Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Children's health

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

High Temperature for 7 days!

16 replies

blonde2021 · 01/08/2021 21:20

Hi

I'm hoping someone can offer some advice or may have experienced something similar.

My 5 year old tested positive for Covid on the 11th July. We all isolated and the rest of the family all tested negative. I'll add at this point he hasn't left the house since then and neither has my 3 year old. His only symptom was a high temperature for 12 hours and a bit of a cough.

Last Monday (day 17 since first symptom), he came down with a very high temperature, hitting 40.4. My 2 year old had had tonsillitis the week before so assumed he had caught it as well. Dosed him with nurofen and this would drop the temperature to 38/38.5 for 4 hours then it would shoot back up again. Along with this he was extremely lethargic, his skin felt like fire, wanted to sleep all the time and complained of a headache when his temperature was high.
I spoke to the GP on Tuesday who prescribed him Amoxicillin. I had checked his throat and also asked him and all looked fine. The GP wouldn't examine him - all was done by telephone. On Wednesday I started getting worried, I called 111 who said the GP needed to examine him, an appointment was made for Thursday morning. She checked him over and said all looked fine and to just keep going with the antibiotics.
On Friday, still no improvement I noticed a rash developing, GP wanted to see pictures so I sent them through to the surgery and as they were disappearing when skin was stretched said it was most likely viral.
Saturday morning he woke and the rash had worsened.
I spoke to 111 and then out of hours called 20 minutes later. I explained the whole story and he said he thought he was headed for a hospital admission. I was told to dose him with 10ml of Calpol, then 10ml of nurofen an hour later and they would then see him at out of hours a further hour later.
He was fully examined and by this point his temperature has dropped to normal. I was told they expected to see an improvement by tomorrow at the latest and would be very unusual for it to go on that long. I was told to dose him with Calpol and nurofen around the clock. His last dose is 10.15pm at night and this morning, despite being on antibiotics for 4 days (having been told they take 48 hours to kick in), his temperature was sky high again.

The problem i have is that by dosing him like this round the clock he is acting normal as it's controlling the temperature but it clear when he's having the gap from night to morning the temperature is still there and we are 4 days into the antibiotics.

I honestly feel at a loss as to what to do. GP is just not helping at all, 111/out of hours are basically seeing him and examining when he's been fully doses so of course he seems 'normal' but when the temperature returns it's awful, body is hot, he's tired, head hurts and he won't eat.

Where do I go from here? I feel like he should abs at least been offered a blood test?!

I have no idea if this is as a result from the Covid but would be weird to suddenly flare on day 17 given he had little to no symptoms and there is no obvious cause (ear:tbroat/chest or uti).

Can anyone offer any advice?

OP posts:
AvaCallanach · 01/08/2021 21:27

My DD (11) developed very high fevers 12 days after having a very mild dose of covid - temp would reduce a little with paracetamol but only go down properly when with ibuprofen as well.
Temp went up to 40.1 at one point. However it did only last 48 hours. I was panicking it was PIMS - obviously it wasn't - but I dunno whether it was a last gasp of covid or another different bug. Like you, she hadn't been out of the house since getting covid 2 weeks prior. Her chest, ears, throat and urine were checked and clear.

She is now a week later much much better. It seemed to leave her a little post viral fatigued.

Lifeandlemons · 01/08/2021 21:27

Hmmmm. First of all hoping your little boy is better very soon. It's interesting that you are going through this. My child have Covid back in December and keeps having flare ups of exactly what you describe. He has been admitted to a and e each time. Possibly because he's younger and refuses to eat and drink.
I think a fever that can't be controlled without medication and has gone on for so long warrants an a and e trip.
We were told this is possibly a way long Covid could present in children.

blonde2021 · 01/08/2021 21:53

I just feel like I'm not really getting any answers, it's so concerning when the temperature is only controlled by dosing ibuprofen and calpol round the clock. Obviously he becomes normal when doing this but he's been on this for a week now and the fever is basically unexplained. Antibiotics haven't helped so I don't know where I go from here.
I've spoken with 111 3 times, and 3 different GP's - I feel like a neurotic mother but prior to this he passes off any virus really quickly and it's just concerning as don't know what we are dealing with.

