Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

To not follow the doctor's advice?

54 replies

bubbleymummy · 27/05/2010 22:30

Ds2 has had a temp going up and down since Sunday. It was at its highest on monday and I thought he was back to normal on Wednesday but it went up a bit again that evening and it was around 38 still this morning so I took him to the doctor just to check for ear/chest infection. All is clear so the doctor just said to keep an eye on him and if he's still not back to normal bring him back next week.

That was all fine, I was relieved that there didn't seem to be anything more sinister lurking Then as we were leaving she asked did I have plenty of paracetemol in the house and to make sure I just kept him dosed up. I should probably mention that despite the temp DS has been in good spirits, even when it was at his highest. He's been a bit more clingy but he's been playing with his toys and torturing ds1 as usual. I mentioned this to the doctor and said I wasn't too keen on giving him paracetemol unless he really seemed to need it (and with a temp of 38 and playing away he really didn't seem to need it) but she said it was better to be safe than sorry and it would stop him having a convulsion!

AIBU to think that it's a bit unnecessary to dose a happy child with a low grade fever and no underlying infection up on paracetemol several times a day and therefore not take her advice on this occasion?

OP posts:

Bellagio · 27/05/2010 23:23

This is very interesting and relevant to me at present OP, I have a very similar dilema, an 18 month old who's had a temp since Monday, no other symptoms at all, temp has gone up as high as 38.9, seems to be highest am & pm. Also took him to doc Weds, told to monitor and keep giving regular Para/Nuro which I have been doing.
I don't feel altogether happy doing this though, as others have said, surely the temperature rises to try and rid the virus or infection.
I also had another doctor previously tell me to always give Para/Nuro when the temp goes above 38 to prevent convulsions, but surely if my sons normal temp is 37.3 ish (which it is) then this is not particularly high?
The advice is very conflicting, I will read with interest others experiences.

Sassybeast · 27/05/2010 23:25

For info for anyone else :

www.nhs.uk/chq/pages/1633.aspx

LittleLebowskiUrbanAchiever · 27/05/2010 23:32

bellagio i was always taught not to accept a fever unless you know the source: if temp going as high at 39 i would want to know what the cause was. and give calpol/brufen if baby miserable with fever, not because of it iyswim - as no evidence it prevents febrile convulsions. (BTW this is a big shift in what drs used to think so thats prob why advice is conflicting as not all will be aware yet. and its not HARMFUL to give calpol etc to "prevent" convulsion, just no proof it works)

hope this helps. really off to bed now

LittleLebowskiUrbanAchiever · 27/05/2010 23:33

i mean i think you should take baby back to gp (with urine sample if poss) to keep looking for why the fever is there, as it sounds like no-one is sure.

Original poster

bubbleymummy · 27/05/2010 23:35

It's hard when they aren't showing any other symptoms isn't it bellagio? Ds's temp went to 39.5 on Monday which I would have considered v high if he hadn't been playing with his brother and giggling away at the time. . I may just have children that burn high temps though. Ds1 has been up above 40 before and he's been still playing away happily - v strange! Is your ds happy enough or feeling miserable? Hope he feels better soon!

OP posts:

blinks · 27/05/2010 23:36

bellagio- normal temp for child is 36-36.8C.

37.3 is a raised temp.

temp above 38 is classed as fever.

Original poster

bubbleymummy · 27/05/2010 23:37

Actually ds does have a slightly runny nose so I think that was enough of another symptom for the doctor to think it is some kind of upper respitory virus...

OP posts:

Original poster

bubbleymummy · 27/05/2010 23:39

Oops respiratory... Sorry. iPhone!

OP posts:

Bellagio · 28/05/2010 08:03

Bubbleymummy- yes it's driving me mad! He does seem a bit unhappy but he's also teething like crazy so who knows, certainly he's as active as normal. The doc booked him in again for today and said to take him if temp still up (it is) so will see what they say.
Hope your little one feels better soon too (I also luuurve my iPhone!)

Blinks- I'm pretty sure that children, just like adults, can have a higher "normal" baseline temp, if not then this means my ds has never had a normal temp in his life cos it's always slightly over 37!

Bellagio · 28/05/2010 08:05

Littlelebowski- thankyou I'm going again today to GP. He had the exact same thing 2 months ago also, we sent a urine sample off then but it came back clear.

DetectivePotato · 28/05/2010 09:36

Haven't read the replies but YABU!!!!!!

I did exactly the same as you a year ago. DS had a temp of 38 (my first ever experience of a fever so I had no idea what to do), was still happily playing etc. We went to my friends house in the day as usual. Got home at teat time and he just fell asleep on my lap, very unusual for him at that time of day. DH walked in the door and DS didn't even move which again was unusual.

I picked DS up and he was completely floppy. I told DH we were taking him to A & E, turned around to put my shoes on and DS started fitting. Was the most awfu experince of my life. I was running around panicking, no idea what to do. Tried to get DS in his car seat , took him next door to see my neighbour who is a nurse and luckily had just come home.

Ended with up going to hospital by ambulance.

If he has the slightest hint of a fever, the paracetamol will bring it down and stop his temp from rising even more which will result in what happened to my DS. He had a convulsion all because I didn't want to give what I felt was meds unnecessarily.

