Tell me this is okay? One-year-old being very lethargic and off food for days now...

[angel1976]

Hi,

DS2 just turned 1. A wee little thing. He has reflux and it's under control with medication. Got sick on Sunday. Since then, he has a temperature that just will not go away. It's not high - 38-ish but it comes and goes with regular doses of Calpol and Ibuprofen. He also has one of those stick-on-forehead cool gel things. He also has a really bad cough so that keeps us both awake intermittently at night. He also wakes up crying for seemingly no reason. Also seem very lethargic and tearful during the day. It's just gone 9am and he's asleep on the couch amidst his older brother making a bit of noise (not like him at all, he had gone down to just lunchtime nap a while ago... And would be joining his brother by now). Almost completely off food. Not really eaten a meal since Sunday night - a mouthful here and there. Milk, he's had an ounce here and there but I would say it's less than 10ozs in 24 hours. He is drinking water though. Wakes up in the middle of the night gasping and he gulps down water then. He also seems to be panting quite a bit (he is completely stuffed up). Took him to docs on Monday and doctor just said he had a nasty virus. Checked ears and no infection.

I don't know when I should be worrying iykwim. I remember DS1 having a few nasty bouts like this when he was younger but not for so long a period... Will ABs help at this stage? Help! I feel so helpless worrying about him as he is so little... Thanks. :(

Ax

can you go back to your GP (or preferably a different GP)? my wee boy has been like this (except without the lethargy, sadly) recently - feverish, not himself, off his food. turned out to be another ear infection in his case, but the GP checked his chest and throat too.

hope he's feeling better soon.

At this age things can change very quickly - we've had days when DD went to the Dr in the morning and we were told, 'just a virus, although a few crackles on her chest so she may be starting bronchiolitis, see how she goes' and by mid afternoon she's been struggling to breathe and we've been in hospital for 3 days on oxygen! Yep - she was starting bronchiolitis.

The thing is, the Dr was right in the morning, it just developed through the day.

If you're concerned, take him back to the Dr - ABs will only help if it is an infection (even when DD was in hospital she wasn't on ABs as it wasn't an infection).

Our Dr is great - never makes me feel that I'm wasting their time. Listened to DD's chest this morning and she has a chest infection - no temp, cheerful as ever but coughing and a bit wheezy. She has ABs and I was told if she didn't start to improve in a few days to go back.

Hi,

Just to update we just got back from A&E. Saw GP again this morning and he prescribed amoxicillin. But DS2 seemed to take a turn for the worse and was very lethargic all day, kept dozing on me on and off. Eventually called GP again who said to take him to hospital. So I did and just got back. He still has a temperature and the doctor said he had quite a nasty ear infection in his right ear and his throat is inflamed too though his chest is clear. He did perk up a bit while we were waiting in A&E (typical! ). He said with the amoxicillin, infection should clear within 48 hours and his temperature should go down. Fingers crossed! Thanks all for replying...

Ax

Glad to hear you're on the road to recovery now. They always perk up in A&E or the Dr waiting room - I'm sure the doctors think I lie every time we go!

We're quite lucky in a way - our Out Of Hours Dr is at the hospital so if they feel DD needs to be admitted we bypass A&E. Still a bit of a wait, but not generally too bad.