DS11 so exhausted can hardly get out of bed

[Pipeskeepleaking]

DS is a livewire: super fit, walks half an hour each way to school, regional level sport etc etc. Also ADHD: he doesn’t really sit still.

He’s had two ‘nothing’ viruses back to back - neither made him super ill - cold not flu type things. But he hasn’t recovered from the second. I mean REALLY hasn’t recovered. He’s completely exhausted. All day in bed today. No screens, only bits of reading (younger child books). Tears, lethargy. Still eating well.

i think I need to take him back to the GP, but what do I ask for? What might this be? I am frightened…

Article I saw yesterday talking about the ever increasing numbers of children with Long COVID. Might not be of course, but if it came on after a virus, it could well be. I hope he recovers and is back to his self soon.

How long has he been in bed OP?

I had Slapped Cheek virus over Easter and it took me a week to feel anywhere approaching normal again after a week basically in bed. It’s everywhere at the moment.

Request a blood test. My DD12 has been similar, not as bad but will go to school and be asleep before I get home and sleep all night and has missed school due to general tiredness. Her thyroid came back as under active. I’ve got to have the bloods repeated as GP worried it could be an anomaly result but it all points in the right direction.

Covid.

I have long Covid and it’s been savage. My body HURTS. I wash my hair and my arms ache.

Post viral fatigue makes me more tired/ wiped out than an actual virus. I dread getting a cold not because of the being sick but the exhaustion afterwards. So it could well be that but the GP could run blood tests to check there's nothing else wrong.

Any other symptoms? Thirst, on the toilet a lot, looking thinner? Tired is a symptom of type 1 diabetes so keep an eye out.

Is he drinking more, urinaring more often looking a bit thinner?

Four Ts to be aware of in Type 1 Diabetes
Thinner, Tired, Thirsty, Toilet. Don't need to have all of those to get it checked out.

It can develop really quickly in children and post viral sonetimes when it presents.

I second long covid. If you get blood tests done they'll all come back normal if it is LC. It's miserable, here's hoping it's not that 🤞

Glandular fever?

I think it’s long Covid tbh. Grim grim grim

what bloods to ask for other than thyroid?

I'm slightly shocked reading these as my dd is like this with every illness. I assumed it's just her bodies way of dealing with it. 2 or 3 times per year she will have an illness (flu type) which she will sleep for 3/4 days basically solid to shake off. She's 15.

It’s a bit premature to diagnose long covid, and rates of that are really low with the new variants of covid

i am like this after every illness. How long has it been?

OP this could be my 12 year old DD. She had virus after virus since December and now just a shell of herself. No energy, unenthusiastic about everything, moody. I did request blood test but they came back clear. I too am thinking it might be long Covid. I'm really worried about her. I asked for a full blood test btw.

Post viral fatigue can last for weeks and it would be months before that would progress to a diagnosis of Long Covid or ME/CFS for instance. Worth seeing the GP to rule anything else out but if he is this exhausted just due to post-viral causes he really just needs to rest. Doing too much too quickly could be counter-productive.

It's too soon to diagnose Long Covid. But it could potentially become that if he doesn't rest. However, it could simply be just a post viral fatigue that will pass. If he's had two viruses back to back then his immune system will be depleted. Get him to the docs for blood tests. Wishing him well. 💐

When ds was like that about 8 years ago the GP ordered blood tests for a variety of things from Glandular fever through to leukaemia. They never really came out with a reason, and concluded it was just post viral.
He started improving after about 6-8 weeks, and the only thing left after a couple of years was a tendency (which he still has) of picking up everything going and then being really ill with it.

If it doesn't get better it could be chronic fatigue. My DD has had it for two years now. Hopefully though he's just recovering from the illness.

I was going to suggest this. One of the biggest symptoms my son had age 11 was literally falling asleep on the floor getting dressed for school so when he had been awake about an hour.

Post viral fatigue. He needs lots of rest and healthy food. Don't be afraid to keep him off school because you don't want it to get worse and turn into chronic fatigue.

This happened to my DS when he was 11- he had not been ill as such but had gone through a big growth spurt- he had low iron causing the fatigue. The GP did blood tests to diagnose and a course of iron tablets - gradually got himself back to normal and no problems since- he's early 20s now.

My immediate thought was glandular fever.

I was thinking glandular fever too. And it seems to strike teenagers.

Hmm worrying but honestly OP I think you somehow have to mask your worry and show patience and reassurance to your DS. Keep positive!!
You say he’s eating well, this is a good sign so feed him what he likes and what is nutritious, be kind and nurturing, let him rest for a few days, don’t stress.
if you must get him a blood test to check things out but do not make a big deal of it. Hope this passes over quickly and you all feel better

Isn't it absolutely normal to be exhausted when you have a bad virus? You don't go to work/school, and you stay in bed all day whilst you recover?

My rule for my kids has always been if you're well enough to go on your phone - you're well enough to be in school.

It’s been 11 days so far and he isn’t better AT ALL - worse if anything. I wouldn’t be fretting after 3-4 days (even tho this one is my concrete child who bounces back from EVERYthing).
Not thirsty - don’t think there are any diabetes signs.
not on his phone other than to listen, in the dark, to old bits of R4 comedy on repeat, while lying in bed. He’s struggling to lie on the sofa at the moment.
Are there test for glandular fever? Not sure how/where he would have got it…