If your DC has a fever, give paracetamol. Your doctor does actually know what they are talking about.

Original poster

bubbleymummy · 28/05/2010 12:06

Detective potato. Thank you for your post, it must have been very scary for you. you may want to read the other replies now though and the links to the studies showing that paracetemol doesn't actually reduce the risk of convulsions. Littlelebowski is a doctor and she wrote some interesting posts. It seems that recommendations for fever treatment are changing.

OP posts:

Downdog · 28/05/2010 12:10

YANBU I would do the same

DetectivePotato · 28/05/2010 14:25

I did look at the posts after. But having been through it, next time I will still give meds, just in case it does actually work and will save having to witness that again. IMO its just not worth it and the meds won't do any harm as they are obviously ill anyway, even if they are still playing. I still don't know what it will take for my DS to just sit quietly on the sofa. When we were at the hospital, after a few hours he could finally hold his head up again (he was 18 months btw), he has to start walking around, then he was getting all the cars and trains out and lining them all up. Temp was still really high though and he was clearly like Bambi trying to walk but it didn't stop him playing.

Original poster

bubbleymummy · 28/05/2010 17:03

Detectivepotato, I'm glad that your ds came round ok with no ill effects. My problem with treating all fevers is that it is interfering with the body's immune response. The high temp creates a hostile environment for any bugs as well as creating an optimum environment for the immune response to work. By bringing the temp down you could potentially be doing more harm by hindering the body's ability to fight off any bugs itself.Bringing the temp down doesn't make the illness go away. It's still there in the background, all you've done is take away one of the body's defenses against it. I think paracetemol et al should be used as pain relievers not antipyretics.

OP posts:

nursie999 · 28/05/2010 18:16

True Bubbley,
Fevers aren't a bad thing per se-normal body response to an infection, whether viral or bacterial.
However, some childre will have a febrile convulsion at 38, others won't have one at all. (It's about 5%)
And if your child has never had a convulsion, its a bit difficut to predict if it will happen.
Useful info here
febrile convulsion

Original poster

bubbleymummy · 28/05/2010 18:54

Thanks nursie. I think, as said earlier, that it is the speed of the temp rising that causes the convulsion rather than the temp itself which is why convulsions often happen before you even know your child has a temp! From the research stuff that was posted it seems that administering paracetemol after convulsions or as a future preventative measure doesn't actually have an effect. I think it is reassuring that febrile convulsions dont usually cause any long term damage so even though they're v scary at the time they don't cause any harm in themselves.

OP posts:

nursie999 · 28/05/2010 19:16

Yes, as long as parents realise that a first fit should always be checked out by a doctor, just to confirm that it is a febrile convulsion and not something else.

chegirlmonkeybutt · 28/05/2010 19:20

YANBU and I hope you DC is better soon.

I am from the other camp though and give calpol at the slightest sign of fever or unwellness (is that even a word?)

For my own reasons, I just want to 'do' something.

Original poster

bubbleymummy · 28/05/2010 20:31

Of course nursie! I think a child should always be brought to a&e after a convulsion just to make sure it was febrile.

Chegirl. Ikwym. I find it hard not to reach for the thermometer every 5 mins! As long as he is smiling I can reassure myself and I just strip him down to his vest and occasionally sponge warm water on his head and let it dry to cool him down. It makes me feel like I'm doing something without actually interfering with his body's response.

I also find chamomile tea good. Chamomile is a natural antipyretic but it doesn't reduce the temp as much as paracetemol. It bothers me that paracetemol canbring his temp down to normal when I know he's not normal!

OP posts:

Original poster

bubbleymummy · 28/05/2010 20:33

Thank you for all your get wellwishes for ds btw. His temp has been down all daybut he still seems a bit grizzly. We think it's teeth. I can see two new little tooth buds have just come through. Poor boy is not having a good week!

OP posts:

Original poster

bubbleymummy · 28/05/2010 20:34

Sorry- just to clarify we think the teeth are seperate to whatever caused the fever at the start of the week. They've just rather inconveniently overlapped!

OP posts:

nursie999 · 28/05/2010 20:38

Aren't children sooo unreasonable. The very least he couuld have done was have a weeks break between virus and teeth coming down!

mumbar · 28/05/2010 20:44

bubbley, I do believe a mum knows best etc but I thought I'd give you another insight.

My DS now 5.9 use to get a fever with teething. (altho this is contaversial too). His temp would rise to 37.8-38.2 so I would give calpol. On quite a few occcasions he would projectile vomit not long after and have febrile convulsions. Only rectal paracetamol would bring temp down. (it would rise to about 40).

Altho DS has grown out of convusions - last one 2007 when he had chicken pox and a fever of 38.4.

I therefore do give calpol if his temperature is above 37.5 which is a deg above his normal. This I think is due to my experience.

Everychild is different tho IYSWIM. Hope DS is well now.

Original poster

bubbleymummy · 28/05/2010 20:55

Inconvenient for him nursie! I didn't mean to suggest we were inconvenienced by him!

Mumbar, that must have been awful for you. What did you think about the links that were posted?

OP posts:

Flip

1 2 3