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Original poster

Extremely hot DS.. not sure what to do

29 replies

ICouldHaveWrittenThis · 06/12/2010 22:05

He's only got a cold but I think he's teething as well. He's had a temp all day (no therm, so don't know exactly what it is)

He had 3ml neurofen before bed at about 6pm, and I've just given him 5ml calpol. He seems slightly cooler.

Should I dose him with another 2.5 of neurofen in an hour or so? He's really hot and uncomfortable and I'm worried about him. He's 3yo but has never had a temp before, so I'm a but worried - it's not like him.

OP posts:
MerryMarigold · 06/12/2010 22:17

You can give calpol/ nurofen every 2 hours, so I would do that till tomorrow. Unless it gets really bad eg. vomiting from the temperature or a seizure (unlikely!).

MerryMarigold · 06/12/2010 22:18

PS. Do 3 year olds teethe?

MerryMarigold · 06/12/2010 22:19

Check for rash (just in case of meningitis) and check breathing ok. If very quick breathing, maybe chest infection.

Original poster
ICouldHaveWrittenThis · 06/12/2010 22:19

Yeah.. he's still got 3 molars to come in (only just 3yo)
I can see them breaking through, and when I ask him where it hurts he points to his teeth.

OP posts:
MerryMarigold · 06/12/2010 22:20

I see. Has he been ok, or very floppy?

MaureenMLove · 06/12/2010 22:20

What is he wearing in bed? Do you have a fan you can put in the room with him?

Personally, I would sleep in the room with him, to ease my mind.

usualsuspect · 06/12/2010 22:23

Maybe he has a sore throat or earache? i would sleep with him too and take to gp in the morning

KangarooCaught · 06/12/2010 22:23

If he's hot and sweaty in the night and gets up ill, then a bath often makes them feel a lot better and brings down temp, especially if you or OH get in with them. Bath should be warm but not hot.

And 2nd the alternating of medicines.

MaureenMLove · 06/12/2010 22:24

Don't actually sleep in the bed with him though That won't help his temp. Natural as it is, to want to cuddle him, try to avoid too much contact.

Original poster
ICouldHaveWrittenThis · 06/12/2010 22:27

He's only got his PJ top on.. took his trousers off earlier. Duvet isn't too heavy either and pulled down.

I think it might be a sore throat as well, he seemed much happier taking a drink from a straw. He did eat most of his dinner relatively happily though.

He had a warmish bath before bed, it's only in the last couple of hours that he's been red hot.

Window is on the latch, so there's a nice cool breeze in the room, about 17C in there. I may well stick my thermals on and sleep on his floor with him.

OP posts:
fusspot66 · 06/12/2010 22:31

I've just been dosing my baby with paracetamol and ibuprofen & overlapping them for a 4 day long fever - teething and a nasty cold. I'm just worried in case anyone misunderstands the every 2 hours suggestion. You must not exceed the dose of paracetamol even if you add ibuprofen to the mix. Read the instructions!Good luck. I'm nearly stir crazy with cabin fever but we're nearly over it now...

MaureenMLove · 06/12/2010 22:36

Well, it sounds like you've got it reasonably under control. Go get yourself a hot drink and a blanket.

Hope he feels better in the morning.

Original poster
ICouldHaveWrittenThis · 06/12/2010 22:36

He can have 3 x 5ml of ibuprofen a day, and I think 4 x 5ml calpol a day.

I've only been giving 3ml ibuprofen at a time, so I can give it every 5 hours, and the bottle says he can have up to 10ml calpol at a time, but have only been giving 5ml.

I'm just being cautious, but I think another 3ml neurofen before we go to bed (so shortly), and then calpol if he wakes in the night, neurofen again in the morning.

I think I should give the full 5ml dose of neurofen though, today he's had about 8ml over the whole day, so he'll be fine with that.

OP posts:
SnowMuchToBits · 06/12/2010 22:41

If he gets really hot, and medicines aren't helping, then maybe try what I was advised when ds had a temperature that wouldn't go down. Strip off all clothes (except pants/nappy) put him in car, and drive round with windows open. It may seem uncomfortable, but with ds it really worked, when we had already given him calpol etc, taken bedding off and he was still hot. It was the local out of hours emergency medical centre that advised this.

Original poster
ICouldHaveWrittenThis · 06/12/2010 22:43

Thanks Snow.

I reckon at the moment that opening his window for 30 seconds would have the same effect actually (SOOOO COLD) so at least we have that option. Thank you :)

OP posts:
alypaly · 06/12/2010 23:24

please dont dose him every 2 hours.
calpol is every 4 -6 hours and no more than 4 doses in 24 hours and ibuprofen (nurofen) is three times a day with or just after food.

llareggub · 06/12/2010 23:44

That's interesting. I saw the out of hours GP yesterday because my DS had a high temp and she told me to alternate calpol and nurofen every 2 hours at maximum does.

Original poster
ICouldHaveWrittenThis · 07/12/2010 00:12

I'm not dosing him every 2 hours at all. He had neurofen at 6:30 ish when he went to bed, has just had another 3.5 ml at 11:45. Had 5ml calpol at around 9:30.

I'm making sure he doesn't exceed the 15ml per day dose of neurofen, but the calpol dose is much higher, more like 40ml allowed in one day (he's had nothing like that)

OP posts:
KittyFloss · 07/12/2010 01:34

Thats bad advice llareggub, you in no way shape or form go over the timings on the packet. Every 4 hours is way too much for ibuprofen, that would 6 doses of ibuprofen, 6 of calpol in 24 hours Shock.

KittyFloss · 07/12/2010 01:38

I would give him is full allowed dose at once though Icould, give him the full 10 of calpol and 5 of ibuprofen when allowed. No senses in half measures if he is as hot as you say.

bunnymother · 07/12/2010 03:32

Every 2 hours?! That is far more often than we have been advised - both by NHS Direct and then today by the GP. We were told to alternate Calpol and Nurofen, according to their daily limits. Which is Calpol every 6 hours and Nurofen every 8 hours.

larrygrylls · 07/12/2010 07:16

Bunnymother,

At most hospitals, the protocol is Neurofen 4 hourly and Calpol four hourly to bring down a fever, which means you give one of the drugs every 2 hours. However, that is only when you really need to bring down a fever.

If a child is not that unwell, better to go for lower dosage. It is all about treating the child, though, not the fever. If a child is eating and drinking normally and not desperately uncomfortable, you really do not need to worry about a fever unless it is really high (maybe 39.5 deg + in a 3 year old). Equally, if a child is really distressed with a much lower fever, better to treat more aggressively until you can make them comfortable and they will at least take fluids.

llareggub · 07/12/2010 09:34

So I wasn't given really bad advice then, given that I had a 20 month old with a temperature of 39, a chest infection and who was floppy and lethargic? I really do need to know!

He is fine now and quite bouncy so I'm not giving the full dose of anything, let alone every two hours. But his temperature came down very quickly once we upped the dose.

larrygrylls · 07/12/2010 10:14

Llaareggub,

From everything I have read and been told, that is the best advice. The only real danger with these drugs, as long as the max dose is NOT exceeded, is a marginal cumulative one. The risks of leaving a very sick child far exceed those risks.

llareggub · 07/12/2010 10:22

Thank you! I think it is best to be clear on these things. I trust the GP in question implicitly.