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Original poster

Swine flu again!

11 replies

bebejones · 16/07/2009 18:33

I know this is getting dull for everyone but... DD (11months) and myself were diagnosed by GP as having possible Swine flu on monday and given Tamiflu which we started Tues morning. DH was told yesterday that he has it too. DD has had a very high temp throughout despite Calpol & Ibuprofen given regularly as advised by GP. It dents her temp for about an hour then it goes back up again. At it's worst it has been about 39.5 but dips to 37 after Calpol then usually goes up again to around 38. She has been like this since Monday & I am worried that despite meds etc it isn't improving. All the GP/NHS direct say is that it's normal because she has 'flu' but surely it shouldn't still be this bad 4 days on?! Should it. Everything I read says call GP if no change in 48 hours temp wise but they don't seem to want to do anything. We are qurantined til next week so are not allowed to take her to A&E. The other night she woke up screaming in pain with temp of 39.5 but shivering & was very pale & floppy. After 1/2 on phone to NHS direct they said they couldn't help and to ring out of hours GP who had a major strop about coming out & arrived in masks and gloves which scared her & they barely wanted to touch her & wouldn't even sit down! Needless to say by the time they arrived (nearly 2 hours after she woke up) she was much more herself and had cooled down after Calpol & cold compress. Any ideas/advice/reassurance would be really good. DH and I don't feel that bad, just like a nasty cold TBH but is so tricky when your LO can't actually tell you how they feel!

OP posts:

pooka · 16/07/2009 18:40

Hmm - well we haven't had SF, but we did all get regular flu before Christmas. DD had a temperature of 40 plus for about 2 or 3 days (did come down after nurofen, but then would creep up again). But then was still hot i.e. 38 plus for a good 2 or 3 days afterwards. DS similar.

So I suppose all I can say is that it is not unusual with any flu, sf or not, to have a temperature that persists. But I would strongly recommend keeping an eye on things like throat/tonsils/ears (i.e. ear pulling) to ensure that if she gets a secondary infection, that it gets treated.

Hope someone more knowledgeable can help....

WynkenBlynkenandNod · 16/07/2009 18:42

I've had something that started last week and I had to take paracetamol for 4 days, then a little bit for the next couple as the temperature reoccurs. I think this really is pretty normal for flu.

Her temperature is going down with Calpol etc and hasn't gone up to over 40, which is good. I think you did the right thing to call when she was pale and floppy btw, but I guess your GP is hugely under pressure, hence his response (no excuse though) I would imagine it will break very soon but fully understand how worrying it it to see her like this. If she still doesn't show any sign of it abating tomorrow then maybe ring your GP Surgery again, or before if she seems to deteriorate. But as they have said, flu does cause a raised temperature for quite some days, people think of it as a bad cold but proper flu is far more than that and takes a long time to recover from.

pooka · 16/07/2009 19:27

WRT fever"breaking", I remember when dd was so poorly at Christmas sleeping on floor next to her bed and thinking about all the old books I'd read, like Little Women and Jane Austen and so on, and how traumatic it was waiting for the fever to go. Also thanking our lucky stars that we have ready access to drugs that can at least control or lessen fevers.

Just rambling really, but god it was horrible.

Elibean · 16/07/2009 20:06

Poor dd, and poor you

dd1 had flu in November last year, and had high temps for 5 days - the first two days were the worst, but they didn't drop down (without nurofen and/or calpol) below 38.5 for 5 days, and then fluctuated for another day before staying down.

Agree, ring GP surgery if she's no better tomorrow, but would give it till then as long as she's no worse.

Hope she's better v v soon now!

missworried · 16/07/2009 20:35

How is she doing? Keep us posted.

Original poster

bebejones · 16/07/2009 20:44

Well temp went up to 40 after I posted earlier so just spoke to GP who has said that if it goes above 45 to call ambulance. Gave her some neurofen for children half hour ago & seems to have helped (fingers crossed). She hasn't finished her bedtime bottle as she can't breathe through her nose. She was getting very distressed, stopping feeding to breathe every few seconds & gasping for air, subsequently inhaling her milk! Been advised to call GP again tomorrow if there is no change & get them to come out and see her again. Got her only in cropped suit as room is 22degrees, and got a fan on in the room. Also put some olbas in a bowl which has helped her in past, and propped head end of cot up. Just hope she has a better night. Trouble is you just can't explain to them when they are this little that they would feel better if they got some sleep!!

OP posts:

tink123 · 16/07/2009 22:16

45 degrees , most thermometers do not register that high so how would you know. If really worried and goes over 41/42 I would be going to the hospital. They cannot turn her away.

Hope she turns corner soon with temps

WynkenBlynkenandNod · 16/07/2009 23:20

Hope she is doing better now. I think he meant 40.5 degrees, not 45 degrees.

RamblingRosa · 17/07/2009 09:17

My DD's got probable swine flu too and main symptom is fever. Like your DD the calpol only makes temp go down for a short while then it goes back again.

You can give kiddie ibuprofen (calprofen) as well as calpol.

GP also advised making sure she has lots of water, giving her a cool bath and letting her sit and play in it for as long as she wants to, stripping her down and putting cool flannels on her.

Don't know if any of that helps.

Think I've got it too. Woke up today with a headache and a temperature

Original poster

bebejones · 17/07/2009 12:56

Things are a bit better today. DD slept all night, well only woke once but settled herself after about 2mins. Her temp has dropped back down to 36.5 so pleased about that. Trouble is now she is SO full of gunge she is really miserable! I have never seen so much snot in one sneeze as she did just now!!
Rambling - Hope ur DD improves I would say get the Tamiflu asap if you think you have it too. Cool damp muslins draped down head & neck really helped here, she just looked a bit silly!!!

OP posts:

Rockdoctor · 17/07/2009 13:05

Another one here - took my DD to the Dr this morning and was told she probably had tonsillitis but that it was impossible to tell as she wouldn't open her mouth. They didn't want to talk about SF as we are not in an a "hotspot" but I pointed out that DH commutes to and from a "hotspot" every day and has been complaining of a sore throat for a week. I think DD's was the first prescription for tamiflu they have done at that surgery.

Anyway, having read your posts I'm glad I asked for it. Her symptoms are exactly the same - temperature hovering around 40 with some relief from Calpol but even then never going under 38 or so. She's completely wiped out and we're just trying to get her to sleep and stays as cool as possible. This is the second day for her so hoping we get some relief soon. The nights have been the worst but so far the Calpol is working - I just wish it was easier to get the stuff into her. As of now we are battling to get antibiotics, calpol and tamiflu down her poor thing....

Sorry I have no advice to add but it sounds as though there are a few of us on the same journey. Hope all your LOs are feeling better soon.

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