13 day fever not going...22month old

[Aklein38]

Hi, I'm at my wits end.
My 22 month DS came down with a temp and rash on Friday 26th Jan. Saw a GP who said it was viral. 3 days of really high temps (40.7) and then temp came down and stayed at 38.2. Fast forward 13 days and he still has a low fever 38-38.4 with an itchy mild rash on his arms and legs and runny nose and cough. We've seen GP 5 times and A&E once where he was confirmed to have flu (we've all had it in the house with a fever but recovered after a few days.) We were told it would just resolve by itself but this is dragging on.

Went to GP this morning who dipped urine (negative) and checked ears, throat and chest and everything normal. He has prescribed antibiotics just in case there is a bacterial infection.

I'm so worried as although he is eating, drinking and playing normally a 13 day temp is NOT normal. Anyone else experience this with their kids? I just need reassurance that this can be normal and it will pass. I don't know how many more times I can see a GP/Paeds consultant in 2 weeks! :(

Our DD (6) has got the same thing (although with the coughing she is being sick), she is now on day 7 and has seen GP twice as she has been so poorly; yet everything is looking clear.
I can see she is unwell (currently asleep on sofa, unheard of), been sick twice today, not eating, but is drinking. It's so frustrating, as I am being made to feel like a hypochondriac by the GP - yet it is clear she is unwell.

That does sound unusual but it sounds like they've done a lot of checks. Flu is a nasty illness.

Sounds like the GP gave you the antibiotics today? Perhaps there is something bacterial as well now, and in a day or two when the antibiotics start to do their thing, the fever will come down. I think perhaps give them a day or two to kick in. The main thing is that LO is eating/drinking/playing.

Thanks I feel like a neurotic mum but 13 days just seems so long! I'll wait to see if the antibiotics make a difference although GP couldn't see any obvious chest, throat or ear infection, it's justa precaution given its been going on for so long.

I just keep worrying it's something more serious even though he has been checked so many times by different doctors and we have all been ill with it so it's likely just that and it is taking a while to shift.

Has anyone experienced a temperature for that long? It's not super high anymore (although 38.6 earlier) it just keeps fluctuating and won't go! He's happily playing atm just a bit tired.

I think you should be reassured by the fact the doctors have checked him. Although it’s unusual to have a temperature for so long, you know it has originated from a cold/flu so it seems it’s just taking while to completely fight off. A temperature that comes when a child doesn’t or hasn’t exhibited other ‘winter illnesses’ would be more worrying.

DD had the flu last Christmas when she was 3, she was so ill with it they were on the verge of admitting her for low fluids. Her temp was exactly the same for 2 weeks straight, she finally dropped back to normal on day 15, so it is possible it could just be the flu has really affected him. Hope he feels better soon, it's absolutely horrible when they aren't well like this.

Thanks that's reassuring that someone else has got experience of their DC temp lasting so long. 15 days is so long! I hope my son turns the corner soon. He's asleep atm and temp is 37.4. It comes down I the morning but then as the day goes on comes back. It's so weird! I'm mentally and physically exhausted, I don't want to end up back at A&E for another check up!

@mummaoftwogirls was her temp really high for the 15 days or did it fluctuate?

It takes 7-10 days for your body to make the antibodies in order to fight off a virus or bacteria. Prior to that you are reliant on a different type of white blood cell that is less specific. Imagine you have a dirty kitchen side with dried on food. The initial white bloods cells are no specific and like a damp cloth you wipe it over the sides. The easy stuff gets cleaned off and you might reduce the stuck on stuff but you don't make much progress. Then you find you cleaning spray. A single spray on each of the marks and wow they are gone! This is what an antibody can do in a very simplistic way.
Bad viruses like the influenza virus absolutely can be 2 weeks illnesses. A week of feeling like death and from day 7 when you start to get a chance of specific response from the body it should be less bad hopefully going around the 14 day mark.
It's good his fever isn't as bad as it was and it's probably worth giving the antibiotics ago. Hopefully he bounces back quickly as kids do!

I’ve just been through similar with my three year old. I took her to the gp, the gp sent her to hospital as her temp was so high, nothing found, went back to the gp twice more the following week, again nothing of note, then at the weekend I took her to a walk in who finally noted an ear infection. Not sure if that’s what she had brewing but once she got her antibiotic she did get better so I think it’s good the gp prescribed it.

Thanks it's just so scary! He woke up without a temp but now it's creeping back up and we are already at 37.7. It will probably be up to low 38 by this evening. How long do antibiotics take to kick in if its bacterial?

I'm just worried that something has been missed like Kawasaki disease as he has a rash on his arms and legs and the palms of his hands went red but not swollen (feet were normal). Every GP or registrar I've spoken to have said it's not kawasaki and it's a virus but I'm just so worried. Anyone experiences kawasaki after being fobbed off with 'it's a virus'? I'm scared it was the flu originally but then turned into kawasaki!

It was very high for the first week to 8 days and then sat at around 38-38.5 for the rest, I was alternating calpol and nurofen the whole time but as soon as that was starting to wear off it shot straight back up

The thing to remember is that he's playing and behaving normally. If that's the case, it's unlikely that he's seriously ill.