Quick help please. Do I ring NHS Direct or not please, please give your opinion or advice.

[Jaquelinehyde]

DS 3yrs old hasn't been himself all week.

On Sunday he was freezing although it was very warm and he complained of a headache.

He woke up that night with a 39.6 temp and again complaining of headache, but went back to sleep after a cuddle and some Calpol.

Monday and Tues he mentioned on and off about a headache but appeared fine. My initial feeling was that it was for attention because he knew he would get lots of extra attention when his head hurts.

Anyway today mid afternoon he was crying about a headache and tummy ache and was then sick everywhere. He went for a short nap and woke up still complaining about his head.

He is in definate pain - not playing up - and the Calpol isn't helping at all. He keeps drifting off but gets woken up by the pain.

I'm looking at him on the sofa at the moment having just drifted off with a cold towel on his head.

I'm worried about the headaches, and not sure what to do.

Any advice would be welcome please.

Ring the out of hours doctor. It sounds like he needs to be checked over. It's probably just a virus that is lingering but the fact that he keep being woken by the pain means I think he should be seen.

Call. If you are in any doubt, ring them. They'll either reassure you - or tell you to do something.

Either way, you'll feel better for having had a second opinion. That's what they are there for.

I'd call the local out-of-hrs GP service

If you call your normal GP practice there should be an answer-machine message telling you who to contact out-of-hrs

Call your out of hours doctors.

He is so small and has a headache for 3 days, if I have understood you correctly, and is clearly not well.

Call them. Probably a nasty virus, but you need to hear a professional telling you that.

Call the out of hours GP and get them to do a home visit

OK I took your advice and rang my Drs for an out of hours number and it says

"this surgery is now closed. If you have a medical emergency then please dial this number is for emergencies only"

Then it cuts off, so do I ring that one or NHS direct

Call your local A&E and ask for the out-of-hr GP service - they should know who/where it is etc

Is this really that difficult? We can't see your child. If you think he is ill, phone NHS direct. If you are really concerned, take him to A&E.

I never understand the point of these threads.

I called NHS Direct when DS was younger and they sent the out of hours doctor to see him. You could try that, but they do sometimes take hours for a nurse to call back after the initial phone call - so if you are worried then I'd call the emergency number.

Call the number that the answer phone message says; if it is anything like our local one, that will put you through to the out of hours service, they will get a GP to phone you back.

Do either but do something - poor ds!

I'm ringing number now. Thanks everyone for opinions.

Just call. You are worried, call either NHS Direct or the Out of Hours Doctor. It doesn't matter which.

Not helpful georgimama - don't comment if you don't like the thread.

I expect the emergancy number is the out of hours team for your surgery. Does he still have a temp? Call the number on the answer phone. Let us know how your LO is.

I rang the emergency number and it was the right one. Someone will ring me back shortly.

DS is still snoozing which I'm really pleased about, the poor little thing.

Is that the best you can come up with? "Fuck off?" How original. And predictable.

Actually I am trying to be helpful, and point out that perhaps the best place to get advice on your child's condition and what you should do about it is not an anonymous internet forum. What would you do if every single person on this thread had said, "nah, leave it, he sounds fine"? Would you actually do nothing?

Try phoning someone who can actually help you, like the NHS - "there's a good girl".

Fuck me

This is all abit, erm, miaow for a children's health thread, isn't it?

just go ahead and ring em docs/nhs direct hope your lo is ok

I agree good idea to phone out of hours doctor

but

little children can confuse where the pain is, so everything can be a headache iyswim so it may be his tummy has been hurting all along

and

a fever can cause a headache too

it's most likely a bug, whih doctors can to very little for

Good to get advice tho

georgiamama perhaps the OP is feeling stressed and worried about her child and needed some validation for her worry.

she may have said 'fuck off' as a result of feeling stressed.

gm dont be so nasty if u cant say owt nice then dont say owt at all

Well exactly, she does sound stressed and worried which is why she needs professional advice to validate or discount that worry, and not the random thoughts of a bunch of could be anybodies on the internet.

There is no down side to calling NHS direct, or even taking a sick child to A&E. The professionals would always much prefer to be brought a child who didn't need them than not be brought a child who did. It's a no brainer.

Goergimama....do you work for the NHS by any chance.........maybe a gp's receptionist?