Any idea what this could be, Dr doesn’t know!

[hubbabaloo]

DD (8) has had swelling in her face all week. Drs originally thought it was down to her dermatitis so they prescribed some cream but it hasn’t made a difference. The swelling has been getting worse everyday, to the point this morning she could barely open her eyes, she also has swelling around her nose so she’s breathing through her mouth. It starts off worse in the morning and gets slightly better through the day but there is still some swelling there at the end of the day.
When we saw the Gp this morning her neck was also really swollen and he said every gland is up. She has no temp but a raised heart rate and says she doesn’t feel well but can’t really describe why. Dr said he has no idea, it could be something viral but her body is obviously trying to fight something as her glands are up. He said it will either get worse, in which case go to a&e or the body will fight it on its own.

anyone else’s child had this and have any clue what it could be?

They alway says it's viral when they don't know. 'Go to a&e' if any change is ridiculously inadequate
Basic bloods can identify issues, if they didn't we wouldn't bother getting checks would we.

Really hope you're at A&E now OP. I'd have bypassed the GP and gone straight there with those symptoms.

Swelling and glands up, I would ask for blood test. How is she in herself ?

@Gloriia what is this magical blood test that is going to give you all the answers?

Our dog has Cushings...

It's possible that your daughter could have Mumps. I agree with taking your daughter to A&E, and am glad you are doing so. I hope the hospital manage to find out what's wrong.

They definitely can. I think it’s about 80% effective. A friend of mine caught it at uni, although obviously she’d had the vaccine longer ago than OP’s DD, so not sure if the protection decreases over the years.

A and E.

Did they dip urine to check for protein?
swelling with protein in urine would be concerning for nephrotic syndrome

I had mumos as an adult. Was awful. I was fully vaccinated. It does sound like this.

OP let us know how it goes. BUT if it completely goes away but happens again (in the face or another area of the body) you should ask them to test for hereditary angioedema (C1 esterase inhibitor) this would be unlikely as its v rare but as a teenager I kept getting random bouts of swelling. They tested me for everything for a few years and age 23 I got swelling in my face and was taken to hospital where an immunologist told them to test for this.

It was. They tested my whole family and my father had it but never had any symptoms. Turns out 2 of my siblings did too.

As I said its v unlikely but I know when the swelling goes down doctors kind of dismiss you so if that happens and it becomes recurring do push. Most doctors have never heard of it. It doesnt really have many other symptoms. Sometimes you feel a bit rubbish but not really unwell.

Yeah, I'd certainly be a bit more comfortable if the urine had been dipped.

What, just any old blood test, eh?

You can't rock up to A and E and tell them "I want a blood test" can you.

Good luck OP, hopefully just an unusual reaction to a virus.

They always say it's viral when they don't know

They say it because they've excluded everything else! They don't say a thing is viral just because they don't know FFS

Which is exactly what the GP said.

I'm sure OP will be back to fill us in, and I hope it's something that can be easily treated.

Right, and I'm a random person on the internet with no medical background hoping it's an unusual reaction and nothing worse. Trained and responsible medical professionals have a bit more in their bag for an 8 year old child.

I agree that they don’t just say it when they don’t know.

But they quite clearly do not say it when they’ve ruled out everything else. They’ve not ruled out everything else here because posters have suggested things that are clearly not ruled out. A friend of mine was repeatedly told her baby’s very odd symptoms (which were nothing like OP’s DD so I’m not suggesting this!) were “viral”. She had a brain tumour. Which yes, was very rare. But they say viral on a balance of probabilities, not because they have actually excluded all other causes.

A few people have suggested mumps, which is a virus.

I hope your local AE is not too busy! Generally children get triaged quite quickly.X

My late husband was told his symptoms were viral when in fact he was having a spinal cord compression from a tumour which needed emergency surgery.

I find the faith in GPs touching, but woefully misguided.

My GP was closely monitoring when my DD had a very swollen eye with general unwellness / cold, in case it was something called orbital cellulitis which would need IV antibiotics. In her case it was improving quickly so he decided it wasn't that, but your description reminded me of it in some ways, so definitely worth getting A second opinion, particularly with breathing difficulties.

I would take her to A&E they will do bloods. A friend of mine’s son had this once it was bronchitis. He never had any symptoms she just noticed his neck was swollen.

Another friend’s son had swelling on his face which they said when she took him to a children’s hospital was cellulitis. He was also anemic local hospital fobbed her off with iron tablets and antibiotics.The children’s hospital discovered he had stage 4 cancer and was riddled with tumours.

I have no medical experience at all but I have had close family members who almost died, one from septic shock following an abscess and one from cellulitis following an infected wound from
Having a cannula in. These symptoms all remind me of those severe infections. My DH almost died from septic shock, with those symptoms I would be at A&E I think, and I am not a worrier at all. Sepsis can take hold frighteningly quick and is not always diagnosed even with the obvious symptoms.

The fever, fast heart rate and inflammation are standing out to me. And obviously it is affecting her breathing which is serious. Is she acting confused or slurring her words at all? And can you check if she has low BP? Does she feel clammy yet cold to the touch even though she has a fever? Please read the sepsis info on NHS. My DH was lucky to go in to shock as he went in to surgery so he was resuscitated twice and survived.