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Original poster

please come and calm me down about my baby

46 replies

zonedout · 26/07/2009 11:09

Am desperately trying to remain calm but am beginning to lose the battle a little...

ds2 (9 months old) was diagnosed with swine flu on friday (his brother (3.5) had been diagnosed earlier in the week but thank goodness has now made a complete recovery. i decided to collect his tamiflu but hold off giving it to him as ds1 was so violently ill with it and seemed to recover well after stopping the course early. we have been struggling to keep ds2's temp down (goes up to 40.5 just 4 hours after calpol or nurofen then takes about an hour of stripping off, fanning and more calpol/nurofen to bring it down again). last night (about 48 hours in)we noticed his breathing becoming very rapid and some pulling in around his ribs (intracostal recession?) so after speaking to nhs direct and our local paediatric a&e i took him in (he was born 5 weeks premature and had a few stopping breathing episodes in the early months and laryngomalacia)

The paed said he is suffering from a secondary viral infection secondary to the swine flu but they will only admit him if he actually turns blue from the breathing difficulties and to go home and start the tamiflu (which i have done) but also bring him back if he starts vomitting. she called the consultant for advice but he/she (the consultant) didn't actually examine ds.

so here i am with a very poorly 9 month old baby fast asleep on me with this awful laboured breathing and wheezing, watching for signs of blueness and trying to stay calm . have read all these awful stories about swine flu going to the lungs and doing awful damage. aaarrrgh this is so hard. in a way i wish they would just admit him so i know he is safe as can be.

sorry for the waffle, haven't slept for a week since ds1 first got ill.

anyone offer any words of wisdom or similar experiences?

OP posts:
nellie12 · 26/07/2009 11:20

go back to a and e. I wouldn't wait till he was going blue thats terribly late respiratory distress; you know him if he breathing is laboured then get him back in. this isn't to panic you though it may sound that way, but it is better to get him checked and seen to earlier. Treating him is then easier. They would rather you go back if you aren't sure than wait.

Disenchanted3 · 26/07/2009 11:23

Hes shallow breathing?? I'd take him backm immediatly,

hell tell them he went blue if thats what they need to hear to get him admitted.

rubyslippers · 26/07/2009 11:25

take him back to A & E - shallow laboured breathing shouldn't be ingnored

twinmam · 26/07/2009 11:33

Bloody hell - they told you to wait until he turns blue? Go straight back to A & E. I am sure he will be fine but he needs to be checked out. Good luck and let us know how you get on.

LIZS · 26/07/2009 11:42

I'd take him back , could be something like bronchiolitis which is nasty in itself btu easily treated.

hercules1 · 26/07/2009 11:44

Take him back. It really doesnt matter if they think you are over reacting. Your ds is far more important than whay they think.

tots2ten · 26/07/2009 11:47

I would also take him back into a&e. ds2 had pulling in at his ribs, not a secondary infection he has bronchiolitis and was admitted onto the ward for 3 days.

Dont take no for a answer you know his 'normal' pattern. as dischanted3 said if they need to hear the words 'he turned blue' then tell them

Elibean · 26/07/2009 12:56

Agree with the others, don't let them fob you off - dd2 also had bronchiolitis, and was admitted well before turning blue (just as well, as it turned out).

You asked for help not to panic, and I'm really sorry if I'm doing the opposite...don't mean to, there's loads of stuff they can do to support babies poorly with respiratory viruses. Just {angry] that you've been sent home, I think your feeling that you'd feel safer if he was in is probably worth acting on.

Gledhill · 26/07/2009 13:05

Definately get him seen by a dr, if not at hospital then your GP. You're his mum, you know what is best, go with your gut instinct.

mad4myboys · 26/07/2009 13:10

my 3 yr old is on last day of tamiflu and my 8month old was put on it yesterday.More of a precaution i think ashe has other health probs buthe was breathing very loudly and bad cough, gp said 'possibly' swine flu but doesnt have other symptoms. Today 8 month old very poorley with a very obviously sore throat, very nasty cough etc etc

ds1 had shallow breathing and the gp who saw him said it was because he was so hot and that it was his body's way of cooling him down? Not saying that is what is wrong with your LO though

FabBakerGirlIsBack · 26/07/2009 13:14

Definitely take him back and refuse to leave until he is checked over properly.

weblette · 26/07/2009 13:29

Hope you've taken him in to A&E. Am surprised they've let you take a baby with intercostal recession home without resolving it - would assume he also has tug where you can see the notch at the top of the chest when he breathes in.

Hope he's getting the treatment he needs.

And have a sly (( )), sounds like you need it.

posieparkerinChina · 26/07/2009 13:34

When my dc4 was two weeks old he had laboured breathing, flared nostrils, pulllng in at the ribs etc. We were told to just watch him at home, he had a very bad cold. I'm sure they wouldn't send you home if they thought he was really poorly, but then this is swine flu and so 'normal' practices are not apparent.

If you feel he's needing to be seen go back, you're Mummy and you know best.

yummymummy310 · 26/07/2009 15:38

my little girl started with mild symptoms of swine flu the Friday before last, luckily I delayed the outings I had planned which would have put her in close contact with babies and children. The doc said he thought it was tonsilitis and gave her penicilin but she had a bit of a wheeze which was the main reason I phoned the doctor so he gave her an inhaler. I asked if he was sure enough it wasn't swine flu to send her away for the weekend without tamiflu he said he was.

