What to do next? DS unwell but not sure at all if it's SF? Advice please?

[angel1976]

Hi,

Will try and keep it brief. DS is 17 months old. Was fine this morning when he woke up. Got a call from nursery at 3.30pm today to say he has been teary and high temp, come and pick him up. Didn't get message as I was in a meeting all afternoon so left at usual time and got to nursery at 5.30pm and he was crying (unusual) and did feel hot. The nursery said they just took his temp and it was 37.8 (his usual temp is around 36-ish). He's eating but half the normal amount, they've given him plenty of water and dry nappies in the afternoon. Came home, he was very teary but calm down with 2.5ml of Orbifen (Ibuprofen suspension). Seemed to perk up - had 5 grapes, half a digestive biscuit, two mini breadsticks and a handful of cheerios. Also had 6 oz of milk.

Just before he went to bed, he threw up (just a very small amount) and got very teary again. Managed to get him to sleep. Woke up an hour later and was besides himself, very teary and crying hard. Still hot and threw up a bigger amount. Gave him another 2.5ml of Orbifen and put a gel cooling pack on his forehead and he went back to sleep. Went on SF website and been given authorisation number to pick up Tamiflu, which I will do tomorrow morning just in case. I am keeping him off nursery tomorrow and will take him to doctor's first thing if he doesn't improve. Won't start him on Tamiflu till we get proper advice.

I'm 25 weeks pregnant and feeling nauseous today so hoping I am not coming down with anything! More worried about DS. He still feels quite warm to touch (more so than normal) but he's sleeping. DH has just come back with Calpol from pharmacy, should I wake him to give him that or just wait and see? If I let him sleep on, will it do him any harm to be having a slight temperature? Please advise! I've spoken to my friend who was a pediatric nurse who advised me to alternate Calpol/Ibuprofen but if he was to throw up more tonight, to take him to A&E. Not sure if I am meant to wake him up though to do so???

Thanks, Ax

I would leave him asleep - give him more calpol if he wakes up but otherwise leave him unless he gets very hot. I am surprised at the advice to take him to a and e if he throws up again - not sure i would unless he seemed really ill.

You need to take care of yourself - Tamiflu isn't recommended for pregnant women so you need to go to the dr to get Relenza in case it is swine flu.

Thanks Seeker. DS just woke up, still hot and crying very hard. Managed to get at least half of Calpol dosage down him and changed him into a lesser tog sleeping bag (he's in a long-sleeved vest and a 1 tog sleeping bag now as he sleeps in a semi-basement room that can get quite cool). Changed the cool gel pack on his head as well. Just feel a bit sorry for him, he usually sleeps like a baby and looks to be in pain of some sort.

Thanks for your advice about Tamiflu and pregnant women. I've almost forgotten that I have read that pregnant women aren't supposed to take Tamiflu. Hopefully, I'm just run down.

oh dear bet you are worried hope he will be feeling better soon. Would keep him very cool have you a fan you could put in his room? I would take his temp while he asleep if you can and if very hot wake to give fluids/calpol/ nurofen. There is mixed advice on tamiflu but if you are going to give it do it asap as it's best chance of working then. I didn't really get mine early enough and I had a lot more problems throwing off the SF than my girls who had tamiflu quite quickly.

We had swine flu here, my eldest started with it first woke in night feeling hot gave her calpol and a drink but she kept waking crying. Next day stil hot and sore throat, quite wheezy. Rang doc who said to bring her down (they don't tend to do that now they come to you or ask you to come to a special clinic). He diagnosed tonsilitis but said she was wheezy so gave her inhaler.

Later that day he said he'd decided to give her tamiflu as she was a bit wheezy just as a precaution.

Later that night (and must stress most kids don't have this reaction) she couldn't breathe had very fast laboured breathing, doc had said to take her down to childrens if this happened so did do. They were excellent gave her 10 puffs on inhaler and course of steroids and she is now fine just over a week later, just got nasty cough still.

My youngest was just hot lathargic, said her arm and leg hurt and had a sore throat, cough but not too bad.

I had it quite bad and now have secondary infection but am on the mend so we all seem to have fought it off touch wood.

Like other peoples answers to other SF questions it's important to ring in advance before taking a child somewhere with suspected SF as they often have seperate areas now to protect other children. Hope he feels better soon, if in doubt ring for advice don't wait if he extremely hot or breathless. x

Thanks yummymummy. I will call GP first thing tomorrow before I do anything. We live in London so chances of catching swine flu (I travel everyday on the tube/rail as well!) was always going to be pretty high. I will get the Tamiflu as a precaution anyway. It's difficult as DS is only 17 months old and can't tell me if he hurts or where he hurts!

