DD4 tonsillitis day six

[Fi1982]

DD aged four developed a low grade fever on Saturday, we thought it was just a mild bug, but then Sunday she was 39.8c, refusing food, streaming nose and soupy cough, complaining of tummy and throat pains. Tried to nurse her at home for a few days with calpol etc, her temperature seems to swing quite wildly throughout the day, one hour it will be 37.8, the next 39! Whatever her temp, Calpol does reliably drop it by a degree.

Went to the doctor on Tuesday and she diagnosed tonsillitis, and gave us some antibiotics, which we started that night. She’s now had four doses as of this morning - I’m just wondering when I should expect her to be fully better? Her cough has improved a bit and her nose has gone from streaming to yellow gunk. Temperature fluctuating still, highest 38.5, lowest 37. I’m probably being very unrealistic but I kind of thought she’d be springing out of bed this morning a textbook 36.8 temp, perhaps the odd cough or nose blow…! I’m just worrying a bit because six days is the longest she’s ever had any kind of temperature and I don’t want to hassle the doctors if I’m being unrealistic about timeframes. She is still complaining of tummy pains on and off, which the doctor said was because the glands in kids’ tummies react a lot with illness??

How long is the course for? IME tonsillitis takes ages to fully bugger off so still having a temp and being under the weather after only a couple of days wouldn’t be unusual in our house at all! 38.5 isn’t great but not awful and 37 is within the normal range of temperatures anyway, so it does sound like she might be over the worst, but I’d expect it to take a few days to be back to normal xx
Good luck, it’s horrible seeing them poorly isn’t it? X

Oh and the tummy pain always lasts a while for us too - I’d say it usually takes DD a good 5-7 days of ABs to be happier xx

Thanks v much for your replies @Hartleyhare1206 I’m currently holding off sneaking in to her room and taking yet another temperature reading 🤦‍♀️ She was 37.1 a couple of hours ago, which I know is ‘normal’ but she’s usually more like 36 when she’s asleep. This is what’s making it hard for me to make a judgement call, she usually runs quite cool, 36.8 is about the highest she ever is when well, usually more like 36.4. God if you made it through that boring temperature chat you deserve a medal 🤣

We got a five day course of ABs, the doc said to call back and increase if necessary, so I will see what tomorrow brings. She will have had 60hr of the AB course by then. Thanks to your kind and rational words I won’t panic if I find she’s still not 100% though. Apart from a couple of nasty sickness bugs, she’s only really ever had those little 48hr viral things before where they go from burning up on the couch refusing even water to bouncing on the bed at 6am in the blink of an eye! Almost a week of this has been like torture. But it’s so reassuring to know that tonsillitis and corresponding stomach pains can take a while to shift, thanks again x

As a general rule, if that type of antibiotic is going to help, you should see a difference (improvement) around day 2 / 3, so I think you're judging it right.

Thanks @mineofuselessinformation I think it has already helped as her highest temp spikes today were almost a degree lower than pre-AB, but I will call the GP to check if there’s no change towards the end of tomorrow day.

We were given five day of Pen V, 5ml twice a day, for reference.

*over a degree lower, highest temp pre-AB 39.8, highest temp 48hr post-AB 38.5.

Just snuck in a quick last temp check and she’s 36.2 in her good ear and 37 in her bad ear (left ear always burns up more than the right, she’s her mother’s child alright!). Still a smidge higher than her usual but I’m going to take it as a good sign and hope we both get a better sleep tonight!

Hey OP hope you got a good nights sleep in the end? I do understand the temp thing - you know their “normal” but I really would be reassured that she has made good progress!
Tonsilitis is the devil - my DD has had it so many times (and I suspect is brewing it again as I type!) and it’s evil!
We’ve always needed the ten day course, so don’t be afraid to use that if the GP thinks it’s reasonable to add the extra days on. The tummy aches/cramps are savage and I think I said earlier; they are the last thing to go for us before she sleeps and eats normally again and is back to her happy self.
Used to get so annoyed by people who think it’s “just a bit of a sore throat!!!”

Hi @Hartleyhare1206 we slept fine until 5am, when DD had a snot explosion and coughing fit and had to have what has become her nightly ritual of endless nose blowing and water sips 🤦‍♀️ her temp was 36-37 so I was so pleased and we both slept until 8am!

