Does a viral infection cause screaming in 20mth old?

[burstingbug]

I went to the drs yesterday with 20mth old ds as he has been off his food, not too interessted in liquids, hot, tired clingy, and screaming. She said this could be viral and gave me some paracetamol for him.
He is not longer boiling hot, but still off liquids, food, tired, clingy and screaming excessivly. Also now dribbling like no tomorrow (due to screaming and crying?).
Could this be anything more than viral, maybe last 4 teeth coming? Or more serious?
I feel like slamming his head into something hard to shut him up!
PLEASE HELP as I also have an 8 week old to contend with.

Oh no you really do have your hands full!!!

Its hard work with two children that small, I remember it well. Am sure it must be viral, its that horrible time of year and lots of colds and flu are going around. Just keep trying with the fluids.

Hope everything goes okay.

Could be ear or throat pain or even tummy pain from glands enlarged to fight the infection.

Aaaargh! It's just all the screaming and clinging it does really go right through me, not sure if I should comfort him or leave him to it as neither really helps. Poor ds2 crying for feed/change etc gets left out cos ds1 has become ultra jelous and hates it when I go and tend to ds2

His ears were all clear and his glands were only slightly up when she checked.

My DS (same age ) was exactly the same a couple of weeks ago.I was worried by the screaming so took him to A & E - diagnosed with viral infection and prescribed paracetomol and nurofen for infants. His temp. came down and he was sent home. He was still poorly after 4 days- still screaming- yes I want ed him to shut up desperately- so I took him to the GP and he was diagnosed with tonsilitis and prescribed penicillin- fine within 48 hrs thank goodness.
Your DS could be in pain from the viral infection and from teething so in complete misery- it is awful isn't it the noise goes right through you.If he's no better by tomorrow I would certainly take him back to GP.

He started all this on Monday, due to have mmr tomorrow which I need to cancel and try for drs app instead, ds2 having his 8 week jabs tomorrow. Dh suffers from tonsilitis a fair bit and ds1 seemsto have big tonsils anyway. So I'll get him checked for that.

Thanks Pipo, I have cancelled his mmr and have got an appointment for him to see a nurse pract at 11. I've given him some more medicine and it's calmed him slightly again now, but it'll only last about 2 hours before he's constantly screaming again it's just intermittent for now. Just hope I get something more suitable and stronger for him tomorrow.

You can alternate nurofen and paracetamol for more serious pain/fever relief. If his ears or throat are inflamed the nurofen may be better.

I've given him paracetamol 3 times today, I do have some cuprofen, not sure if I can give some of that to him too?
He's not slept all day and has only just kind of dropped off now on dh downstairs after loads of screaming and crying he keeps waking when he's moved, not sure if we'll be able to get him up to bed and definately not sure if he'll stay there all night. I have a major headache!

Well, had another diagnosis... Impertigo, although, reading up on what it is, doesn't look like anything he's got. He suffered a graze on his nose a week ago which hasn't healed as well as she'd expect, but looks like a normal graze to me. Also he bit his tounge a few days ago which has turned into like an ulcer on the tip. She said that'd be sore. Also that he is just run down.
On a course of antibiotics tohelp clear everything up.