High temps and older kids

[Ohyoubadbadkitten]

Im out of practise with this, dd (12) seems to have been bug free for a couple of years, but she's got a horrid one at the moment. Temp was 41c earlier. Gp saw her very quickly and pronounced her to have a viral infection and just to keep up the old paracetamol/fluids/rest. Temp went down a long way this afternoon but she was back at 40.5c this evening. It's coming down very slowly with the addition of nurofen.
In between the spikes she doesn't seem too bad at all, she managed a bit of dinner. No rash, just a sore throat and a headache. She feels pretty bad now though.
My instincts tell me that she is probably ok but I need a bit of reassurance please. Do I need to sleep in her room? She says she doesn't want me to, as I'll disturb her. Should I be waking her to check her temp later, or should I just let her sleep?

You'd have though that I'd have got the hang of it by her age, but I seem to have forgotten everything.

I am feeling a little anxious, so advice or reassurance would be welcome please.

Sorry OYBBK, I really don't have any useful advice, just wanted to bump. I hope your dd feels better soon.

ds (11) was like this last week. I slept in the top bunk!

I know it's a cliché, but trust your instincts.

What have you given her in way of temp control? My dd (13) is the opposite and crawls into my bed when she has a fever. They are a bit better at this age in terms of temp regulation, as they can get up and get a drink,splash their face etc.

Ask again if you can stay in her room x

Hello OYBBK

Sorry to hear your DD isn't feeling well.

Virus's are a bugger as it seems to be a catchall sometimes for anything that Gp's can't quite put there fingers on.

Apparently Virus temperatures are usually higher than for bacterial infections, or at least that's what our GP told us. SO keeping her on the paracetamol/nurofen should help keep it down.

If you're worried, then maybe you could wake her for her next dose before you go to bed or set an alarm to wake up when her next dose is due. Even if she doesn't feel hot when the next dose is due, it's worth giving it as we found when our DD had a viral doodaa that she would be cool after 6 hours but burning hot by 7 hours or so.

I know alot of people say don't wake kids up if they're sleeping but I remember DD waking up really screaming once and was so so hot that this is what we do now, and it's as much for keeping her comfortable as it is for my own peace of mind.

I'm a worrier and always forget what the best practice is. DP would just go to bed and not worry at all. But I can't do that. So like Jenai says, just do what your instinct tell you as whatever that is, it will be the right thing to do.

Hope she's feeling better soon.

Thanks all, in the end I checked on her but didnt sleep in with her. She was v. hot still but not so alarmingly. Shes asleep at the moment but I'm going to wake her soon for her next dose.
crazynanna, we are alternating paracetemol and brufen. One thing I will say that is a massive bonus at this age - not having to try and balance sticky spoonfuls of med and post them into uncooperative mouths in the dark.

Jenai, how long did your dds last for?

40.5 and 41 are really high fevers. I would def be slightly panicky with that level of temp and be keeping a very close eye on them indeed. I have no idea how a doctor can distinguish between a bacterial and viral infection on the strength of a physical examination alone. Maybe someone could enlighten me? Personally, given how many other threads I have seen here where "just a virus" has ended up being a bacterial infection, I would treat that diagnosis with a large pinch of salt.

I would say a fever of 40+ which persisted for over 24 hours, or any worsening of symptoms at all, would merit blood tests at least and some covering antibiotics. Clearly, one should treat the symptoms and not the fever but a fever that high is clearly saying something.

DS was under the weather last Wednesday (but not dreadful), but by 4am on Thursday morning I very nearly took him to the primary care centre (or whatever it's called these days) he was worrying me so much.

If he'd been smaller (not just because he'd have been easier to bundle into the car - he's almost as tall as me and has size 6 feet!) I think I would have.

In the event I helped him downstairs and he spet propped up on the sofa, until I took him to the doctors in the afternoon. She listened to his chest and prescribed antibiotics (that's his weak spot when he's poorly - I don't know if the chest infection caused his his illness or vice cersa, iykwim).

he was a lot better by Friday, although still unwell and didn't go back to school until Tuesday. DP and I work FT so don't keep him off school lightly

OYBBK, do give the doctor a call. Mine was sufficiently concerned to want to come out to us but they were very short staffed that day (and we live v.close).

he spent the day propped up on the sofa

High temp, sore throat and a headache, I would say it might be strep throat that needs antibiotics. Get your dd check out by another doc.

Ds2 is 12 and he had a high temp last week - and a rather strange collection of other symptoms, a chesty sounding cough, headache and diareaha(sp)

I just did what you're doing, paracetamol, ibuprofen etc, took his duvet off and put a sheet over him, but kept heating on low, and his disapeared after 24-48 hours

I thought strep throat too. I also thought perhaps flu, despite the fact she has flu jabs. However, the meds are being much more effective at temp control today, so hopefully she is on the up. She is sat here watching top gear and commenting about the cars so she must be feeling better. Going to keep a really close eye on her this evening in case it's starts spiking again.

Glad to hear she's turning a corner. She's been watching Top Gear you say? She and my ds would get on an absolute storm (assuming she doesn't find 11yo boys unutterably revolting!).

It really did take me by surprise just how unwell he was; it was like having a terrifyingly hot toddler again last Thursday at 4am, with the disadvantage of not being physically able to haul him about like I used to. Poor love had to wee into a saucepan because he could walk to the loo :(

He's currently playing Driver San Francisco on the Xbox, and last night was throwing water mortar bombs off the Scout Hut roof (as a Scout you understand, not as a junior terrorist). So all is (finally) well :)

Top gear is her favourite program your ds's scouts sounds ace!
Does sound like a similar bug. I've got her to up her asthma meds just in case.
I suggested that dd has a go at her English homework, it seemed to bring on a bit of a relapse!

Oh she'd love this then. I'm taking ds next Saturday ( although actually once I get there, if last year was anything to go by!)

oh that she would, pity we are busy next weekend! (love Coombe!) Though her favourite car is a Bugatti Veyron SS, followed by a Bugatti Veyron standard. (I can see Issues when it comes to buying her first car, she is rather fussy)

Sneaky temp! Dd was doing fairly ok, then started shivering. Took temp and back up to 39.5

Don't rule out flu, several staff at work have had it despite having had the jab. The jab only gibes cover against the strains of flu the experts think will hit, if the wrong flu strikes an area even those vaccinated can catch it.

Hope she feels better soon.

I did read that one of the strains in the vaccine isn't a good match. Her pattern of illness fits in very well with flu.

Poor love :(

Don't be afraid to call the doctor again.

ps ds informs me he prefers American muscle cars

France v USA

Dd is still warm but better than she was. Started coughing now so I think this will be the sleepless phase (she gets asthma, always worse at night)