10 year old been ill for 7 weeks! Help!!

[KarrieC]

I am hoping someone can reassure me, My son has been ill for 7 weeks and been off school all this time.
Week 1 - sore throat, very tired
Week 2 - chest infection, AB's didn't work
Week 3 - Chest infection, second AB's work by end of week
Week 4 - gradual improvement had 1 full day at school, then sore throat, very tired and feeling unwell, cold symptoms.
Week 5 - Sore throat, very tired and unwell
Week 6 - As week 5
Week 7 - Very tired, just feeling unwell.
Been to two nurses, 3 doctors and 1 blood test - normal for everything, no glandular fever either.
Doctors are getting sick of me and was palpably annoyed with my visit yesterday. My son shows no outwardly signs of illness - temp, etc etc.
They are just saying he got unlucky after the chest infection and caught a virus and it has hit him hard. They may be right, has anyone else had their child so unwell following a chest infection?
I am going slowly crazy here.

Do you have his bloody test results? How is his appetite? Any bruising/red pin prick spots? Is he pale or the inside of his eyes pale (like if you pull down his eyelid!)?

I’m sure the doctor would have checked all that though! A blood test would have picked up anything serious I’m sure

Hi, his blood tests came back completely normal, which though good is frustrating as he is just so unwell and i don't fully understand why. He doesn't seem to have a rash at the moment, or bruising. His appetite is actually very good. Maybe i am just being impatient. I just hate to see him like this. The Dr did give him a thorough exam she just seemed annoyed with me when explaining that he just has a virus following his chest infection, i haven't known anyone be so ill for so long with out something tangible you can pin it down to. Thanks though.

Could it be some sort of Post Viral Fatigue?

Or maybe anxiety about school?

Hi, i don't think its an anxiety thing as he seems unwell, has a sore throat, a flushed face and he would deserve an oscar if he has been acting! Maybe its post viral fatigue, i just don't know whats normal for kids, this seems excessive. Thanks xx

Did they tell you what bloods they done, as he could have an off balance with his immune system, or have low iron, has he been coughing much? My toddler has been like that for over a year and am finally getting answers to what's causing it,

How is he spending his time?

I had similar issues with my daughter, though she did have an on and off temperature. It was a month before they x-rayed her lungs and found a deep lung infection that normal AB's weren't touching - just improved things for a few days. They hadn't heard anything wrong with her lungs with the stethoscope.

Does he fit the symptoms of Walking Pnumonia at all? (No medical experience here whatsoever- just my DD).

Sometimes glandular fever blood tests come back negative the first time and then positive the second...is it worth a repeat?

Thanks Crazylou they have done a full blood count and looked at glandular fever, they said at time of blood test his white blood count was normal so he has no infection but he was really ill that day. It is so frustrating. I really hope you get to the bottom of your toddlers problem, a year is a long time. You must have had a tough time. x

Hi Vitalogy, he is spending his time either laid on the sofa watching tv or upstairs in his bedroom lying on his bean bag. He has zero energy and feels unwell. its awful. x

Sorry to hear that your little one was ill too Okkitokkiunga. My son has chills and night sweats so something is going on with him, i asked the dr could he still have something on his lung that a stethoscope couldn't hear but she was a bit snarky and said well he would have other signs. It wouldn't surprise me if it was something still there. i will just have to keep on battling them. thanks x

Thanks undertheleash i think if it continues that would be a good idea to repeat the glandular fever test, he still has a sore throat so maybe. its awful having to guess when the drs have more or less washed their hands of him. x

would deserve an oscar if he has been acting! Yeah I agree, there's no way he could keep it up for this long. Thinking back to when my son was trying it on, he couldn't pretend for more than a couple of hours. I hope you can get to the bottom of this soon.

Ds had a similar bout a couple of years ago. Got rushed for blood tests and only thing they came up with was that he is badly allergic to dust mites-which clearly wasn't causing the illness.
I thought he had glandular fever, but he didn't.
He just gradually recovered and we never had an answer.

Has he seen paediatrician ?
Does he have headaches ?
Have you been in touch with the county education officer who deals with sick kids ?
The home tutor service should kick in after three weeks .missed school

I also think it sounds like post viral fatigue syndrome. I had when I was 12. I had no energy and just slept and lazed around. I did managed to go to school but had zero social life for around 2 years until I recovered.

thanks for your messages, my son is no better, if not a little worse, he has night sweats and just seems utterly wiped out, like flu but not all the symptoms. Anyway i am going to take him back to Drs tomorrow, though i am sure they won't be interested, but we are now going into week 8 with zero improvement. Its having an awful effect of everything and i am so fed up with it all. i wasn't aware of home tutoring being an option, thanks cestlavielife, i will have to investigate, though i am not sure he would manage much. x

Your poor son :(
It could well be post viral fatigue syndrome...i had it after GF at 18 and it took months to feel better
I was prone to sore throats, swollen glands, headaches, muscle weakness and pain, gastric symptoms...sound familiar?
Bloods being ok is great but obvs there is something going on
Sadly the nhs isn't great with chronic illnesses ime
Contact school/LA and ask about tutoring or work online
I'm taking my ds2 back tomorrow - he had a nasty chest Infection which took 2 lots of abx to clear and since Friday keeps having high temps:(

He sounds very much like I was when I had glandular fever. Mine never came back as positive on bloods, but GP diagnosed it as that based on his experience. I went on to have post viral fatigue, and it took weeks to go. Even now if I'm run down I get a sore throat and exhaustion and I'm almost 50!

Hope he's better soon and that you get a little bit more empathy from the doctors.

50?!!! Shit I'm not almost 50, I'm almost 40

Gave myself a nasty shock

Have they taken a swab from his throat? Maybe strep throat?

I had that for months. Took 3 lots of AB for it to go.

Poor little chap . No medical qualifications here but it sounds like glandular fever- only saying that as I had it as a teen and it presented as you describe. There wasn't any treatment then (early 90s), it may have changed now though obviously