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Original poster

Well I won't be testing my son again

53 replies

firef1y · 15/10/2021 09:41

DS11, SN with sensory issues, was sneezing like crazy on Wednesday, was pretty convinced it was his usual allergies but decided to do a lft on him just in case. Knew throat would be impossible, he started gagging before I'd even opened the swab. So did both nostrils, negative result, as expected, but we've now had 36hours of intermittent nosebleeds.
He's not in school ATM, so no worries about that. Sneezing, as expected, has stopped.
But there's no way I'll be putting him through that twice a week once he's back in school.

OP posts:
TheVolturi · 15/10/2021 09:43

Was he moving as you were doing the swab? Maybe you poked something that's caused the bleeding?

GoldChick · 15/10/2021 09:43

How hard were you swabbing his nostrils? Would he be able to do it himself, that way he'd know how hard he was pressing.

ANameChangeAgain · 15/10/2021 09:45

I know it sounds gross, but I wonder if it would work if you swabbed one of his freshly sneezed into handkerchiefs?

enjoyingscience · 15/10/2021 09:46

The LFT swab doesn’t need to go that far back - it really shouldn’t be causing days of nosebleeds unless there are existing issues with his nose. By all means don’t test him (but it’s a sensible thing to do to limit spread in schools), but I think technique might be to blame here.

Thewiseoneincognito · 15/10/2021 09:47

My goodness, you have to do it gently OP you’re not supposed to be plunging like it’s a blocked loo. Hope he is better soon. Less force next time.

GoldChick · 15/10/2021 09:48

@ANameChangeAgain

I know it sounds gross, but I wonder if it would work if you swabbed one of his freshly sneezed into handkerchiefs?
Ooh might be worth trying? They don't like you sending globs of snot to the PCR lab, you get a void. My DP sent one when struggling to do a test on LO. But for LFT it might work?
Mumdiva99 · 15/10/2021 09:49

It's more likely the allergies causing the nosebleeds. My boys both have allergy related nose bleeds - youngest has been prescribed a steroid based nasal spray for it.....you can buy it over the counter but not for his age. It is unlikely to the LFT causing them. Otherwise we would all have nosebleeds all the time.....

MatildaIThink · 15/10/2021 09:51

If the swab is causing nosebleeds you are doing it wrong, you need to gently rub the inside of his nostril around 15-20mm in the nasal cavity, not try to tickle his brain!

Doubledoorsontogarden · 15/10/2021 10:00

You’ve done the test wrong, your poor son. It isn’t a reason to not test, let his nose heal, practise swabbing yourself, then do him, gently.

DelilahDingleberry · 15/10/2021 10:02

Is he able to do it himself? My 4yo does her own, it’s much less distressing.

Savoretti · 15/10/2021 10:04

Omg you must have been pushing the swab in way too high and too hard

worriedatthemoment · 15/10/2021 10:20

None of us have ever had a nose bleed from swabs,

GoldChick · 15/10/2021 10:34

Is he prone to nosebleeds, if so might be worth asking a doctor to take a look.

Original poster
firef1y · 15/10/2021 10:34

No I didn't go too high, and no he can't do it himself, he has special needs. I was gentle.
He does have a history of nosebleeds for no particular reason (other than the usual sticking his finger up his nose when he was younger) but this was obviously because of having something stuck up his nose.
Thankfully the bleeding seems to have settled, but there's no way I'll be putting him through that again.

OP posts:
AppleJane · 15/10/2021 10:39

Why is everyone assuming the OP was too rough. Perhaps he has sensitive nostril lining. Especially if he suffers from allergies. I agree with you OP if you decide not to do it again.

GlomOfNit · 15/10/2021 10:42

Wow, lots of unnecessarily nasty posts here implying the OP was swabbing her son 'like she was plunging a blocked loo' Hmm As if the OP was being rough with her son. I'm sure she was being extremely careful.

It is bloody difficult to have a SEN child at the moment, I can tell you. I've only had to swab DS twice and both times it was a two person job and we had to hold him down to swab him gently. And yes, it was necessary both times, he got over it within seconds. It's also extremely hard to do a swab on someone else and know exactly where you are in the nose. Some of the LFTs currently out there have the long swab that you ARE meant to push back quite a way, and some of the new ones have a short stubby swab that it says not to insert more than 2.5 cm (which is still quite a way!) but it's so thick you couldn't get it up higher anyway.

OP, he might have a polyp, or have been picking his nose beforehand (mine has nosebleeds fairly often because he's always picking!!), or yes, allergies making the membranes sore. Hope things go ok for you and him.

quirkychick · 15/10/2021 10:47

My dd2 (with special needs) also had a nosebleed from a PCR last summer. She does not normally have nosebleeds, either. It is actually very difficult to test children with special needs, in NI they use LAMP tests, which are much more humane and use a pipette to collect saliva.

AppleJane · 15/10/2021 10:47

If people were exempt on medical grounds from wearing masks then some people, especially children, should be exempt from shoving swabs up their noses too.

twocatsandtwokids · 15/10/2021 10:51

It was literally like torture testing my 5 year old. Then we let her do it on herself, she did it no probs and got herself a positive lateral flow and PCR, so she was doing it right 😆

Etonmessisyum · 15/10/2021 10:53

My ds also sen became very upset when I did his, he kept moving which didn’t help it’s not as simple as ‘be gentle’ because of course I was being gentle I do swabs on kids at work every day aa a nurse but small and moving children do make it difficult - he’s 10 so big and I’m a single parent so no one to help. Thankfully negative but am hoping I don’t need to do it again as I don’t think he’ll let me near him. He can’t just ‘stay still’ like my other kids.

My 11 year old gets nose bleeds and he was ok but said it felt like he might have one, just the pressure of it I think.

Grabmygran · 15/10/2021 11:08

OP there are saliva tests that you can buy for this. Have a Google and check with the school if they will accept this as an alternative to lateral flows.

ittakes2 · 15/10/2021 13:23

If you order these (for free) they are much better than the kits you just used. For a start you only need to do the nostrils ie you don't need to do the throat - but they are also more like cotton tips while the kit you just used is unfortunately scratchy and tastes bad. These newer kits can also be used if someone has symptoms.
www.gov.uk/order-coronavirus-rapid-lateral-flow-tests

uglyflowers · 15/10/2021 13:27

I have one ‘bad’ nostril (I have allergies, sinus problems etc) and every LFT I do gives me a nosebleed on that side so I only use my good nostril now. I don’t think that the op was doing it too hard as it’s just how her son’s nostrils are made.

ThePoisonousMushroom · 15/10/2021 13:32

@Thewiseoneincognito

My goodness, you have to do it gently OP you’re not supposed to be plunging like it’s a blocked loo. Hope he is better soon. Less force next time.
Have you tried swabbing a child with special needs and sensory issues? In my experience they don’t always stay that still and along with the hysterics it’s hard to insert the swab in a calm and controlled manner. Ignore the judgemental arses OP. It’s hard 💐
Kb2942 · 15/10/2021 13:44

As far as I'm aware op, testing in school isn't compulsory. Parents can opt it. Plus I totally get it. Ds is 10 and autistic - testing is hell! He's in year 6 so no school testing (yet). I'm hoping it'll be the thing of the post next year when he's in year 7 (wishful thinking). He had 2 coughs last year so took him for a test - it was hell!! I am full of dread for this winter. He's not been ill in a while and I know it's inevitable he will get ill at one point!