I usually wouldn't worry but it's the fact that the temp hasn't come down with Calpol / Ibuprofen that worries me as most of the time, his temp comes down straight away. Will keep you all updated tomorrow. Thanks, better head off to bed now if it's going to be a bad night!

please do, good luck, if you can't keep his temp down get advice x

If his temperature isn't well over 38 there probably isn't much to worry about while you're waiting to speak to or see the GP, except for him being so teary and upset. A slight temperature won't hurt him in itself, it may even help to kill whatever bug is making him ill. But if he's in pain or it's really spiking up high or fast then I think you need to see someone to find out what's going on, especially if he hasn't got many definite SF symptoms apart from the temperature.

How are you doing today?

Hi,

Thanks for all your concern. DS woke up last night at 1am crying but settled before I went to him, he got up at 7am and had his usual 6oz bottle. He felt hot and his temp was 38.4. Gave Calpol and his temp down but not completely. Refused to eat breakfast but had half a milk tea biscuit. Had a normal and small poo (sorry, if TMI!). At this stage, I thought it must just be a virus. He seemed fine for a little while so I went to collect Tamiflu but while waiting for it, he took a turn for the worse and started to get really, really teary and kept yawning. Came home and he started to bawl. Seems hot again, I gave him some Orbifen (Ibuprofen) and milk in a bottle but he won't have it. Went to bed 15 minutes ago (10.30am), which is really unlike him.

Rang GP and Swine Flu hotline today but GP doesn't want to see him, told us to call the hotline instead. Called the hotline and they told me to give him the Tamiflu though they couldn't be sure if I can give it to him twice (what if this is just a virus and he gets SF later?). Argh!!!!!! Any advice? He's very lethargic so obviously not himself as he's usually a toddler with no 'off' button!

Ax

sounds like swine flu to me but I'm not a medic, the hotness and tears seem to come in waves, it even made me cry but maybe I'm a wimp! Would let him just wear vest and nappy or shorts, put a fan in the room if possible or open the window, give him lots to drink and try and get him to take the calpol / ibruprofen as you are doing. If you can't keep his temp down yourself phone your gp and insist he be seen even if he has to come around to the house in protective gear, hope that helps, hard to know what to say.

It does make some children really poorly but they seem to recover quite quickly 2 after 4 or 5 days of it, the main thing is to keep temp down and look out for any strange breathing (rapid and laboured) also try not to let him know you are very worried if possible as if he gets anxious it will make it worse. Not sure about the tamiflu I'm afraid, although it does sound like swine flu to me you'll have to decide whether to give him it for yourself, I gave it to mine and think was glad I did x

Does he have a cough/sore throat or chesty at all? I was told it is very unlikely to be SF without a cough or respiratory symptoms, it is one of the defining features.

My DD (16months) has been similar over last few days and she has seen doctor who said there are lots of gastro bugs and viruses doing the rounds out the moment so it's possible it could just be that.

that's true yeah actually, we all had a cough and me and my eldest had problems breathing, I got a secondary infection x

That's the thing, he doesn't have a cough. So I'm holding off on the Tamiflu. After his morning nap, I took him out to the local cafe in the woods for some fresh air and he ate two chips, most of an ice lolly (he's not taking any water or milk since this morning) and a very small ice cream the cafe lady gave him as he was crying. Once we got out to the fresh air, he seemed to be okay. We came home, he got teary again so tried to give him milk (won't drink it) and he's gone to sleep again. He's drooling A LOT and spitting out his drool (which he hasn't really done before) so I think it's his teeth but he's never done this while teething before (mind you, he might have some big ones coming...) arrggghhhhhhh, I just can't tell! Thanks for all your concern. I myself feel fine but just so knackered as you can imagine. I'm supposed to be working as well.

His fever finally went so fingers crossed!!!

sounds hopeful, hope he get's better soon, least if it was a mild case of SF seems like he's fighting it himself x

Poor love, hope he's better soon regardless of cause.

Just wanted to add: drooling and spitting can be sore throat - both my dds did this with sore throats, often at the start of a cold, when toddlers.

He had a two-hour nap but his fever is back. He's really not himself. I'm going to take him to the park now for some fresh air. Tried to trick him into drinking some water with Ribena but he's had a small couple of mouthfuls. Really at a loss to what to do now. He's had another dose of Ibuprofen. DH is coming back now.