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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

NOT an AIBU thread but i need advice ASAP

60 replies

TheLadyEvenstar · 10/03/2010 00:34

DS2 woke at 6am vomitted 3 times but has been fine since other than having a slight temp. BUT now he is on the sofa in just a nappy face bright red, burning, stomach and back burning, i gave him childrens ibruprofen earlier about 9.30pm. he keeps drifitng in and out of sleep but won't take calpol. how else can i get his temp down. he keeps pulling his blanket up over him.

OP posts:

EdTheConfessor · 10/03/2010 00:55

Don't panic. You are doing a good job noticing when he got hot etc.

Lukewarm sponging is ok because it does not do that evaporation thing quick enough. Milk is not a good idea as he's vomitted today. If you haven't got a fan and he's just sleepy but not unresponsive, give it another half hour or so to cool him down with a paper fan/book if needs be. Keep him without his nappy ,cotton pants if possible and then see the temp drops.

Look at his eyes and see if they are glazed (from the internal heat). If they look very 'cloudy' that's when you need to get him to the docs sooner than latter.

BelleDeChocolateFluffyBunny · 10/03/2010 00:57

Ah. We were not allowed to sponge the children down when I was on the wards, just a fan, ibuprofen every 4 hours, paracetamol every 4 hours, arranged so they have ibuprofen first and paracetamol 2 hours later, ibuprofen 2 hours after this, paracetamol 2 hours etc. Plenty of juice to drink (unless they were babies).

Could you put the fleece beside him, not over him? He'll be hotter if he's upset so it's a compromise as it's not actually on him. Cuddles can make him hotter

ChippingIn · 10/03/2010 00:59

Have you rung the HNS hotline?

I am not a DR/Nurse etc but this is what I would do:

Take the blanket away, give him a pillowcase/muslin if he wants something.

Take his nappy off - they hold in a lot of heat.

I would do as they used to suggest and put him in a tepid bath. I don't know why they no longer suggest it, but having had a lot of experience with febrile convulsions and a good result with this, I wouldn't hesitate to do so. IF he really, really hates the bath then sponge him with tepid water - concentrating on his head, neck & wrists - getting plenty of water on him, rather than just a damp cloth.

I would also use the 'syringe' and give him the calpol, cajole or hold him down - whatever is required.

ChippingIn · 10/03/2010 01:00

What happened? I looked - not a single post, it didn't take me that long to type it out and there are 27 messages??? Weird.

EdTheConfessor · 10/03/2010 01:02

It's called the MNS -Mums Net Service.

Original poster

TheLadyEvenstar · 10/03/2010 01:05

ok, have put him in a disposable nappy, took blanket off of him managed to get a drop (literally) of calpol into him and he is laying back down.

I can't leave him without a nappy as he has a habit of piddling through the eye of a needle lol...

sill waiting for nhs direct

OP posts:

ShowOfHands · 10/03/2010 01:06

Fluffy, it makes sense, because the risk of convulsion is from the speed of the temperature rising, not the temperature itself and the rapid reduction of the temp and inducing shivering is never, ever a good thing. Is ibuprofen every 4 or 6hrs? If 4hrs, he can have more soon. The doc today said ibuprofen's better at reducing a temp, calpol at stabilising it.

Had a quick look (out of interest and for your benefit TLE) and the NHS website recommends lukewarm sponging but stick to his head area to avoid making him shiver and inducing an unnatural lowering and raising of temp in rapid succession.

I think the key thing is to try and lower it slowly if you can and not worry too much about a temp in isolation as it's fighting whatever's making him poorly. Making him comfortable is what you're looking for.

ShowOfHands · 10/03/2010 01:08

Don't put him in the bath I think and getting him wet would cause the problem fluffy describes, damp lukewarm sponge is what I've been told by the doc.

ChippingIn · 10/03/2010 01:08

MNS probably more use than the NHS!!

I can see what they are saying about tepid bath/sponging down - but as an adult I still suffer from temp spikes that cause vomiting then fainting (it's fun!). I have to raise my feet, and pour water over myself whilst trying to control the D&V - it's a right laugh. If I don't get cool enough, quick enough I pass out. If the water is tepid then he shouldn't get chilly and shiver... however, you have a nurse on here telling you differently so who am I to say!

How is he doing now??

ShowOfHands · 10/03/2010 01:13

Sounds awful ChippingIn (though picturing you sitting in a sopping armchair with feet on a pouffe sloshing yourself with water- I'm v tired)

I think the problem is more that if you cool him down that rapidly in the bath, his body will fight to raise the temp up again quickly to fight the infection. This quick temperature rise is what causes febrile convulsions in children.

And if dd was poorly and tired and I forced her to wake and get in the bath, she'd heat up through protesting alone.

