just real quickly because obviously i shouldn't be on here right now but i need some answers! my son had swollen glands yesterday (he'll be 3 at the end of sept), well the last time he ate was 6 pm yesterday (it's now 3 pm the next day), he hardly slept, and has been incredibly miserable, going hours at time without stopping crying. he has refused his medicine, milk, water, a fruit smoothie i made him, everything. right now he has been crying for about an hour, before that he was napping and still whimpering in his sleep every few minutes. he says his "face" hurts, and argued with me when i told him it must be a sore throat. i took him to the dr. this morning and they ruled out strep, ear infection, and his bloodwork was clear. please tell me this is a classic case of two year molars coming in! i am about beside myself and can NOT help him at this point, since he's refusing the ibuprofen. i have forced it on him and barely gotten a drop down this throat. he isn't even talking now, the few words he tries to say are garbled like it hurts him. help!
well now some time has passed and i feel a little calmer...and i have come to the same conclusion that carolyn did - i think it was hand, foot, and mouth disease. my sitter had another little girl that had it, and she looked it up online and it said that there are not always sores on the hands and feet, sometimes it can just be in the mouth. i am certain that is what my son has. his mouth is full of white sores. we ended up taking him to the ER last night (best decision i could have made now that i know), because he was going on day 3 of not eating or sleeping at all...they said that it was viral and they could do nothing but give him painkillers - which they did, LORTABS of all things! but since the dr. had taken blood and done a strep test they didn't do anything else...but now that i know the other girl at the sitters had this, i'm sure that's what it is anyway. the lortabs are helping LOADS - my son has drank about a half a gallon of milk and is now on hour 4 of the most needed nap ever. thank god! thank you all for your advice and encouragement. i guess what they always say is right - if your instinct tells you something is wrong, go with it. thanks again!
It definitely sounds like more than teething. My daughter is having a rough time with her molars too, but nothing nearly that bad. Was it the quick strep test?? Sometimes those give false negatives. I'd see if they could do another test, or perhaps something else is wrong. I'd take him back to the doc, and if you need to, see someone else.
Poor guy, I hope he feels better soon.
my two daughters did not have any experience like that when getting their molars. In fact neither of them fussed at all. The only time I have experienced what you are describing is when I was babysitting a girl who came down with Hand Foot and Mouth. Is he running a fever? I just remember that I couldn't console her at all, she wouldn't let me get anywhere near her mouth, and there was no way she would eat or drink anything. HF&M is a virus that just needs to run its course.
I found this for pain relief:
If the worst things about Coxsackie virus are its names, the next worse things are the sores in the throat. Oftentimes the child will not feel like eating or drinking very much. To soothe the pain of mouth sores, I recommend a gargle or mouth rinse of equal parts Maalox and Benadryl Children’s Allergy (diphenhydramine). For children too young to gargle or swish and spit, I recommend giving one teaspoon by mouth of this mixture three times per day. Maalox/Benadryl helps dull the pain of the mouth sores so that the child drinks well and stays well-hydrated
I agree. My children did not respond to molars like that either. I think it is typical for the eating to slow down with swollen gums and maybe sleeping, although I would say that is more typical with an infant. But the crying for hours doesn't sound like a 3 year old teething. Can he point to where it hurts since he isn't voicing it very well?
I'd call the pediatrician & set another appt. If he is in such pain that it is affecting his speech, I'd say it is not teething. Try to rule out an infected tooth. But you know your son & if you feel he is in that much pain, push the issue w/your pediatrician. Oh and if it is an infected tooth, anything cold can be VERY painful.
I hope your little guy feels better soon!
J.
In my experience this is not normal. None of my 3 children even noticed their 2 yr molars coming in. I would try that Maalox/Benadryl gargle, it surely won't hurt him if you can gt him to do it.
Also, maybe ice packs on his jaw? If this doesn't resolve itself soon, I would take him back to the doctor. Good luck!
I suggest the Tylenol Meltaways. They are small and look/taste like candy. Once your child puts them in the mouth, they melt fast and taste good! I have one son who hates medication but loves these. Says they taste like "smarties". :)
Anything is possible with children. It could be teething. Have you tried the chewable tylenol or motrin? I would also just say that doctors don't always see the problem with a child, trust your instincts as a mom. If you think there is an underlying problem that a pediatrician isn't diagnosing, get a S. opinion. 4 months ago my son (3 yrs old) was screaming nonstop and hitting his stomach, no sleeping or eating for days. I took him to the doctor 6 times in 4 weeks. They found nothing wrong with him. I knew this wasn't right, so I took him to an alternative medicine doctor and he was diagnosed with an intestine disorder and has fully recovered. Anyway, hope this helps and your son is feeling better soon. I know this is a very difficult thing to go through.
