3 year old ill - advice please!!

[Hereforit2022]

So my DS3 has been unwell since Friday evening. Not sure if this is relevant but Thursday afternoon he got his flu spray.

So Friday evening up during the night really hot with a temperature. Not sky high but after calpol went to 37.8 at the highest. Woke up Saturday morning very not at himself. Lethargic, heavy eyed, temp on and off, not wanting to eat much. Nothing else symptom wise. On Saturday afternoon he picked up a bit. Albeit tired but acting ok, playing in small bursts drinking loads peeing loads. Last night came and he was really not at himself. Waking lots in his sleep saying 'mummy help me' the calpol slightly bringing his temp down but he was so so hot. I decided (my anxiety kicking in) to take him to A&E. Arrived around 11pm. Had high temp they gave him ibuprofen and an ice lolly. Brought him temp down. Done all his usual obs and urine sample. Said it was viral.

Today wakes up seems much chirpier. Ate all his breakfast a few snacks. Then lunch time came. Crashed back to how he was Saturday night. Not wanting lunch or much dinner. Again drinking loads and peeing. Playing on bursts. Went to bed tonight he felt warm but thermometer said 37.1 so I didn't give calpol. He fell asleep and woke up an hour later saying 'mummy help me' sweat pouring from him but he said he was cold. Checked temp was 35.6. gave him a drink of water and put blanket over him and I have sat with him since. Temp is 36.1 currently but constantly wakening saying 'mummy help me' and is now coughing terribly.

Should I take him back to A&E? I feel so anxious that I can't think straight and what is the right/reasonable thing to do. I am so so worried about him and the potential of it being something serious. I know I shouldn't be asking the internet for help but I feel so all over the place at the minute on what the right thing to do is.

Sorry to hear your boy is very unwell.

could it possibly be the flu? Like proper flu not when people have a cold and say that have flu.

what you’re describing sounds like the flu i have had twice in my life. I was literally out of it for days and it was horrible. I had when I was around 7/8 and i still remember how rough i felt.

Thats just obviously my assumption but if he gets worse then take him back to a&e. Better to be safe.

i hope he recovers very quickly. Must be so worrying

Could you give 111 a call and see what they say? But if you have to wait too long or if you feel that he's particularly poorly then take him back. Hope he's much better very soon.

My DS (3) went funny Friday afternoon. Out of nowhere he spiked a temp of 39. He came out of nursery at lunchtime absolutely fine. Next thing I know he's gone to sleep on the sofa in the time I went to get medicine. I couldn't wake him for his medicine and it was so scary. Even shouting his name nothing and his eyes went back slightly so we had to phone an ambulance. At hospital they said it was viral and he had a febrile convulsion.

Saturday he perked up no temp but this morning and evening he feels warm again! Kees complaining that he is cold when he has a fever. We've been given open access to the CAU since Friday evening. It's so scary because they say it's viral but what actually is it. Came out of nowhere!

So scary. Hope your little one feels better soon xx

Thank you for your replies.

I am aware I could be panicking for no reason and it is something viral that will pass. Just don't want to waste the NHS time again and would feel silly if they sent me home saying the same thing as last night.

It could just be me feeling anxious. It's harder him saying 'mummy help me' and not knowing how to help apart from drinks, cuddles and medicine if needed. Breaks your heart

Keeps*

For now I would strip him down to just underwear, you can give him calpol then two hours later ibuprofen, you can do this over 24 hours, offer plenty of cold drinks even if he sips it’s better to keep hydrated, offer ice lollies or ice cream & maybe a cool cloth on head when napping. Could be a allergic reaction to flu nasal, the problem with these flu ones is it has food products in that gets the body to see as a threat and causes the reaction spike to cause the body to fight it off. Flu vaccines/sprays shouldn’t be given to every child only those that are at serious risk of complications from the flu & 99 percent of healthy children never get serious health issues from flu. I seriously would opt out of him having it next year. I have 5 kids aged 24,22, 15, 10 & 5 years old, the oldest ones never had flu sprays or flu vaccines and are perfectly healthy my 5 year old developed allergies after his baby jabs ended up in hospital I stopped jabbing by the time he was one, he has been left with food allergies, auto immune disease & eczema sadly long lasting jab side effects. I also got the flu jab for the first time when I was pregnant with my youngest left me with egg allergy for a year that I’ve never had before in my life. Flu prevention doesn’t stop transmission or infection like other childhood jabs that protect against deadly diseases so I would suggest staying away from any jabs you kid needs every year, these aren’t jabs that have had years of medical safety data flu & covid jabs are whipped together within months with no long term safety data.

Thanks for your reply

Do you think I should continue with the ibuprofen and calpol even though he doesn't have a temperature? Really unsure what to do on that one.

I have taken onboard Ur comments about the flu spray. Hoping this isn't the case for him. I know another little boy who had it recently and was completely fine no reaction so hoping the timing is just off and he isn't allergic or had a reaction to that 🤞

I'm not at all medically trained and it sounds like you're feeling very anxious. I would seek advice from 111 in the first instance and I would monitor his temperature. I wouldn't give more calpol or ibuprofen in the absence of a temperature unless advised to do so by a trained professional

Personally I wouldn't have been too worried about the high temp he had before unless it was over 39/40 without medication and if it didn't come down to a more reasonable temp with calpol/ibuprofen.

I would be more concerned about a temperature close to 35 than a high temp.

Also his symptoms sound a lot like covid (fever and coughing) but it could be any number of viruses that are doing the rounds.

I would keep it up for 24 hours max if he develops the temp again just to be on the safe side if your not convinced it could be a allergic reaction to the flu spray. allergic reactions to chemicals can cause all the symptoms you are describing, your also describing covid symptoms so he may have that. Flu vaccines & nasals should really only be given to the very vulnerable over 75s & even then with caution, my nan stopped having them in her 90s because the more she had them the sicker she got each year within 3 weeks of having them. She said they made her worse then actually having the flu, she kept getting viral infections from them and sadly 3 year olds don’t have the communication capability to be able to tell you that other than describing what is happening at that moment in time. Good luck & fingers crossed he is better tomorrow, the hospital won’t do much anyway if you take him again they will do them same again as last time.

We used to use ibuprofen fairly often when our son was I'll but after speaking to a pharmacist about it once, they really put us off using it. Basically they said always try and use calpol and ibuprofen is so strong it is not too good for children.
I'd keep on with calpol and of he deteriorates get him to a and e. Make sure he is drinking a lot especially if he is sweating. Get him watermelon, cold drinks hot drinks just whatever as long as he drinks!