But then I took her temp again half an hour after she woke and it’s popped back up to 37.3 in one ear and 37.9 in the other 😫 whyyyyy? She’s making quite good progress with some toast at the moment and happily watching some nauseating Cocomelon tripe on the iPad… should I just take it that she’s slowly improving? I haven’t seen a 38+ temp for about 15hr now 😕 stupid Braun thermometer making me worry with its ambiguous ‘yellow zone’ temperatures, I don’t even know what constitutes an actual raised temp these days 😫

I should add I think she’s fighting a separate cold bug too, I assumed it was part of the tonsillitis but I’ve realised a heavy cold isn’t a symptom of that and she’s probably got a viral bug on top of the tonsillitis 🤦‍♀️

Ah well I’ve got a phone call with the doc later so we will see… thanks again for the support, much appreciated x

Also oh no @Hartleyhare1206 re your DD brewing another bout of this evil thing - I don’t know how you cope with this on a regular basis! How long does your DD have a temp when she’s suffering? Do you always have to get ABs?

Do they still remove tonsils these days, or is that seen as barbaric 80s practice now?!

Sending you hugs x

I would ask dr for a further 5 day course of antibiotics as you won’t want to run out Sunday if she’s no better. My DS suffered tonsillitis, if he got antibiotics early enough he didn’t have it as bad, but if he had had symptoms a few days before, it seemed to take longer to get better.

We’ve always had ABs for 10 days and honestly the fever can take us a good week to get back to normal, but we usually see an improvement in general demeanour and appetite within a few days which always makes me think she is on the up. I’ve always just thought that if 10 days is the standard course she needs I would expect it to take that long for her to be fully better IYKWIM?
No signs of them whipping them out yet. Was getting it every 3 weeks pre covid and had it twice during lockdown where she never even left the house! But they cancelled all her ENT appts then
So we are just in limbo. Touch wood the frequency is improving but she is now at school
So obviously regular illness is an issue. Hoping that will
Be the catalyst for action as I can’t see school loving her attendance!
Great you slept till 8! That’s fab for both of you!
Let us know what GP says x

@Mindymomo totally agree about the ten days. 5 isn’t enough usually.

And also, try not to worry too much about the number on the thermometer be guided more by her and how she is functioning/behaving. How she is in herself means more than the number xx

@Fi1982

Also oh no *@Hartleyhare1206* re your DD brewing another bout of this evil thing - I don’t know how you cope with this on a regular basis! How long does your DD have a temp when she’s suffering? Do you always have to get ABs?

Do they still remove tonsils these days, or is that seen as barbaric 80s practice now?!

Sending you hugs x

They will - but you really have to fight for it!

Blimey, dealing with a shit GP really makes you grateful for the good ones doesn’t it?! She spent less than two minutes on the phone with me and kept getting the AB type and course length wrong 🤦‍♀️ and then told me to finish the course and keep topping up with calpol and ibuprofen?! For a temperature of 37.9?? I gave up in the end as she was just incompetent. It was a private GP through some health insurance I’ve got, might as well have been pissing in the wind 🤷‍♀️

DD temp is hovering around 36.5-37.5 now and hasn’t been above that for hours now, so I’m going to assume the ABs are doing their job a bit slower than usual due to the severity of the bug. She’s leaping around pretending to be a dog artist right now 😂, so I think she’ll be ok 🤞

Thanks very much for all your help everyone x

Funny you should say about shit GPS just got back from having a row with ours who told me DD looks a picture of health (white as a sheet, dizzy and 40 degree fever, anyone?!)
Cutting a long story short, we too are now on sodding ABs 🤬🤬🤬
We could form a support group at this rate!!!

@Hartleyhare1206 that’s appalling 🙄 why are some GPs so shit?? I used to work in medical careers/training so I know how rigorous the selection process and degree itself are. I just don’t understand how some of these tossers slip through the net?? Your poor DD ☹️ I’m so sorry your inklings about Tonsillitis were correct. What ABs did you get?

My DD has been leaping around all day, eating ok, temperature under 37.5, thought we had it licked 🙃 but no, bedtime rolled around and she was back up to 38 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️ trying not to panic, and instead see it as a small fluctuation on a general upwards trajectory towards good health 🤞

Turns out I was supposed to keep Pen V in the fridge

🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

Got a new batch today so we will start again!