Advice needeed urgently re: very poorly baby

[Tarka]

My 6 mth old baby has been suffering from what seems to be a cold for a couple of days now, things got worse the night before last. He wouldn't settle for more than about 30 mins at a time, and was waking up in between sleeps, crying hysterically. No temperature but very upset indeed. We treated it with a baby cold remedy, (Medised) and took him to the docs first thing yesterday morning. Doc examined ears, chest and throat and could find nothing. Then he did the same thing last night, waking up crying and seemingly unable to get back to sleep. He is taking formula fairly well, but is crying or whimpering almost non-stop during the day now as well. He will only fall asleep fitfully on dp's tummy like a new-born and refuses to go down in cot. We rang NHS Direct this morning for further advice and they said as he was taking fluids he was probably ok. What I wondered was, is it normal for a cold (or poss teething?)to make a baby cry almost non-stop, night and day? (My first baby you see!) Is anyone else experiencing this kind of thing? Just need reassurance or alternatively for someone to say "call the doctor immediately".
Thanks..

i would say no for a cold. did he respond to the medised - i.e. did it seem to make him feel better? does he have symtoms of teething? even so i would expect calpol or something to ease those symptoms. could it be colic or reflux do you think? is he only crying when horizontal but better when upright? are you sure he doesn't have a temperature?

i'm sorry that is not much help but i would also be worried by near constant crying and would call the doctor again. dh and i have not hesitated to take ds to A&E a couple of times - so that could be an option for you.

good luck and i hope he feels better soon.

I think this sounds normal Tarka - I would say the lack of temperature is encouraging, but keep an eye on him - if he had any rash then immediately see the doctor. Sounds to me like teething! Have you given him calpol? We could not have got through teething without calpol!

Hope things improve!

Tarka IMO he seems to be teething.Has he got a runny nose, red cheeks and dribbling (sometimes signs of teething).
It is really hard to explain over the internet as I dont want to give you any misleading advice but try some calpol and teething gel and see how that goes over the next couple of hours.
If he gets any worse or you are still worrying, just go straight to the docs again.
Let us know how he gets on.
Give him a big hug from me, xx

I seem to be the only one who is worried by what you describe Tarka... hate to say this, but does he have any of the symptoms of meningitus? Sore neck, dislike of bright light or a particularly high pitched cry? I don't want to worry you, but I think you'd rather be worried than miss something important. You know your baby best, and it sounds like constant crying is well out of character.

Tarka,

Sorry to hear about your ds. Is his nose runny, and if so, is it clear mucus, or green?

My daughter (7 months) is doing the same thing at night, but actually is quite cheerful and normal during the day. (Her daytime naps are a little shorter perhaps, but that's the only thing that's unusual.) I think that she is teething --- runny nose, drooling like there's no tomorrow, red cheeks, no fever, etc. However, if she seemed out of character, I think I would gollow bossykate's advice and call the doctor again.

If it is teething, another thing you could try is Teetha (a homeopathic remedy of teething granules). Doesn't always work for my daughter, but when it does, it's a dream!

Hi Tarka,
Yes teething can make a baby very fretful, but It sounds from your description as if your little one is quite distressed. Does anything seem to make his crying worse, or does anything seem to make it better or distract him? You may be a first time mum, but don't hesitate to trust your gut instincts as you know your own baby better than anyone. The fact that he is taking his milk is encouraging. Does he seem to be in any pain anywhere apart from his mouth? I assume the doctor stripped him off and examined him thoroughly?
I do hope he has improved since your last post, but if you are at all worried then take him to the nearest a+e dept. They won't think you're silly at all. Trust me, it's the drunks who piss them off, not parents who are genuinely worried about their babies.

Agree not to put off going back to the drs if you are at all worried (or A and E- if you are concerned do not hang around). Usually babies with meningitis have a high temp, but not always so don't wait for that if you are still worried.

The homeopathic remedy chamomilla may be useful- it's often used for teething and the symptoms you describe fit pretty well (especially if he seems angry). If he's more clingy rather than angry then pulsatilla may help. These can't do any harm and you can give whilst symptoms last. 6c or 30c would be fine.

My 11 week old is doing the same!!! , snuffly,red cheeks,dribbling and stuffs her hands constantly in her mouth.
Sleeps v frettfully and wakes up crying in a temper far more than usual!!!Normally happy baby !!but it seeems to dissipate after a couple of days and then starts again.

My HV thinks it could be the start of teething as no other problems. Oooh and her wee is really strong - also a sign , is this the same with your baby???

Thanks everyone for your kind and helpful advice. Just after I'd posted ds's crying became a lot worse, so I logged off and called the emergency doctor immediately. I'm really glad I did, as she discovered an ear infection in both ears which the doctor the day before had missed(!!) - poss hadn't developed enough at the time. God it's been a really hard couple of days/nights. Ds beginning to improve already, although still fretful and off his food - we've got some antibiotics to give him. Hope this helps someone else. I HATE to think of him suffering all that time when I could have been helping him. i definitely should have trusted my instincts more. Thanks again everyone.

Oh you must be so relieved to be finally able to ease his discomfort. It tugs at your heart to hear them crying like that and to feel so helpless doesn't it. I hope all improves rapidly for him, and you two get a good night's sleep again soon!

poor little chap! you must be so relieved. make sure you have a word with your gp.

Well done Tarka - sounds like you did the right thing. Hope he's feeling better soon!