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Children's health

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Original poster

Ds has a temp of over 38oc after Calpol, what should i do?

23 replies

LittleMissBliss · 30/03/2009 19:24

Ds has a respiritory(sp) infection and this afternoon i gave him some calpol because he had a temp (didn't check temp at time)

Two hours later i took his temp as he still felt hot and it was 39 drgs c.

I then stripped him down to his nappy and gave him some water. An hour later i've put a t-shirt back on as his body felt chilly but his head is still hot. His temp is still 38+ but he got cross with me so didn't get the exact reading.

I took my temp just to check that his was a true reading and mine mas 35.4 (but i've just had a cold drink)

What should i do now? he wont let me put a cold flannel on his head.
Hes walking about and playing with his toys now, he's had some food but threw half of it up from coughing so much.

He's nearly 17 months. And over the past few days when being given calpol for a temp he has returned to normal body temp in arround an hour or so.

any advice would be great thank you.

OP posts:

lljkk · 30/03/2009 19:27

Phone NHS Direct. I suspect he's okay, but I'm only guessing.

Original poster

LittleMissBliss · 30/03/2009 19:29

I phoned them on Saturday night when he first became ill and they suggested that i give him calpol. I have seen the nurse today who had a listen to his chest and took his temp but he was fine at the time. And to carry on giving him calpol for a temp.

OP posts:

Aranea · 30/03/2009 19:29

Try some nurofen. You can use it in the meantime before you would be able to give the next dose of calpol, and sometimes that can bring the temperature down where calpol has failed. When dd1 had a fever a month or so again that's what the gp recommended. He said if I couldn't get the temp down below 38 with either calpol or nurofen then she needed to be seen as that can be a problem.

Original poster

LittleMissBliss · 30/03/2009 19:31

sorry she suggested that i continue doing what i was doing and to just continue giving him calpol for a temp.

OP posts:

Original poster

LittleMissBliss · 30/03/2009 19:32

Ok thankyou i will ask dp to pick some up on his way home as we only have calpol at home at the moment. i know they can fit if they have a temperature for too long.

OP posts:

mosschops30 · 30/03/2009 19:34

I wouldnt bother with NHS Direct, I dont rate them for anything really!

Strip him regardless of how cold you think he feels, my GP once told me to carry ds out of the doctors in his nappy in the middle of winter, his temp was rocketing and having convulsions.

Put him in a tepid bath, or sponge with tepid water, give calpol and nurofen alternately 2hrly and see how he goes

WinkyWinkola · 30/03/2009 19:37

If you can, wrap his legs in a wet towel. Put towels and rubber sheet under the wet towel. It'll bring his temperature down for longer than a bath.

ShowOfHands · 30/03/2009 19:43

Try not to worry too much about the convulsion risk. It's more the temperature rising rapidly than the temperature itself that is the risk. If he is stripped off and playing happily then I don't think you need to panic too much.

I always find Nurofen much more effective, Calpol does nothing.

And, as an aside, I never treat a temperature on its own, I look at dd and see if she is in pain or uncomfortable and treat that. So, several times she has had a temp of 38+ and I do not medicate. Obviously, I strip her down, loose sheets at night and keep an eye but the temperature in itself is doing a job and I don't medicate it just because it's there. Obviously different for a baby when all temps should be managed but for a toddler, it's sometimes a good thing imvvvho.

Original poster

LittleMissBliss · 30/03/2009 19:46

Ok have wrapped legs in wet towel (ds isn't best pleased) wont let me anywhere near his head with anything wet. in about 30 minutes it will be 4 hours from the last dose of calpol so will try again. DH will be home with nurofen at 8.30 so will be able to have that as a back up if this dose dosen't do the job. Thankyou for all your replies.

Better dash ds has kicked off the wet towel.

OP posts:

Original poster

LittleMissBliss · 30/03/2009 19:48

shall i hold off and just wait for nurofen then?

OP posts:

Drusilla · 30/03/2009 19:52

DS (nearly 4) had a temp of nearly 40 two nights in a row last weekend. I spoke to the GP who said pretty much what Showofhands says - he was lucid, not complaining of being uncomfortable, chatting to me etc. GP said keep doing all the things to help lower it but only to worry if it went over 40 or if he developed other symptoms. Definitely get neurofen thoguh, it seems much more effective for a hgh temp, and alternate with calpol

Original poster

LittleMissBliss · 30/03/2009 20:02

Thankyou all,

I shall not worry so much now and wait for dp to come home and medicate him then. He's been sleeping allot today and is falling asleep next to me now, but it is his normal bedtime so not too worried. Think i will keep him down with me untill his temp starts to fall.

OP posts:

FannyJo · 30/03/2009 20:07

Alternate calpol and nurofen and keep tepid flannel on his head and bottoms of his legs if you are worried about his temp.
DS1 has convulsions and we do those every time he gets a temp now, keeps it under control!

Aranea · 30/03/2009 20:10

Good luck. I hope the nurofen works. I'm sure he's fine, but it can be worrying, can't it?

When dd1 had her nasty fever last month the gp said I should be waking her every 4 hours to dose her up so that her fever didn't go back up again during the night.

luvaduck · 30/03/2009 20:10

it really depends how he is in himself rather than his temp.

is he breathing fast, and sucking chest in when he breathes??

if so he needs to be seen again. nurses aren't as good at listening to chests and can miss subtle decreases in air entry which can signify chest infection (ie pneumonia rather than bronchitis which needs treating)

if he is fine in himself apart from the temp then this is unlikely so keep an eye on him.

obviously check for rash etc

Original poster

LittleMissBliss · 30/03/2009 20:20

Ds is asleep next to me now. with a t-shirt but no covers.

He does have rash on his face which the nurse said could be caused from the strain of coughing.
He has had rashes in the past so not too worried, although we have never got to the bottom of them. She also said that the bottom of his chest was clear but the top of the chest was congested, and that it could take up to two weeks to clear.

His breathing is steady as he sleeps but you can hear the heaviness in his chest.

OP posts:

Original poster

LittleMissBliss · 30/03/2009 20:23

*gotten

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Original poster

LittleMissBliss · 30/03/2009 20:30

just taken his temp and its back up to 39, wish dp would hurry home......

OP posts:

smurfette15 · 30/03/2009 20:31

Agree with alternate calpol/nurofen. Is he on antibiotics for his chest?

alkar · 30/03/2009 20:43

Just a note to say DS has had 2 febrile convulsions now, his last one was thursday. Do you have a fan? I found it a good way to keep him cool in bed.

Original poster

LittleMissBliss · 30/03/2009 20:49

No atibiotics, she said it was common for a child of his age to get an infection and was likely to get a few more over the course of the year. That it would clear up on its own over the course of a few weeks.

alkar thanks for the tip i think we have a fan somewhere, if not i supose i could use one of his paperbacks.

OP posts:

alkar · 31/03/2009 09:26

How is your ds today?

Original poster

LittleMissBliss · 31/03/2009 09:43

Morning, his temp is much better i gave him one dose of nurofen last night which did the trick.

He threw up again during the night brought on from coughing so much. I'm really hoping this doesn't take two weeks to clear as they'll be nothing left of ds by then. He's very tired this moring and just lying next to me on the sofa but feels normal temp wise.
Thank you for your help last night

OP posts:

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