Strange virus with red tongue?

[Tholeonagain]

Ds, nearly five, has been ill. Normal fairly unconcerning bug symptoms, mainly: 2 days of temp which came down with calpol, sore throat, runny nose, tummy aches and one vomit. On the second day though he developed a strange swollen sore red tongue. When I googled it looked like a strawberry tongue which occurs with either scarlet fever or (scarily.. Have a tendency to health anxiety.. Kawasaki syndrome), but the fever has now resolved and aside from the odd slight tummy ache and snottiness he is better. Gp unconcerned. Does anybody have any experience of red sore tongues as part of normal viruses??

I'd put my money on Scarlett fever. Get to a go and lots of fluids!

Go back to the GP and ask why they are dismissing Scarlet fever

Scarlet fever doing the round here. Would be my first bet.

Sounds like scarlet fever , two of mine have had it. You need to take your son to doctors as he will probably need antibiotics.
My ds had Kawasaki disease as a toddler, you get a strawberry tongue with it as well, but you also get a high temp for several days.

Scarlet fever is rife at the moment. My dd had it a few years ago, took me over a week to get a gp to listen, we eventually got a 2 week course of antibiotics which cleared it up.

Thank you ladies. Took him back to the gp this morning who did a swab test for strep, results back in a few days, he was - of course - acting fine then but has now gone to sleep on the sofa in the middle of the day which is very unlike him! Touch wood no temp again though, if it comes back will start worrying about Kawasaki again. Yuck, hate it when they are ill and I don't know why!

DD has Scarlet Fever at the moment and has almost identical symptoms to your DS - the tongue was the big red flag for the GP that it wasn't just a sore throat. She's 3 days into the antiboitics and is much better.

That's good the duchess.. first gp we saw wouldn't prescribe anti b's in spite of seeing the red tongue in all its glory, and of course it is back to normal now.

Pretty sure with Kawasaki the temp is virtually uncontrollable and goes on for about 7-10 days.

Yes, temp with Kawasaki lasts several days and is hard to get it to go down with normal doses of Calpol.

www.kssg.org.uk has info on symptoms.

Ds is 10 years post KD!

Thank you, yes I think he is too well for Kawasaki, poor you it must have been dreadful. Did they diagnose quickly? My ds was very ill as a baby which I think makes me worry about him more, though tbh I would probably be neurotic anyway. I think he has probably had a mild case of strep/ scarlet fever (though no rash, just the tongue.) I would like him to have the antiobiotics though because I have read there can occasionally be complications if not, but think by the time strep test results come back they may be too late??

My ds was misdiagnosed and has been left with heart damage, fortunately he receives follow up at one of the best cardiac units in the country.

I am sure your ds will be fine, but do get further advice if you are worried.

Would you guys worry about a temperature above 37.5 but under 38 in these circumstances? He is bounding about some of the time but really not himself at others...

Actually it is over 38 now, have spoken to a nice gp who is writing a script for penicillin. Do kids with Kawasaki always seem very ill? The problem ds had as a baby was heart related and required major surgery, thankfully it is 100 per cent resolved now.

Did you look at the link I gave you? It has the other symptoms of KD.
KD makes them very miserable and the temp is hard to controls with normal doses of Calpol or ibuprofen .
Has he got red eyes , a rash or sore red lips?
If you are still worried through the night try and see if out of hours will look at him.
Sue Davidson runs the KD helpline if you want to ring her in the morning. She is very helpful and informative.

I am convinced DS had scarlet fevers short while ago, but the doctor dismissed it (although did give antibiotics). He had a strawberry tongue, rash and high temp.

Hi just to update ds has been well - if extra manic and naughty - since starting antibiotics, and the strep test came back negative: so no scarlet fever. So he had 7 days of on off temperature, sore throat, vague tummy pains and (for a couple of days) a red tongue. I am still anxious about Kawasaki (it was reading about the potential sudden death complications that did it - I hate dr google with a passion), but probably I need to contain that anxiety, accept that there are sometimes never answers for everything, live with the uncertainty, and move on.

Is he completely back to himself? If it was KD he would probably be at the irritable and lethargic stage now.
I don't want to concern you, but temp for a week is seen in KD although it does tend to be hard to get it down with normal doses of Calpol.
My son had Atypical KD and has been left with dilated coronary arteries, but fortunately is on cardiac follow up.
If you still have doubts, give Sue Davidson at www.kssg.org.uk a call.

Thank you, you are not concerning me, I am concerned anyway! He is fine, going to school, a bit more manic and naughty than usual perhaps but I might be looking for stuff. He has had no rash, no pink eyes, no joint pain or peeling skin. He was not that ill last week, happy and playing a lot of the time. If he had been very ill and had the other symptoms I would have been more assertive - probably hysterical in fact - with the docs. It is just that fevers for a week and the red tongue both seem unusual symptoms for a normal kiddie bug, and I am struggling to find alternative explanations for them, in spite of searching. I will ring Sue, thank you, and also make another GP appointment to discuss my worries. I need it for my mental health if nothing else, I think.

Please ring Sue, she is very good and very knowledgeable. You will probably have to leave a message, but she always gets back to you .
If you are on Facebook there is a support group
Kawasaki Support Group UK

Pleased to hear he is better, but I do understand your concerns, you sound similar to me and I would want answers!

Also the peeling skin can happen several weeks later, so if that happens take him back to doctors.

Please ring Sue, she is very good and very knowledgeable. You will probably have to leave a message, but she always gets back to you .
If you are on Facebook there is a support group
Kawasaki Support Group UK

Pleased to hear he is better, but I do understand your concerns, you sound similar to me and I would want answers!