I didn't have as awful an experience as you are having with any 3 of my kids when they got their two year molars in , but I have two pieces of advice...one sometimes strep doesn't show up on the first strep test if they run the test Same goes for ear infections so if it was me and it was this bad even though it is costly I would go back to the doctor. S. if you are not wanting to go back to the doctor go to the pharmacy and ask for suppositories with acetaminophen, because I don't think they make them w/ ibuprofen...that way even if he can't swallow he is still getting some pain relief. I would also get fluid in him any way possible even if it means by droperful or popsicles. Good luck I know how tough it is when your little one is hurting and you feel helpless.
B.
Hi Carrie,
It could very well be his molars. All children react to things differently, some may not have the tolerance level for pain that others do. It may be hard to do but get some of the orajel or something like it and get it rubbed on the back of his gums. Even if you have to fight him to get it there. It will quickly tell you if this is the issue, and if it is once he sees it gives him some relief, it might be easier to get it on there the S. time.
It may sound mean but if you put the liquid ibuprofen in his mouth and blow in his face he will swallow it - anytime you have a sudden gust of wind in your face, reflex makes you swallow.
N.
Hi Carrie,
first off, please do not listen to these people telling you to go back to the doctor that it's definately something more. It is exactly what you think it is, his toddler mollers coming in...
My name is T. and I have a 2 1/2 year old son whom I believe is going through the same thing currently. From the early years of teething I have his symptoms down pat. He becomes very very whiney, and green snot comes out if his nose by the gallons, lol. I know it is not that he has a cold or sinus infection because I just finished giving him his antibiotic for the sinus infection he just had. You can always tell when something is wrong with YOUR child b/c as a mother you notice any little thing that seems as though they are not acting "right". I started off by asking my son if anything hurts? He would say yes. So then I would list off possible places that could be hurting as to narrow it down a bit. I asked him if his ears hurt, he said no. I asked if his head hurt and he said yes. So I thought he has a head ache and gave him some Ibprofen. The next few times that his dad would bring him home to me, my son would cry that he did'nt want me and I knew then that something more serious was wrong b/c he's always very excited to see me or his dad. I noticed that he would chew slightly on his finger more and more often which he never had done before. I asked him if his teeth hurt, and sure enough he said yes. And just like your son, my son has been whimpering through the night and awaking several times crying (which he never does). I am 100% sure that your son is getting his toddler molers. It can be very difficult to feel helpless, especially when you do not know what is wrong. However understanding what exactly is going on will aleviate the frustration a little more. You have to imagine what it must feel like for the poor boy to get those molers, it has to be unbelievable pain. Just imagine what a regular toothache for you must feel like and times that by 10 or 20. My suggestion, and I hope this helps, is to get on his level, speak to him in a very concerned voice and ask him if his teeth hurt. Even if he says know, start naming off other parts around the head (ears, nose, mouth, throat, eyes, etc.) and if his response to any of those parts is yes, explain to him that the medicine is going to make it feel better and make it not hurt anymore. Explain this in a very loving and caring tone of voice. I know this might sound silly, but trust me if works. If you need to bribe him with something nice to get him to take his medicine, then do so. Offer him a small toy, stickers, anything you can think of. (there are plenty of things to bribe with that do not require money if that is of the essence, lol) it is not every day that he has to take medicine so it will not harm him in anyway to reward him with something for being so brave and taking his medicine. Ice cream would be another good bribe idea. It could assist in the medicine taking as well as the swelling and pain of the teething. If for some reason he still refuses the medicine, then you will just have to let him ride it out. Understand why he is crying and try to comfort him the best way possible(if he let's you comfort him at all). My son would get this way sometimes and I realized I just had to let him cry, I understood that NOTHING was going to be able to make it better, not even mommy. I would let him cry, not saying anything to him b/c it seemed to provoke him and make him angry, lol, and 2 or 3 minutes later he would come crying for his mommy. Then I would cuddle him and comfort him. The best thing you can do in these type of situations is to explain to your child in childrens terms what is going on. Just as with you, they do not understand what is going on, and helping them understand will make it better. B/c just like you, it is so frustrating when you can't figure out what's wrong, but as soon as you understand what is going on and what's wrong, the frustration dissapears. Whatever you do, do not get frustrated with him or angry. He does not understand what's going on right now and it is not his fault, all he knows is that he's in pain and can't make it go away. Feeling your frustrations will only make it worse. If he takes the medicine it will lesson the pain alot. 5 minutes after my son took his it was all better and he was his normal self. But every child is unique in their own way, so if he does not take the medicine, it will be okay. another thing you might try is to mix the medicine with some ice cream, put it in his juice, anything you can mix it with. He might not get the whole dose, but anything helps at this point. the Key factor is to be understanding not demanding, and to get on his level. =) I'm hoping that this will help you, if it doesn't please let me know and I will continue to try to help you through this trying time. We'll figure something out ;)
T.
I baby sat a little boy who had a tooth coming in and then the tooth retracted back and the hole that was made, even though it was small, got infected. Our dentist who is a good friend said this is normal and happens in some kids. Has he been to a dentist yet? Will your dentist see him? I'd ask the doctor to make sure that his gums aren't infected from the teeth coming in. Hope this is helpful. Good luck and God Bless.