Later that afternoon he called round to the house with a prescription for tamiflu and explained he'd changed his mind. He said if her breathing got very rapid to take her to childrens and did an impression of someone gasping for breathe to look out for.

At 1am she started doing exactly what he'd said so we took her to childrens as he had advised. They were excellent gave her 10 puffs of ventalin which brought her oxygen levels up from 95% to 99% (it's 92 where they have to be put on oxygen). They gave her a course of steroids and sent us home. She has never had asthma but they said this was a flu induced wheeze and treated her as they would with an accute asthma attack.

I would take your baby back to childrens as that is not acceptable sending you home in such a state.

I was so stressed and anxious about the kids I got really run down, my second child got it and wasn't too bad but then I got it and it's knocked me off my feet. I also got a secondary chest infection which luckily I picked up on and as I had to go to flu clinic (and be sectioned off and masked and avoided at all costs poor me) and was quite anxious and poorly when the doc checked me over she said the kids could come down and be examined and luckily they are fine.

Like with one of the other posts their cough does sound bad but the doc said their chest's are not infected and in themselves they are ok so touch wood they are improving. My first little girl is off the inhaler and much much better thank goodness. Hope I bounce back soon am so achey and shakey and hot.

Hope you get the help you need and your family are all well soon x

Elibean · 26/07/2009 15:50

Hope he's ok, zonedout - thinking of you.

yummymummy, sounds as htough you've been through the mill, poor you...very glad your LOs are on the mend, well done for spotting both their and your symptoms so early on. Feel better soon!

Original poster
zonedout · 26/07/2009 16:16

Wow, thanks everyone for all the words of wisdom and kind messages...

So, just after i posted he woke in a terrible state... his breathing was awful and his temp had suddenly shot up to 41 just a couple of hours after last calpol so i rushed him back in to the paed a&e. His pulse was also up hugely from this morning at this point so they seemed concerned enough to call who i think was a paediatric registrar (too panic stricken to pay much attention) His oxygen sat was 96 which was apparently fine but he was in a most terrible state. They re-checked him and this time said there wasn't a wheeze on his chest but his left ear was red which was likely a secondary infection, most probably viral but that he should have antibiotics just in case. (the earlier doctor had said his ears were fine ) They also gave him a double shot of calpol and nurofen together which thankfully brought his fever back down. so now they are saying that the intercostal recession (laboured breathing) is a result of such a high fever and not to do with a bad chest/lungs and have just sent us home with instructions to keep a close eye on him and if things get any worse or we are still worried later to take him back and they will admit us.

so extremely confusing and rather worrying but at least we are home and things are a little cslmer for now.

yummymummy, what a terrible time you have had, hope things improve quickly

OP posts:
FabBakerGirlIsBack · 26/07/2009 17:07

Thank goodness you went back.

Try and rest and I hope he is soon better.

weblette · 26/07/2009 17:14

zonedout - hope he improves, how worrying for you.

yummymummy310 · 26/07/2009 17:35

so glad you went back think you did the right thing, I feel strongly that they are sending kids away from hospitals here in the UK that they would usually keep in, to protect the other children at the hospital - debatable whether they are right or wrong to do that really, when it's your child you can't help feel isolated literally.

Thanks for kind words we are gonna beat it soon!

Hope he carries on improving x

hercules1 · 26/07/2009 19:59

Oh ZOneout. Sounds very stressful.

Original poster
zonedout · 26/07/2009 20:11

thanks again everyone, i truly do appreciate the support.

after a very calm, stable few hours his temp is up again slightly and his breathing is not great so will be keeping a very close eye on him. am still a little confused by the different diagnoses and the fact that his breathing is quite laboured again even though his fever, though present, is not that high.

oh well...

and now i have a very sore throat [cannot get ill until ds2 is better emoticon]

OP posts:
weblette · 26/07/2009 20:24

Sneaking in another ((( ))) for you....

Try to take it easy - easier said than done, I know!

Did they advise you about staggering iboprofen/calpol generally? It's what my gp mates always advised with high temps.

Haribosmummy · 26/07/2009 20:29

Hi,

Just sending you (((( )))) too.

DS (13 months) was ill with swine flu like symptoms (not diagnosed, because the GP I took him to said he couldn't check his throat ) and I felt like I was stuck between a rock and another rock - having been told to go home and calm down, I felt anything but.

Sorry that's not more help. But do - as everyone else has said - take him back if you have any concerns.

HM xxx

yummymummy310 · 26/07/2009 20:33

if you do end up having to take him back (and hopefully you won't) I would mention that you know of someone (me!) who has a 4 year old who had swine flu with very rapid laboured breathing and she was given the same treatment as if she'd had an accute asthma attack in order to treat the 'flu induced wheeze' she had and this really worked for her. Obviously all cases are different and I'm not suggesting it is the same for your little one but it may be worth mentioning just on the off chance it helps.

Hope he has a good night, I kept going in prodding my 2 and checking on them was so worried - couldn't help it, so can imagine how worried you must be x

Original poster
zonedout · 26/07/2009 20:40

Thanks for the sneaky ((( ))) which along with my sneaky glass of medicinal wine are much appreciated.

he was just up again, getting hotter and with the added delight of retching now too

weblette, yes in the hospital they gave both ibuprofren and paracetamol together and we are alternating them every couple of hours. my bro and sis in law are medical so give me all the tips too

OP posts:
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