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Children's health

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Original poster

DS1 seems incredibly tired and we don't know why

26 replies

Loueytb3 · 03/02/2013 22:01

He has been really tired for the past 10-12 days. I put it down to him possibly coming down with something to begin with but he hasn't really been obviously ill. No temperature, a bit of a snotty nose for a couple of days but no cough. DH and I have both had stinking colds this week but don't feel particularly knackered.

School phoned me last week because he was complaining of being really tied within a hour of getting to school. He is going to bed at 7pm and seems to be sleeping through until 7am (8.15 this morning).

He has a possible cold sore on his mouth which I know is a sign of being run down.

It sort of sounds post viral but he hasn't really been obviously ill.

Do I need to take him to the drs? I have got the week from hell this week at work

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isithometime · 03/02/2013 22:05

Cold sores are not necessarily a sign of being run down, but it is certainly known that having active cold sores can really knock you out and make you very fatigued for a good length of time. I would probably hold of from the doctors for now, give him plenty of rest and see how he is in a few weeks?

Original poster
Loueytb3 · 03/02/2013 22:06

The cold sore has only appeared in the last couple of days though, and he's been tired for at least 10 before that.

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NotMostPeople · 03/02/2013 22:08

How old is he?

isithometime · 03/02/2013 22:10

Yes, they do get whacked out for a few weeks before they appear. Has he had them before? Or maybe you hadn't noticed the tiredness last time. You will find it on google ( I know Dr google is not our friend)

Original poster
Loueytb3 · 03/02/2013 22:13

He's nearly 6 (Yr 1) and he has ASD, which means when he is not himself, his behaviour goes completely to pot. Lots of hitting (me) and pushing a teacher (which he'd never done before). Very tearful about the slightest thing. He keeps saying he is really tired but when I ask him what's wrong, he is unable to say. The irony of a child with a communication disorder, is that when you need him to tell you what's wrong, he is unable to. He has complained a few times of having a tummy ache but nothing consistent. We've also had a bit of bed wetting, but often that comes back when he's not 100%

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Original poster
Loueytb3 · 03/02/2013 22:14

Never had a cold sore before.

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FerrisBueller1972 · 03/02/2013 22:18

Sounds very similar to my ds who has been confirmed as Glandular Fever.

Other symptoms were headaches, muscle and joint pain bit of a sore throat and random lumps on his neck. Took a couple of blood tests to confirm it and he has had a 3rd test on Friday (as did I as I have the same symptoms now) so will find out next week if he still has it or whether he is over it. He seems much improved but he was very tired and emotional, grumpy quick to anger etc for weeks!!

Original poster
Loueytb3 · 03/02/2013 22:20

Arse. I really hope not. How old is your DS?

I had glandular fever when I was 17 - I thought it was a (mainly) teenage illness?

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mercibucket · 03/02/2013 22:21

So is it his first exposure to herpes? Is it a proper cold sore? Do you have zovirax cream for it?

mercibucket · 03/02/2013 22:21

So is it his first exposure to herpes? Is it a proper cold sore? Do you have zovirax cream for it?

Hassled · 03/02/2013 22:22

I think if you're worried and he's unhappy, a trip to the GP is warranted even if it does all seem a bit non-specific, IYSWIM. The GP might spot something you've missed.

Original poster
Loueytb3 · 03/02/2013 22:23

He's never had anything like it before. It looks a bit like a cold sore, but TBH I didn't take much notice of it earlier. I've been away all weekend so haven't seen him much. Have just been chatting with DH about his symptoms and he mentioned it again to me. Haven't got any zovirax - can you give to kids?

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FerrisBueller1972 · 03/02/2013 22:24

He is 7! Dr was very surprised as she has never sen it before in such a young child.

For about 3 weeks he barely did anything, he went from a football crazy and very active boy to a sofa vegetable

I hope for you and your ds that it isn't GF but I would take a trip to the docs if I were you, also get a vitiman supplement of some sort. He is getting plently of sleep but it was the comment about him being so tired in school in the morning that struck a chord as that is exactly what ds was like. Even after 12 hours sleep he wanted to go back to bed after breakfast and then getting upset in the car on the way to school.

defineme · 03/02/2013 22:26

Is there anyone else who could take him to the dr? Or my gp do early morning appts now. I know how difficult it is when work is full on- I don't get paid if I don't go to work and I've lost so much money this winter.Sounds like he should be off if he's complaining of being tired an hour after being at school tbh...

Icantstopeatinglol · 03/02/2013 22:26

Yea same here, my ds only got diagnosed with having had glandular fever after tests were carried out at hospital to find out why his glands in his neck were so swollen. We were quite shocked cos he was about 3 at the time and the gp told us its more of a teenage thing......but young kids do get it too! He was never really ill with it as it wasn't confirmed til after he'd had it. It still affects him now and he's nearly 5, if he has a cold he's always more worn out than the rest of us.
Might be worth mentioning to the dr?

KnickKnack · 03/02/2013 22:31

He has 2 of the 4 T's for diabetes- tiredness and toilet(bed wetting). Is he very thirsty/drinking a lot. Or has he lost weight/thinner than normal?

Worth a trip to the doctor to rule out anything serious and to put your mind at rest as its been going on for 10 days.

Original poster
Loueytb3 · 03/02/2013 22:32

GP does a phone triage service first thing to weed out those who don't actually need to see them. I need to check his glands tomorrow morning and see if they are up and then I think I will call them.

Yes, being really tired first thing in the morning is the odd thing. School have been letting him lie down in the sensory room for a rest. But they phoned me on tuesday to say he was complaining of being tired within an hour of being at school. They didn't want me to pick him up though - they did keep checking his temperature as they thought he was coming down with something too. They commented in his communication book on Friday that he was looking forward to a good rest at the weekend. He's barely been out but is still knackered. I'm not going to take him swimming tomorrow night regardless.

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Original poster
Loueytb3 · 03/02/2013 22:33

The bedwetting is intermittent though KnickKack - wouldn't it happen all the time if he had diabetes?

Just asked DH about how much he's had to drink today and he said he had 3 cups of water at lunchtime, which is a lot for him

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Original poster
Loueytb3 · 03/02/2013 22:34

Haven't weighed him but he's pretty thin anyway. Not sure he's obviously lost weight.

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Icantstopeatinglol · 03/02/2013 22:39

Yea I definitely think you should call the drs to at the least put your mind at rest. You're bound to worry regardless and I think you know when something's not right. Could just be run down and if he's never had coldsores before that might be making him feel bad too.
It was about 1.5yrs ago we got told ds had previous had gf and only recently he got sent home from school cos he was falling asleep in class (he had a cold/sore throat).
It's not terrible if he has got it but at least you know and will know for the future if he is run down again.
Hope he's better soon.

mercibucket · 03/02/2013 22:55

I'd go anyway to see if it's really coldsores or something else

Hope he's on the mend soon

mercibucket · 03/02/2013 22:55

I'd go anyway to see if it's really coldsores or something else

Hope he's on the mend soon

Charmingbaker · 04/02/2013 07:34

Do you give him any vitamin supplements, a deficiency in vitamin D can show itself as extreme tiredness.

Original poster
Loueytb3 · 04/02/2013 07:57

I think his glands are up. Going to phone drs later. We haven't been giving him vits - will restart that but I doubt it's vit d deficiency. We went on holiday to Lanzarote in October/November so he's had a fair bout of sun.

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FerrisBueller1972 · 06/02/2013 12:09

How did you get on with the docs?