18 month old with temp of 41 - advice from seasoned fever experts please!

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Hi
My daughter has been running a fever since last night and it's been pretty consistently very high (40-41) since this morning, with intermittent brief periods of a drop to 38-39. We've been to out-of-ours doctors twice today (first time the doc was rubbish - 'children get ill...' ffs) and the second time they prescribed some antibiotics because of her recent history with quite nasty ear infections, even thoughher ears didn't look too bad apparently. We've been giving her ibu and calpol as much as we can, sticking to the dosage limits... this has been having a a bit of an effect (but not much).

She has been, largely, OK 'in herself' - except when she feels really miserable, she's been playing, smiling etc. She's eaten quite well, drinking lots and weeing and pooing. She doesn't have any other symptoms apart from the fever (although yesterday she pointed at her ear and said 'doctor', so we're assuming it is the ears).

So, my questions to all of you experienced mums out there... anyone dealt with something like this? Any idea what it could be? She went to bed with just a nappy on in quite a cold room, I put a thin blanket on her because she was shivering but then she woke really hot again - how do you get the balance right between so cold she's shivering (which I'm told is really bad in a fever) and too hot again? Any other tips for getting fevers down/keeping calm etc??!!

I keep telling myself that three doctors have seen her today and they're not overly concerned... but I'm a worrier, so I can't help myself getting really anxious...

All advice/reassurance gratefully received!

Meant to say... she does 'do' high fevers - it's kind of her thing when she's ill!I know some kids never reach that high, but it's been her way all along.

That's very high. Is the Calpol and ibuprofen bringing it down?

Sorry I see you said it has made some difference. I would probably wait a bit and then OOH again or walk in centre. A bit too high for comfort.

Not really - a bit maybe, but it's taking longer to work and not lasting as long. I'm a bit worried I'm getting it wrong with how I'm clothing her etc... maybe she'd be better off in some thin PJs so her skin wasn't trying to heat itself... (that sounds like a load of rubbish but hopefully you know what I mean)>

Like I say, she's a seasoned high-temp pro (she laughs in the face of 38.5!) and the doctors weren't massively concerned... (still worried tho, obviously!!)

Just been in again and it's down to 39.6, so Ibu must be kicking in (and the naked-except-nappy sleeping in a cold room must be the right thing to do).
Fingers crossed...

I'm probably quite an irresponsible mum. My DC1 always presented with very high 40+ temps when under the weather, from weeks old, but I never took him to the GP. If he was rousable and my instinct told me he was 'just poorly', I let it pass with the usual Calpol/Nurofen approach. And FWIW, he was in NICU for a week when first born so I was certainly more paranoid than I might have been otherwise. DC2 however was a different kettle of fish, she has never spiked but has been quite ill when her temp rises to 38. My advice is to ignore the numbers on the thermometer and judge how she is and act on that. DC1 did have a hospital admission but his temp was only 38 which compared to his 41 when he had a cold, was nothing to be concerned about, yet I knew he wasn't well.

My ds always gets high temps too. I usually dress him in light pj's and use a fan. Keep on top of the meds and keep checking her temp in the night. On the advice of the gp we have taken him to a&e, who were able to administer a higher dose of meds, as they were worried he was on the verge of febrile convulsions.

Hope she improves soon, its such a worry isn't it!?

Are you giving her lots of fluids?
She will get dehydrated very quickly with that high a temp.
Will she eat ice cream/lollies, jelly, fruit juice?
Is she weeing ok?
Is her urine concentrated?
She won't get her temperature down without lots of liquids.

Thanks, everyone - feel reassured and got some good tips to see me through, hopefully!

I agree SillyBub (love your advice about ignoring the numbers) - if I dig down below my layers of quaking anxiety, my rational self tells me that she is actually not too bad. She's certainly been sicker in the past... and had a hospital admission, too (a doctor sent us in an ambulance but, looking back on it, she was defo sicker than this. And all they did in hosp was observe and give her calpol and ibu!).

3littlefrogs - yes, she's drinking quite a lot and she's been eating quite well, considering. She polished off an ice cream earlier, too! Wee seems fine, and not too concentrated.

Patatas - yes - such a worry! Might put some PJs on, then...

