How to not drive myself mad over DS temp? Very worried FTM

[Charlotteap]

DS 2 next week woke from his nap yesterday very whiny, bad cough, sniffle, very lethargic, urinating less. Temp at 39 last night but nurofen took it right down but today it got to 40.6 and didn’t drop so went to hospital. They saw him very fast and couldn’t get him to not spit out the calpol so gave him a suppository and after 4 hours sent us home and told us to come back if we can’t get it down again.

He seemed a little more perky when we got home and for the first time today didn’t just sit on the sofa but now he’s in my bed he’s gone straight back to 39 and that is with nurofen. Would you take him straight back or monitor more? They wouldn’t prescribe us suppository’s and he’s really good no matter how forceful we are at spitting it back or causing him to vomit so never sure how much he’s taken. Anything else I can do to help?

he’s in his sleepsuit which I realised maybe too much under my quilt and may be better in pjs or maybe even just a pj top? Earlier he was literally burning up it was very scary how hot he was head to toe. But he feels cool to touch so surprised he’s still got a temperature.

hes never been ill really or had a temperature so getting abit worked up. Don’t want to drag him back to hospital for it just to drop again.

thanks in advance.

It’s always a difficult call. At this time of night if he’s in a proper sleep, I would probably sleep in the same bed if possible to monitor, and then if he wakes up you can instantly respond. I assume the hospital checked there was no obvious infection that need treating?

Where you live do you have 111? They can put you through to a GP for an out of hours appt and they might be more willing to prescribe? I've always found them so helpful with kids!

Strip him off to just lightweight PJ's and no quilt. If after that and half an hour after nurofen he's still around 39-40 I'd take him back.

If he is cool to touch but running a temp I’d be taking him straight back in

Temperatures are always higher at night because the body's cortisol levels drop. In the day they suppress the immune response so typically symptoms aren't as bad, but at night spiking temps is pretty standard with an infection. But as above, if once he's not covered with a duvet he's still hot then take him back.

Sleepsuit under a duvet plus pjs with a fever is too much

Duvet is too much with a temperature. I would say cosleep with just a sheet over both of you. If you don’t have a sheet use the duvet cover without the duvet.

For meds I would wrap in a towel with arms in tip him ever so slightly backs, put the syringe him his mouth pointing at the back of the cheek and squirt little bits out at a time. Then straight up right and give him sugary milk or hot chocolate to take the tatse away. My children tended to vomit with sugar free calpol but were OK with nurofen, apparently common in children with allergies.

The hospital said it was just viral and said he had seen ten other kids his age with the same thing and lots of his colleagues off. He seemed a little better in himself once we got home and has been fast asleep since 9 and checked whilst he slept and was 39 so got worried again. Sorry bad choice of words he isn’t cool to touch his head is warm but earlier today he felt like a hot radiator I was just surprised it was so high.

They said we could alternate calpol and nurofen does that mean after a couple hours of nurofen we can then give calpol ? Sorry I should have made sure with the dr but he said if one doesn’t bring it down try the other but presuming a gap must be left

we rung 111 earlier and a dr phoned back after a few hours and told us to go to hospital but can try again, I’ve put a loose pj top on and will check his temp again soon

@52for2025 i cannot find a sheet but found a summer tog quilt that seems quite thin. Oh didn’t see the bit about the duvet sheet minus the duvet. Good idea. Thank you for the tips, funny you should say that he does have allergies indeed

Also does anyone know what’s more accurate under arm thermometer or ear as they seem to be giving a good degree difference

My ds has always struggled to regulate his temp when poorly (even now as a teen).

Make sure he's having plenty of fluids. You can alternate every 2 hours between calpol and nurofen. Nurofen always worked better on ds.

Just a sheet and light pj top will be enough for tonight.

If you're worried go back though, they are always happy to see a little one in these situations.

When my son had pneumonia and was in hospital they had him on the bed in just a nappy and sponged him dow to keep him cool and they had a fan on him too. Maybe don’t out so many clothes etc on him

I think ear is probably most accurate, that's how they do it in hospital

@crackinghead @Dodie66 thank you so much, feel bad I definitely had him very overdressed! He’s now in just a pj top and sheet

If he has a fever he doesn’t need any pjs/ duvet. A thin sheet or similar.

My daughter always runs high temps but Calpol should bring it down - if he can keep it down. The advice I always got was that it’s not the temp reading that matters but how they are in themselves, ie if you can barely wake them they need seeing but if ok in themselves don’t worry too much.

But you know your child so if you think they need seeing again, get them seen again. Hoping for a lower temp tomorrow!

Nappy only when they're spiking a fever, or very, very light pyjamas.

Don’t sponge down - that can raise the temp. No idea why they did it in a hospital but don’t do that at home.

@Jaimenotjamie thank you that’s exactly what the nurse said, re how they are in themselves. And he definitely perked up in the hospital and once we got home, he was shouting the cat. Big difference to his lethargic self this morning. I will keep a super close eye on him and give him some calpol soon when he’s allowed more.

appreciate everyone’s advice. No one told me how worried we’d feel! Poor thing I’ve got the same thing and feel so lousy, cough and aches so can’t imagine how he feels

Mine were terrors for not taking meds, a cool flannel on the forehead does actually help. Re meds make a note of what you give when. Calpol is 4 doses in 24 hours, but nurofen is only 3. I generally assume ear is the most accurate place to check temperature, after all that's the one the doctors use. Hope he feels better soon, it's rotten when kids are poorly.

I think the advice is to alternate the calpol
and nurofen every two hours but it's also safe to take together if needed (one is paracetamol and one ibuprofen)

I think they say every two hours just so you can give them something more often. Really hope he perks up soon. They go downhill quick but are also great at bouncing back 👍

My dsis is a nurse and would also do this - cool flannel on his forehead and light clothing.
Yes op alternate nurofen and calpol every 4h to keep a constant drip of meds. Ic you've been going 8h in between nurofen only no wonder it's spiked again. In ireland you can buy suppositories otc so maybe check that. Hope fever breaks soon.

Just a tip, if u give calpol half a ml at a time they usually can't spit it out/ throw it back up.

Dd is always like this when il, looks like you've had some good advice. Alternating calpol and neurofen hopefully help. Calpol rarely touches dds temperatures. Hope he's better soon. If in doubt 111 or back to a&e.

Another tip is syringe rather than spoon and I would give it through the night also. Nurofen every 8h (3 in 24). Calpol in between.

@mikado1 the NHS site specifically says not to do this so I wouldn’t outside of a medical setting

op Calpol never seems to drop my child’s temp more than .5 but Nurofen is much more effective. Just remember a temp in itself isn’t dangerous - it’s a mechanism to fight a virus

Ok that's interesting. My sister is a children's nurse with decades of experience, I am happy to follow her advice but there's obviously a reason why they don't recommend.