today she’s only needed one lot of Calpol which brought a temp of 38.0 to around the 37.5 mark, which I’m happy with, but yesterday afternoon it snot up again to 39.5 so I feel incredibly anxious and on edge.

shes seen a GP, said her chest was clear and said tonsillitis immediately after looking in her throat, and gave her antibiotics - but stated it could be viral, but antibiotics are to be taken incase it’s bacterial.

her symptoms are/have been:

• coughing
• snotty ( more today )
• headaches ( gone today )
• lack of appetite ( which seems to be back today, ate a fruit salad for breakfast, pizza at lunch and is now asking for a hot chocolate )

I suffer with terrible health anxiety since my son was born extremely premature and was on life support 18 months ago.

my eldest is very rarely sick, so to see her ill- my mind races to like a child hood cancer, like leuk because of the temps going up for 4 days now.

I spoke to the doctor last night and he didn’t really seem concerned. Can 4 days of temp simply be normal for a virus?! ( or bacterial, but me and husband are swaying towards virus because she’s been on the antibiotics for 72 hours now and other symptoms improving, the temp isn’t )

AIBU to catastrophise? thank you. X

I don't think 5 days is unusual, my nearly 4 year old had a cold last month. Woke on Monday morning with a high temperature of 39.5 and was wiped out all week, he didn't turn a corner until the following weekend. He barely ate, just ice pops and some toast but so long as he was having fluids and his temperature came down with nurofen/calpol I wasn't too worried. He just wanted to watch cartoons all day.

I ended up getting the same bug myself and I was ill for at least two weeks!

OP, realistically. What do you want to see happen?

NHS website say also says it can take longer.

We’ve just come out of this - fever for maybe six days in the end? But getting lower the last few days which sounds like what you’re describing. So started at nearly 40, then by the last day was rising towards 38.5/8 without calpol. Also coughing fits to the point of vomiting, off food, and diarrhoea, and also I’m pretty sure a virus. Much better today which is day 8 I think, still coughing lots but appetite mostly returned. Sickest she’s been in years (she’s seven) and GP prescribed steroids in the end but I really do think there are just a lot of nasty viruses atm.

a lot of my friends children have similar right now, I really wouldn’t worry it’s anything more serious, fingers crossed she’s fully recovered by Christmas Day.

That she doesn’t have a temperature anymore, going into day 6 will really concern me.

What do you actually want a doctor to do? She’s been seen and given a fairly obvious diagnosis. You’re not seriously proposing putting your child through blood tests to check for leukaemia are you?! She’s got antibiotics already. She’s improving. She’s dancing round your living room and demanding McDonalds. So what concrete useful thing are you expecting the doctor to do other than temporarily placate your anxiety?

I’m sorry about what happened with your son. But you are going to give your daughter serious health anxiety if every time she gets an absolutely typical winter virus that takes an absolutely typical length of time to recover from you’re contacting the GP three times in under a week.

I understand your anxiety (my daughter was on life support for 118 days after a traumatic birth. She weighed 510g), however, I do not take ky daughters temperature. A temperature is a good sign. It means the body is fighting infection. Regular paracetamol/nurofen if needed to keep her comfortable but you look at the child to take your lead from her. If she's eating and playing she is much better than she was and her body is nearing the end of fighting the infection off. Please don't stress.. you'll stress your daughter and im sure you don't want that. Try and look for the signs she is improving, which it sounds like she is.

And her immune system will deal with the virus and this will happen. She is already eating again so she is improving.

I had a temperature for 10 days with flu and with tonsillitis mine is often 7 days
some people are just prone to running a high temp for longer. She’s improving, her temp will come down

When did the fever start? When did you see the GP?

Keep dosing the calpol every 4 or 6 hours whatever the instructions say.

Is she drinking and eating?

.

More concerned than you are already?

Yes, why are you acting like it’s unusual for someone to be concerned by their children. Especially someone with health anxiety, it’s not groundbreaking news

Fever started Wednesday 1am ( 5 days ago ) saw GP Wednesday.

You took her to the GP on day 1 of a fever?
Whatever helo you're getting for your HA, get more please.
You'll do yourself nor your children no favours.
Temperature is the body's way of fighting an infection.
Shes eating drinking dancing singing. And you want to take her BACK to the Dr?

I don't think anyone on this thread has said they think you should be concerned.
The GP has told you that he is not concerned.
Apart from the temp disappearing, which noone can control, is there anything else that would help your anxiety here? As you just seem to be getting yourself more upset by being here.

For what it's worth, I think the temp will go when it goes, but your daughter is clearly improving day by day, she's not lethargic, she's eating, drinking and weeing, she hasn't got anything drastically wrong with her, so you need to think about something else to chill out a bit.

Also- doing what you are doing, you're more likely to inflict health anxiety on your daughter.
GP doesn't need consulting on day 1 of a fever. If you can feel her temp is high, you don't need to check with a thermometer - dose up as needed. If she's not in pain and is dancing, she probably doesn't even need that.
You do need to temper it in yourself, because she is watching this, and picking it up, and you may be making her feel more anxious. Do you want her to suffer like you in years to come?

Loads of quite nasty responses on here I'm sorry for that OP. I think for tonsillitis a fever that long is quite normal. As she's starting to eat and drink that's a good sign and hopefully her throat is feeling better.
If you're concerned try and see a GP but as she's drinking and not dehydrated they're unlikely to do anything differently to what you are at home.
Hope she feels better soon x

People are trying to help you, but you're not taking any advice on board.

Your behaviour is unusual.

What you should actually be worried about is passing your anxiety onto your children.

I am not getting ahead of myself, but I THINK we have broken the fever. Little girl woke up as 36.5 with last medicine given 12 hours prior. She’s energetic happy, and HUNGRY- plus a cough and a snotty nose!

thanks to those for the lovely reassurance and kind words, to those that felt the need to kick someone while they’re down, I hope you feel ok with that.

She’s getting warmer again, huff! - do temperatures gradually fade away or suddenly stop?! Today is definitely the best day so far, so I’m praying!

It'll be up and down for a few days.
This is normal.
Throw away the thermometer.

We are day 6 though! 😭

Have you read the thread?
Or are you simply determined to believe that your daughter should have recovered after just a few hours?

We've all told you that your daughter has a viral illness which will last for several days.

Nothing is wrong. She's improving.
FGS stop taking her temperature.