Frequent high temp and generally not well

[BelleEtoile]

Apologies for the long post. I would appreciate some advice. I don't know what to do.

DS is 17 months old and hasn't been himself since Christmas.
He has had 7 bouts of tonsilitis (with white spots), colds, coughs, not great appetite, terrible sleep (wakes several times sobbing during the night) and frequent high temperatures ( 38-40 degrees) so far this year.

For example this morning he was grumpy and clingy and I just put it down to his molars coming up and gave him some paracetamol. I rang his childminder during the day (he's her only child) who said he was fine, in good form playing and laughing all day. He didn't eat much for breakfast, lunch or dinner. He played after dinner and was fine. He fell asleep while giving him his bedtime bottle which I put down to an active day. I then noticed he was hot and had a temp of 39. I've given him nurofen and he's in bed trying to sleep but not comfortable.
At this stage he has a high temperature every second day.

I've been to the GP and out of hours service practically every second week. First they said he was a normal kid picking up bugs and should be fine by the summer and now my GP (who has commented on my frequent visits) now says he'll be fine once he starts primary school...in 3 years. I've asked for an ent referral (because of the recurrent tonsilitis + he hasn't spoken yet) and have got an appointment at the end of October.
I'm banking on the ent consultant.
I don't know what else to do.
What should I be doing?
Should I ask for a pediatrician referral?
DS was such a happy chap, I hate seeing him so tired and under the weather.
Please help.
xxx

It is tough! And I would push for an ENT referral.
BUT my DS was a bit like this. We had a year so of constant illness and loads of antibiotics. His temp would go up without reason. Often just giving him Calpol once would clear it for a few days. I even recall a nursery worker saying she was surprised he had lasted a day (his temp shot up when there, they gave him Calpol and it came down & stayed down).
Assuming it is just an age thing - your GP is right - he will grew out of it.
Mine did around 2 years old.

I totally understand why you’re worried and fed up! I would be looking at ways to boost his immune system. Consider supplementing with high dose vitamin D, probiotics, vitamin C and Zinc-Holland and Barrett do good options for kids which are sprays or drops. Cytoplan cytobiotic active is a vanilla probiotic powder that can go in milk/food.

It is a time when his immune system is meeting lots of bugs for the first time, especially if he’s not been around lots of kids from a young age.

Thanks @Luckymum - glad to know someone has had a similar experience.
Thanks @moreismore - he is already on a multivitamin and probiotic although I've ordered a different probiotic in the hope it will help.

Is the GP giving him antibiotics for the tonsilitis?

If he isn't speaking yet, it sound like the ear infections are impacting his language acquisition. This is really important to get on top of.

Keep going back to the GP and push really hard for that referral - can you afford to have the first appointment privately?

He isn't well and you (and your LO) shouldn't have to just accept it.

Thanks for replying @Sea2ski, yes he has been getting antibiotics for the tonsilitis.
Yes I am concerned about his hearing especially his hearing from behind if you know what I mean. I just feel there is something not quite right. One of the the out of hours doctors said he may need grommets and suggested the ent consult after examing his ears while other doctors said his ears are fine.
The appointment in October is private, it's the soonest I can get.

DS2 was constantly ill, over the summer he turned 2 he was sick every 3 weeks, cycling between throat and ear infections. Temporary GP got fed up with seeing us and DS had had so much antibiotics tha he stated to have somach problems when on them, and so she referred us to ENT (normal GP had refused). ENT took one look at him and said tonsils needed to come out, adenoids needed trimming and grommets needed in the ears. Waited 6 months (as under 3 years old only the head of ENT could operate) as unless there is sleep apnoea it wasn't considered urgent.

After the operation DS was transformed. He slept better and was happier. However he was partially deaf with the constantear infections, and although that was fixed with the grommets we had lasting effects of lack of sound recognition and speech difficulties for many years.

Thanks for sharing your experience @OverTheHedgeSammy. It makes me feel more confident of persuing the ENT route. It's amazing how some doctors make you feel like your a neurotic mother.
I'm sorry to hear you and your DS had such a tough time. How is your DS now?

9 now, and rarely ill with throat etc infections, but is susceptible to tummy bugs which could be a result of all the antibiotics, but no way to be certain. I remember hus GP saying 'we don't refer for snoring' when i described how loudly he breathed. asshole

Speech therapy offered was non existent. I had to wait 12 months after the operation before the nursery could make a referral. (To make sure things settled after the op). He was assesed as needing speech therapy, but by the time he went through the waiting list he was in primary school, which means new department so had to start over again. In the end the only help he got was through the school.

If he is partially deaf then you need to talk to him like you would a deaf child NOW. He will learn to partially lip read so make sure he can see your mouth, over enunciate your words slightly. The speech therapy assessor admitted that my DS could have been far worse if i hadn't done that. (I had worked with the deaf community in another country years ago so had some experience and so did these things instinctively).

PMed you.

DD1 was like this - recurring ear infections interspersed with tonsillitis and frequently had high temps.

She was eventually seen by an ENT consultant and in parallel to this we were eliminating things from her diet as she was also being investigated for food allergies (she had other symptoms for this)

The real game changer was removing wheat from her diet - the ear infections vanished and she never had one again!

Thanks everyone.
Childminder is after ringing, he is not well again so I've to go pick him up.
I really don't know what to do anymore.
I won't get a GP appointment today.
What am I doing wrong 😢😢😢

I would see if you can get him on another course of antibiotics now to clear out the current infection and then get him on a daily low dose of antibiotics prophylactically until October when he sees the specialist. Also look at giving him Guafenesin, it is a mucus thinner and may help reduce his secretions and lower the chances of it all getting blocked up as much, and benadryl may help similarly at night as it tends to make them sleepy.

My ds had prophylactic antibiotics after his 5th consecutive ear infection. It got us through another 6 months and then he had grown enough that his ear tubes were big enough to self drain. Our GP said it was crucial to preserve his hearing while he was at the critical age for language acquisition. He is a healthy intelligent almost 18 yr old now with no language problems.

It sounds like your ds problems might be a combination of ears and tonsils/adenoids. Keep pushing the doctors, you are your son’s advocate.