6 year old very ill. What am I dealing with?

[BlueMoonRoses]

Morning all. Hope someone can help. I'll be taking my son to go for third time in three days this morning. He had antibiotics for a chest infection last Friday. On Wednesday, he complained of a sore neck and I found a swollen gland under his right ear. Doc said, just fighting an infection, don't worry. Temp was 38.4. Temp has stayed around that, occasionally dropping back down to 37. Yesterday he complained of stomach pain. My mum took him back to docs who examined him said his tummy glands were raised and "something to do with the aorta" according to my mum. More antibiotics, erythromycin for seven days, four times a day. Last night he was in my bed again, drenched with sweat, temp raised and has now started vomiting, including losing his last antibiotic dose. Help me manage this next docs visit! My brain is scrambled through lack of sleep. One more thing, he hasn't weed yet this morning but last night said there was blood on his willy when he went to the loo.

If the gp does not have an adequate explanation for all the symptoms that you have described and an adequate treatment plan I would take your son straight to a&e and ask them to assess.

Sorry he's so unwell . Is there any chance your mum misheard as I would be surprised if any problem in young child's heart didn't require an immediate referral. Stomach pain with enlarged glands is not uncommon in many infections or he may have a wee infection. The sickness could be a reaction to the new ab's.

Thanks. I wondered if it was the abs causing the vomiting. He has weed now thankfully and I managed to get a sample. The aorta thing I have to take with a pinch of salt as my mum is a bit alarmist tbh which is why I'm taking him back to get a rational explanation from the doc. If I'm not happy with that, it's off to a&e. He looks terrible, something's got a real grip of him. Can 6 year olds get glandular fever?

a temperature can make you vomit and so can medicines and so can medical conditions. My youngest had recurrent UTI's as a baby and had to have paracetamol suppositories as any calpol she sicked straight up,particularly when her temp. was high.Glad he has weed and I would agree that if his aorta was involved they would not have just sent him home.
You can get glandular fever at any age. Hope you get him sorted soon. It is so stressful having a poorly little one.

All sounded normal until the blood on his willy - make sure they dip test his urine.

Erythromycin is terrible for causing sickness.
And dc can vomit with infections.
However...he is not getting better.
You are absolutely doing the right thing getting him checked again
No joy...off to a and e
Good luck x

I would skip the GP and go straight to A&E as he sounds like he might need admitting for IV antibiotics, they will not consider it a waste of their time. Trust your instincts, you as his mother know him best and if you are that worried then he needs to be seen by a paediatrician.

Thanks all. Doc checked him over really well. Changed him on to Augmentin and all much better now. Checked his wee and he was dehydrated so she said if the vomiting continued she'd send him to hospital. But no need so far. Fingers crossed he'll continue to improve. I'll keep him rested and hope those glands go down soon.

Hope he gets better soon and glad you are feeling reassured.

Erythromycin causes vomiting, no idea why they still prescribe it.

GPs that is.

Hope he is feeling a little better this evening x

The aorta thing - may have come about by the gp trying to explain to grandma who....the same sort of lymph glands as in your neck (and also armpits and groins) are also found right at the back of the abdomen, next to the aorta (Para aortic lymph nodes). Just like the glands that you can feel from the outside get swollen when your body's fighting some sorts of infection, so can these deep ones, and that can cause tummy ache. Hope that makes sense.