Just been made to feel like a neurotic mother

[viiswi]

Hi

My son 8 came out of school with a headache and temperature of 38.2.

He was very drowsy. SHivering, etc.

I made him an emergency GP appointment.

There was a fan blowing in the waiting room. My son really pearked up before we went in to see the GP.

GP said how well he looks. I told him how bad he as before.

GP took temperature, it was 37.

We got home 10 minutes later and its 38.5!!

What on earth is going on? SO fed up!

get him under a fan if you have one

Please don’t, cooling the skin can cause the small blood vessels to contract, so blood and heat with it is driven centrally, raising the core temp.

Also why cold baths, flannels etc are also contra indicated.

I agree that 38 in an 8 year old with no other concerns is fine for home care. It’s not just the nhs aspect- it’s dragging an under the weather child down to a GP surgery to infect others or pick up infections himself, when he could be at home tucked up in front of the telly resting and recovering.

Fwiw i would also let the temp do it’s job. Calpol or nurofen before bed maybe so he can get a decent sleep, or if he’s really uncomfortable, but most situations like this just need good nursing care and time.

What were you expecting the GP to do, out if interest? Other than say it’s a virus and prescribe rest, fluids and calpol?

Hi

My son's temperature went up to 39.6 and 111 told us to go to the hospital to be seen.

It was 39.6 at the hospital too.

He has acute tonsillitis.

They were not impressed with the GP as he should of checked his tonsils better. They also don't think the GP put the thermometer in his ear properly.

Thank you to the kind supportive people that posted. It was very much appreciated.

And to the haters - I told you he wasn't well.

Aw poor thing, hope he's on the mend soon.
And yes, some kids do continue having convulsions to a later stage - my nearly 8 year old came home from school with a temp of 39 - we did self care and he had a fit a few hours later and was in hospital for a week while they tried to figure out what was wrong and get his temperature down.
Every doctor/paramedic we've had contact with over the years have said they'd rather see everyone to catch the few that really need urgent attention rather than miss someone really poorly who didn't want to waste their time.
If you were worried, you did the right thing - you know your son.

@viiswi glad he’s been seen and hope he’s feeling better soon OP.

I delayed going this week because I didn’t want to make a fuss and I have blood poisoning from an infection. So that’s me told about not making a fuss! (I didn’t want to say anything before your son was seen in case I worried you more).

All these folk who sneered and said OP was being precious. Ask yourself this. What state would your child be in by now?

That's great, you knew from the official guidance that a higher temperature indicated a return to health services, you contacted 111 which was a great use of resources and less stressful and risky for your son, and he's accessed appropriate care. It sounds like a good outcome.

I'm sorry if the GP didn't assess him properly, that's terrible. You could put in a complaint via PALS, to protect future patients (maybe your son in future). Although from what you said, there was still no need to attend a GP at the point you did. I hope your son feels better soon.

@Soddingunicorns

Thank you so so much.

Oh my goodness, I hope you're feeling better. How awfully scary!

My issue really is how can his temperature be OK at the GP and then high again at home. I even borrowed a neighbour's thermometer and it was high too!

How is he today OP?

Thank you, I’m feeling halfway human today for the first time in over a week!

His temp was probably spiking and dropping on and off and it just so happened that at the GP it had dropped. I still agree the doc should have checked him out, even looking in his throat would have given a clue as to what was wrong!

Do 8 year olds get febrile convulsions
My Ds was having febrile convulsions until puberty as did my DM and Dsis.
Its genetic but very rare.

Op

You dont really know when you took him to the gp if he he was diagnosable at that time. Conditions can change quickly.
I still think you were a bit preemptive taking him to the gp when you did.

Op, I hope your son is feeling better today. Never feel bad about taking your child to the gp, always go with your gut instinct. I was told by my friends and dh that I was being neurotic when I took my baby ds to the drop in clinic, his leg didn't seem right to me, they all laughed as I have a tendency to worry, turned out he had hip dysplasia and needed a year's worth of treatment. You did the right thing, you know your child the best!

Hello

Thank you.

@SoddingUnicorns - I hope you feel 100% soon xx

He's still very hot and he was hallucinating too.