My DS had a fever like that when all 4 molars emerged in a weekend. 48 hours of cuddling a very hot (but no other real symptoms) baby (he was about 15 months). Could it be teeth?

I think you do know yourself when they are bad and need some intervention. You are doing everything right and from what you've said, other than the temp, she is doing well.

My advice would be not to ignore a really high temperature and to try to bring it down with a combination of drugs and taking off layers and stripping down to nappy, etc.

My dd at 10 months had a really high temperature which resulted in a febrile convulsion which continued for 20 - 30 minutes, needed 3 shots of diazepam and then blue lighted into hospital where she had a lumbar puncture, suspected meningitis, and 3 nights before being released. Turned out she had flu not meningitis and is the picture of health aged 12 now. But, had I monitored her temperature better, we might have avoided all that trauma.

Ear infections are buggers for producing a very high temperature in my experience- DD went up to 41 quite merrily once or twice with them. Hopefully if that's it then the antibiotics will soon start to show an effect.

When are you giving the calpol and ibuprofen? Have the drs suggested alternating them?

When DD was up to 41-2 we dumped her in a tepid bath on drs advice (made us VERY popular), and we have often sponged DS with a damp flannel, but I don't believe these are now recommended. Might be worth a shout though. But the key is really lots of fluids, keep her lightly dressed and comfortable, and the calpol/ibuprofen. And don't hesitate to ask for further advice especially if she seems more unwell.

Hope she's better soon.

I found the NICE guidelines very helpful to read especially the traffic light table.

www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg160/chapter/1-recommendations#advice-for-home-care

Once they are over 6 months the advice is that the actual number on the thermometer isn't as important as how they are in themselves - but they are clear about seeking advice if the child becomes more unwell so don't hesitate.

Hmmm, interesting re - teeth... we've been getting the impression that she's been threatening her big boy molars for a while now. Didn't realise teeth could cause such high temps. An intriguing theory!

I'm not going to ignore the temp and will of course be doing everything in my power to bring it down - just think the advice of not looking only at the number on the thermometer is good. Your experience sounds terrible, hebe... they used the 'm' word when DD was in hospital and I almost literally shat myself. Thankfully it wasn't that, and our experience wasn't anywhere near as terrifying as yours, but it's stuck firmly in my mind...

We've been alternating calpol and ibu all day (sticking to rules, obv).

Yup, Jennifersrabbit, we've had some crazy temps with ear infections too. Kind of hoping it is that so the antibiotics do something (rather than some random virus that I've got no weapons with which to fight!). Cheers for the sponging advice... will definitely think about it if need be.

Thanks again for all of your advice and reassurance - it's really helping me... She's down to 38.6 right now, so meds and nakedness are still working.

I second Mrscog with the teeth suggestion.
DD had over a week with a consistently high temperature that was difficult to bring down when her molars came in.

Also at 18 months.

Wow about the teeth theory... I'm so going to investigate that one tomorrow, if she'll let me near her mouth (unlikely).

she hasn't got a uti has she? Only speaking as a mum of a 3yr old who's just spent 2 days admitted for iv antibiotics when a uti got out of hand. have doctors taken a urine sample?

You've done the right things and temperatures can get quite high without necessarily relating to how severely ill a child is.

If she's eating, drinking, breathing and 'bright' in herself, has seen a doctor twice today, you should be reassured.

Febrile convulsion isn't about the temperature itself, it's about how quickly it rises and whether a child is susceptible to them.

Don't think she's got a uti, although no sample was taken... Her wee isn't dark or smelly and she doesn't seem bothered by any pain. Will keep an eye on this, though.

Cheers for the reassurance, lougle... Thanks to all you and all the other lovely mumsnetters I've managed to tame my anxiety to a more reasonable level!

She seems a lot better - temp was down this morning and she was back to her usual self. Although, when we got her dressed we noticed a strange raised, blistery hives-like rash on her arms and legs so we're going back to OOH this arvo. It looks like an allergic reaction and antisan and piriton have brought it down so we're thinking maybe a reaction to the antibiotics... which is weird as she's had these ones before.

Anyway, hoping they'll be able to tell us what it is.
Thanks for asking!

Being naked with a temperature is not recommended