BelleDeChocolateFluffyBunny · 10/03/2010 01:16

Ibuprofen depends on how old the child is, it's max 4 doses in 24 hours, so this is 6 hours apart. It's far better then calpol at reducing a temp. Scrap what I said about every 4 hours above, it's 1am, sorry , paracetamol does just stabilise it.

thumbwitch · 10/03/2010 01:23

TLES, so to hear DS is unwell! I hope NHS direct have got back to you by now, but if he doesn't improve soon I'd consider nipping down to your local A&E if you don't get anything from NHS direct.

Has he any other symptoms?

Have a (((hug))) as well, I know what you mean about going into overdrive and your head going up the wall!

Original poster

TheLadyEvenstar · 10/03/2010 01:30

ok sorry for delay in replying, nhs called back.

they have said i am doing all the right things but not to sponge him down!
I am to give him ibruprofen when he wakes again and to keep him in a cool room. His thin fleece blanket is better on him rather than dostressing him by taking it away. And that if milk is all he will drink then let him have it.

To use disposables rather than terry nappies as they are thinner and just to keep an eye on him.

Thanks all,i am in for the long haul as he is in and out of sleep.

OP posts:

Original poster

TheLadyEvenstar · 10/03/2010 01:33

Thing is other than vomitting at 6.30am tuesday he has had no other symptons.

although on Friday his urine was really strong smelling....thankfully he now drinks cranberry juice.

What are the beginning symptons of chicken pox? my mum works in a nursery and the dc there are going down with it 1 by 1....

OP posts:

BelleDeChocolateFluffyBunny · 10/03/2010 01:34

I hope he's feeling better soon.

Original poster

TheLadyEvenstar · 10/03/2010 01:36

he is asleep now and i am on the edge of tears....damn i am a sap when he is ill

OP posts:

BelleDeChocolateFluffyBunny · 10/03/2010 01:39

It's alright, he's your little boy. You should try and get some sleep aswell.

Original poster

TheLadyEvenstar · 10/03/2010 01:43

Fluffy, i won't sleep.true to form i wake up when the boys are ill and no matter how much i want to sleep i won't be able to.

Am curious about chicken pox now...been a long time since DS1 had them and cannot remember...

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BelleDeChocolateFluffyBunny · 10/03/2010 01:46

It's normally a slight temp, maybe a bit of d&v, the temp goes, then the spots appear.

I should get off to bed, try not to worry, call NHS direct back if you are worried. I'd leave the ibuprofen until about 3am so it's been 6 hours since his last dose. You can give him calpol, it's easier to just give him a little bit at a time (of the dose IYSWIM) rather then all of it if he doesn't want to take it.

ChippingIn · 10/03/2010 01:46

You're allowed to be a sap now it's scary!!

He seems to be doing fine - let's hope he sleeps till the morning and that will give his body a chance to fight off whatever is causing it.

[Show of hands - it's definitely a bathroom job!!! It's really horrible, but thank god it's not as often as it once was. I stopped looking into 'why' & I just deal with it now!! It's worse at night, I think because it gets further 'into it' before I wake up, when I am already awake I can deal with it more quickly].

Original poster

TheLadyEvenstar · 10/03/2010 01:49

Fluffy...will keep an eye out for spots. my brother only had 3 spot in the middle of his back lol DS1 had lots of spots which got badly infected so will keep an eye on DS2.

Chippin, i have cooled flat down well living room specifically and actually i am shivering lol he is cooling down. ~problem is if i take him into bedroom with in minutes he will be in my bed overheating again so am best to stay in living room with him and let him sleep.

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LittlePushka · 10/03/2010 01:50

Lady Evenstar.. just wanted to tell you that the only time my ds1 has ever vomited was one night, three times in a row and he got chicken pox spots a couple of days later.

Original poster

TheLadyEvenstar · 10/03/2010 01:54

Little, thanks will keep an eye on that then!!

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JoCoolBeans · 10/03/2010 02:01

Sponge him down, give him another dose of calpol now (if you haven't already) and stick Cbeebies on the iplayer to distract him while you're doing it. Iplayer works perfectly this time of night.
I find calpol hides very well in milk and they drink it up faster if you stick a straw in it.
Also the fan is a good idea but not close to him.

You're not hopeless, you've done quiet well so far. I remember my son was the same age and got a fever from gastroenteritis. I sat him in a tepid bath and poured water over the poor chap, looking back now I'm lucky that didn't send him into convulsions. But you learn as you go along. BTW he wasn't in the bath long! I couldn't do that to him.

Original poster

TheLadyEvenstar · 10/03/2010 02:10

He is well and truly in the world of fairies and soft white fluffy lovliness now. But i am too afraid to go to sleep so am sitting up in cold living room in pjs n a cardy...god i must be getting old lol.

Also concerned about putting him into his bed as it will be cold and wake him up.

Jo, i worry so much because i once missed an ear infection DS1 had and he ended up with both er drums perforated.... but to be fair the hospital missed it as well, 2nd hospital found it.

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