Super sore throat.

xx

This thread really shows you that health advice over the Internet is an bad idea. I would have been one of the posters wondering why on earth you took him to the GP so quickly and that you were perhaps being able bit neurotic.

"drowsy and shivering" doesn't sound good however so hard to tell over the Internet if he was just about bit tired. You could obviously tell there was something not right.

Hope he feels better soon.

I did have a giggle at "And to the haters - I told you he wasn't well."

I dont thimk ot would have made a blind bit of difference if op had taken her ds if the gp had diagnosed tonsillitis or not or she had not taken him at all.
What would have been done differently at that time , other than maybe antibiotics which would not have had time to work.

If I'd been in the same situation and followed my own advice which was not to go to the GP, then I'd have been in exactly the same position as the OP. I'd have called 111 for advice when his temp spiked and wasn't responding to home treatment.

Just to pick up on something a previous poster said - please don't give anyone paracetamol every 3-4hrs. 4 at a push but only up to maximum dosage over 24hrs. Which of you did every 4hrs would leave you short at the end of the 24hrs.

Every 6hrs is better, and we were told by GP to alternate with ibuprofen if needs be

@viiswi that sounds like what I had (it only developed into something worse because I left it for days and days before being seen btw so don’t panic) so well bloody done getting him seen!

It’s horrible, poor soul. Hope he’s on the mend soon. If it’s any consolation the antibiotics kicked in pretty quickly with me, I hope they do for him too.

Glad he's been seen and is getting treated, hope he's feeling better soon. Well done for listening to your gut.

At the end of the day, you know your child. I hate to say it but from your OP alone, I thought you were being a bit precious - however, my 2 year old gets temps of 39+ periodically for a few days and there's nothing else wrong, so I've learnt to trust she's ok with that. You knew your son was out of sorts, and that's what's important.

Hope he's better soon!

What treatment has the hospital recommended?

Even if the gp had picked up on it, treatment is still usually fluids, rest, calpol.

So, I have an update.

His temperature went up to 40.3 and were advised to go to A and E.

Doctors were concerned and we got sent to the children's hospital.

The doctors were shocked at the state of his tonsils and even with medication his temperature continued to stay ay 40.1.

Again to the haters - I told you he was ill.

To the lovely people - thank you again xx

Good that he's in hospital now and getting treatment for his nasty sounding tonsillitis. Hopefully he'll feel better soon and you can be discharged home.

I don't think anyone is a "hater", and no one was suggesting that he wasn't ill.

🙄

Oh the wee soul, I hope he recovers quickly. Is he on IV antibiotics? How are you doing? Can you stay with him?

I’m on my feet for the first time in a week after that bloody infection!

Poor poor boy.

As I said at the start, you know him best, you are his mum.

A bit fat two fingers up sat everyone who said you were being neurotic- and the go who clearly thought so too (whilst simultaneously not checking his tonsils properly!)

Hope he is better soon x x

And yes, febrile convulsions can happen to 8yr olds. Ffs....does no one check their info before they blast other people with their ignorance?

Geesh.....

💐 op - a rough ride for you and your little one x

Thewheelshavefallenoffthebus
Febrile seizures happen up to the age of 5.
Past the age of 5 they become febrile seizures + (plus) and very rare and tends to be genetic
All posters have said to Op is the outcome would not have been different on the end. I used to get really awful tonsilitis when i was that age so know what its like. I was really ill for weeks, so i know how the poor boy feels.

I was told by my gp just after my dd was born to bring her in if I thought she needed it. There was no unnecessary appointment as far as children's health was concerned. Better safe than sorry. The gp was and is senior partner at the practice.

All the haters?

What are you, 15? Or Taylor Swift? Grow up.
From your OP and the original post many of us were actually correct in that it wasn’t that high a temperature (the one you told us- not the one you later claimed he actually had) and as we couldn’t see his tonsils ourselves we could hardly diagnose him could we?
The advice is that fevers by themselves are not recommended to be treated by medicine and that people generally over Medicate kids these days. And that febrile convulsions are not usually controlled by medication, and rarely experienced by over 6s...