OP posts:
Valhalla17 · 01/08/2021 22:06

There was lots of advice early on that ibuprofen was not to be used with Covid, so perhaps stick to paracetamol as your ds may be having an issue with it. Ridiculous doctor as well just dishing out antibiotics when his throat etc. was fine, they have probably run down his immune system as well.

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jpc.15159

Aquamarine1029 · 01/08/2021 22:14

If it had been my child, I would have been to A&E days ago.

Lifeandlemons · 01/08/2021 22:15

@blonde2021 A and E did not let us leave until my son could manage a temperature without Calpol and Nurofen as he has been on it for so long.

blonde2021 · 01/08/2021 22:22

@Aquamarine1029 this is the problem! Been told so far it doesn't warrant an A&E trip. Will be going in the morning if temperature is high after having a gap tonight.

OP posts:
blonde2021 · 01/08/2021 22:25

@Valhalla17 yes I know about the early concerns.. however given he was 16 days without a temperature before this happened I was unsure if COVID related which is what I said to my GP. The out of hours doctor said it could possibly be on the phone but advised to use.

OP posts:
blonde2021 · 01/08/2021 22:31

@Lifeandlemons thank you for your reply. If it's still high in the morning when medication wears off I will take him to A&E. I've been told to wait 48 hours for antibiotics to kick in, tomorrow is day 4 and he will be on day 8 of having a temperature. I hope he is better in the morning but have my doubts given the past week.

OP posts:
Aquamarine1029 · 01/08/2021 22:32

[quote blonde2021]@Aquamarine1029 this is the problem! Been told so far it doesn't warrant an A&E trip. Will be going in the morning if temperature is high after having a gap tonight.[/quote]
I wouldn't give a shit what I've been told, and in this case, you shouldn't either.

beckypv · 02/08/2021 19:22

@blonde2021 How is your son today? I had a similar problem last year with my 8 year old… 111 actually sent an ambulance to us, and once we were in hospital blood tests identified a serious blood infection which then rooted in his tibia. (So we had to stay in for 3 weeks). If you haven’t gone to hospital yet, I really would encourage you to get a blood test. They can show up a lot and help instigate a treatment plan. The faster you can get treatment, the better the outcome will be. I’m amazed a temperature for that long hasn’t been taken particularly seriously by people you have contacted.

Bobholll · 02/08/2021 19:36

Go with your gut OP, anyone can go to A&E, you do not have to take the advice of someone on the phone!

Interestingly, I was in hospital with my little one this week & while in an assessment unit before being admitted, the child in the cubicle next to me was in having investigations for continuous temperature spikes two weeks after covid. They’d run a full blood count on her & it all came back normal & no sign of infection or anything worrying.. the GP told the parents it’s could be a side effect of the covid, it’s something they have seen in a few children. Possibly the body still fighting off residual infection..

Bobholll · 02/08/2021 19:37

*the doctor even, not the GP 🙈

blonde2021 · 02/08/2021 19:52

@Bobholll thanks for reply. I would have gone with my gut, my main concern really was if anyone had experienced anything similar which from the sounds of what you said you heard it does seem a likely cause from the Covid. The Out of hours doctor I saw on Saturday was really thorough and reassuring but my concern was if the temperature didn't settle. Thankfully it returned to normal this morning and has been normal all day. I obviously don't know for sure if it's the antibiotics that helped or if it was a follow on from the Covid that has now settled. I had read quite a lot about the after effects in children following Covid which doesn't seem to be publicised here in the U.K. at all. I'm just hoping he's over the worst and doesn't spike or take a bad turn again. If he does then my first port of call will be A&E.

OP posts:
Greenmarmalade · 02/08/2021 19:55

My son had a similar temp for around 9 days before covid tests were around, but I think it was covid. He also had a rash.

If it were me, I’d go to A&E if you’re at all concerned. Bypass 111 and go. Wait outside and tell them it’s covid, they usually make special arrangements to go in. I’d stop the ibuprofen.

Hm2020 · 03/08/2021 11:23

Have they checked urine? I’d want bloods to know if there was an infection someone obscure like a pp said.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread