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16 M/O fast breathing 69 breaths per minute, throat symptoms not chest/lung

11 replies

Miajayne91 · 31/03/2025 23:43

Hi everyone,

I'm writing for advice as I've seen 2 doctors in the last 24 hours and I'm still worried and was wondering if anyone else had been in a similar situation.

Basically my 16 month old daughter came home from my mum's on Sunday, she'd been having a high temperature since Saturday night and my mum said she sounded chesty.

She started with fast breathing Sunday so we took her to a&e. They kept her in for a fast heart rate and high temp, listened to her chest and she doesn't have a chest infection, the doctor said he thought she had allergies but this didn't really explain the high temperature and he didn't give us anything to stop the fast breathing. She's had 5 throat infections in 6 months, he looked in her throat and said it was ok. But said we should see the gp to see to get her referred onwards to a chest physician (even though she's never had a chest infection).

We took her to the GP this morning and she monitored my baby's breathing and it came down with calpol and ibruprofen. She said her heart rate is fast because of the temp, but her temperature has been a lot higher before and this has never caused her to breathe so fast before. Today she's barely eaten but will drink fluids, she had some yogurt and ice cream and some cheesy beans but was coughing a lot when eating.

Later on we tried her with a bottle and she vomited it up along with some mucus. I'm getting the feeling she's got another throat infection/sinus trouble as this is a repetitive theme. The GP wouldn't give us antibiotics as she's already had so many doses in the last 6 months. She wouldn't refer her to ENT as apparently you have to have 7 separate issues relating to ent from age 0-2.

I'm worried as she vomited her milk up and the mucus coming up might be a sign of tonsilititus. She's had 2 different doctors look in her throat and have said they can't see anything and have given her throat numbing spray. I don't want to take her back to a&e unless she really needs to go as she's already had 3 visits in 3 weeks and she's so tired and I just want to let her sleep it off and try and control her breathing with pain relief as this is the advice I've been given, but the fast breathing is worrying me so much alongside the throat infection history.

I think I've answered my own question in that if her symptoms get worse through the night I'll obviously take her back in and just get her throat checked again tomorrow just to be safe as I know tonsillitis can progress quite quickly. But I'm still interested to know if anyone else has experienced the fast breathing rate alongside throat symptoms before?

Mia x

OP posts:
2men3eyebrows · 01/04/2025 00:03

A fever with that resp rate would be taken very seriously- it falls under the ‘red’ category of the NICE traffic light system.

I don’t think you have a choice but to go to A&E, OP. If it takes repeated visits to keep her safe then it has to be done.

PullTheBricksDown · 01/04/2025 00:19

I'm sorry OP, you and your little girl must both be exhausted. Agree with pp though that I would want to go to A&E to be sure. I haven't had those symptoms but when mine were that small I went to hospital if they had something that seemed significantly wrong like this. Say your GP has not been helpful and they need to address the breathing problem. Good luck. Is your DD asleep now?

Miajayne91 · 01/04/2025 00:32

She's asleep and her breathing has settled down quite a bit, and her temp. I'm just staying awake to keep an eye on her, she's in bed with her dad. I'm going to ring an ambulance if it gets to that rate again. She's had norovirus, periorbital cellulitis and now this in the the space of 3 weeks, I feel so sorry for her 😔 my stomach is in knots constantly. Nursery is the devil 😂

OP posts:
PullTheBricksDown · 01/04/2025 00:59

🤞 she stays peaceful with the calmer breathing

ItssssAMeMariooo92 · 01/04/2025 01:44

High temp can trigger fast breathing.... my son was in hospital every 4-6 weeks after 3 weeks in NICU and only once he turned 3 did that change. The times he didn't need help for fast heart rate was when I was able to bring his temperature down. Keep going with the calpol etc as when temp is down, they'll be able to eat better too. Even if it's just things like yoghurt or ice pops. Anything to keep them hydrated is mostly important

Copperoliverbear · 01/04/2025 04:33

Could you take her back to a different hospital A&E. ?

OtterMummy2024 · 01/04/2025 15:12

Have they swabbed her throat and checked for any viruses or bacteria, or only looked at it? A bigger hospital A&E will have a Virology and Microbiology lab that can do these tests on site.

Miajayne91 · 01/04/2025 15:41

I had to call an ambulance this morning, her skin was mottled and lips blue 😭 her oxygen levels are back up, it turns out it was RSV

OP posts:
PullTheBricksDown · 01/04/2025 16:49

How are you both now OP? At least you now know, and I presume she's been treated. But how stressful.

Miajayne91 · 01/04/2025 18:21

We're still in hospital they're still monitoring her breathing, we'll probably be here overnight by the looks of things. They've swabbed her now to find out what virus she has but they're pretty sure its bronchiolitis 😔 the other two doctors missed it for some reason.

OP posts:
OtterMummy2024 · 01/04/2025 21:50

Sorry to hear she's worse, but you did the right thing. I took my baby to A&E with RSV back in November, we were in for two nights in the end, waiting for baby's oxygen to be high enough while sleeping. It's horrible but being admitted is the right thing, they get constant monitoring. I'm sure your LO will be on the mend soon. Hugs.

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