Very Sick 4 Year Old

Let me say first that I am not a doctor, and I can only tell you what happened to me. My oldest child who is 8 now had a similar problem when he was around 3. He would be perfectly fine all day long, no throwing up, no sniffles, nothing. Then right around dinner time he would start having a fever. I took him to the doctor and they did a whole bunch of tests on him, and came to the conclusion that he had walking phenomia. I am sorry I can't remember what they gave him, but it was cleared up in a couple of days no problem.

My son had similar symptoms at the age of 4. We took him to TX Children's Hospital in Houston with the only symptom being a fever for days. It was determined that he did have a strep infection which was not in his throat. He had many cases of strep throat, missing 14 days of Kindergarten. He had a tonsillectomy the next summer and has not missed any days of first grade this year. I hope the best for you all.

Look him over very carefully, does he have a very light rash? This also happened to my son and 5 days later he broke out with a very light rash, it was Tifus. A different antibiotic worked.

Try to relax for you and the baby.

Your son has had a fever every six hours since the 31st? Wow! That sounds serious. Does he have a rash with his fever?

You might wanna ask the doctor(s) to prescribe him some penicilian.

Hi L.,

I am not suggesting by any means not to treat your childs fever, but I had to take my daughter to the hospital and as we were waiting for the dr they had posted on the wall a flyer about fever. It said when the fever is low grade or even like 102-103 not to be alarmed because the body is trying to fight the infection to let it run its course, now if it get higher than that of course take action. You may try that but definately keep an eye out him. Its just an FYI if you want to try it.

Stacie

We went through something similar with my daughter when she was very little. She was diagnosed with strep and got medication but like your had no other syptoms except having a fever and something a rash I though was from excessive crying. It turns out after all we tried she had a food allergy and that her body was reacting with the long term fever and sometimes rash and inability to be comforted much at times. Perhaps a food allergy? We did not know she was having problems with cheese and some milk products. Maybe something like that.

I am so sorry about your son. I spent the week before Christmas in the hospital with my 3 1/2 y.o. daughter (also had my 2 year old and my nursing 5 month old in tow!!)- it turned out to be a bacteria called pneumococcal. However it was VERY resistant. Pneumo is responsible for a littany of things (meningitis, pneumonia, sinusitis, etc...)

My advice to you would be #1 find out what the blood tests showed. Is it definitely strep? What are the bacteria's sensitivities? If you had a blood test before the first round of any antibiotic and then a blood test after starting the antibiotic- that would be the best case scenario. #2 after this long on antibiotics, and with the current state of resistant bacteria, to still have a fever strongly suggests that the antibiotics are not working. Push for an IV antibiotic. It sucks, I know, but it's the best way. You can do it outpatient, however, at this stage of the game, I would ask your Doctor to admit him.

This was the reason my daughter spent 5 days in the hospital. She needed IV antibiotics. She had only been sick for 1 day and her eye swelled up that night. Her symptoms were very similar to meningitis so I scurried into my doctor's office and she sent us to have the IV outpatient. We returned the next morning, still with a fever and no improvement in the eye. My doctor admitted us immediately. It was periorbital cellulitis (also caused by pneumococcal) and my daughter was on IV antibiotics for 4 days before her fever fell below 102!

It's a scary world out there and our kids seem to be the germ filter for it all!!!

May I ask what doctors you see?

Hope that helps,
H.

hmmm? Has he remained on an antibiotic the whole time? Stopping and starting can make an infection get worse. I have been sick since Thanksgiving with a virus that morphs into a new illness just about each week. This weekend an abscess of the tonsil erupted. Ugh... I am so much antibiotics. Rest, fluids, anitbioics. They should be able to do a CBC to determinei fit is a bacterial infection then antibiotics will help. It is viral then you have to wait it out.

My daughter used to experience high fever when she was younger with no other symptoms, seemed like she would stub her toe and run fever for days on end.

Anyways, one thing I wanted to mention which may not be much help but worth mentioning is that my husband just got over having fever for almost a week with no other symptoms to speak of. We were baffled. He of course, being a man, didnt go to the doctor, but it subsided after a week of running unexplained fever.

Good luck to you and keep us posted if you find anything out. I pray that your son gets well soon!

I'm sorry that you and your little one is very sick. There has been a virus going around that feels like the flu. I had it over the holidays and it was no fun! My throat was very sore and I also had a high fever of 103.8. My Doctor ended up giving me an antibiotic because of the high temp. Have Doctors giving your little one antibiotics yet? Have your son drink a lot of water or fluids that will help flush whatever is causing his illness. I hope he feels better soon.

Elisa

Hi L., I'm not suggesting you not worry because I would be feeling exactly the way you do (I was in the same boat just before Christmas...but not strep). We don't have a whole lot of information to go off of here but if he's not responding to the antibiotics after a few days, they need to change it. I would go straight for a shot of Rocefin. They are very painful but I'm sure you will do what has to be done to make him better (I'm no doctor, of course but I would certainly ask the doctor if that's an option for this kind of infection). Once you have the bloodwork back, you will know a lot more about the infection. If you aren't satisfied with what your pedi is doing, go see an infectious disease doctor. My daughter had to see Maricel Fernandez as an infant (office is next door to Dell Children's). I highly recommend her! These doctor's don't mess around!!! Lastly, get him on probiotics immediately (to off-set the problems antibiotics create). HEB sells Jarrow's brand for about $12. I've been happy with this one. Good luck and don't stop until he's better. It's been 7 days so I wouldn't worry too much unless he's going down hill fast or if the fever is really, really high. However, I wouldn't let up on getting this cured asap. It sounds to me, however, that the antibiotics aren't doing the trick. Don't let up on the doctors. I hope he gets better soon! I feel for you. There's nothing worse than worrying about our little ones. It's torture.

I know this may sound crazy, but have you tried talking with a chiropractor? I see one for both of my kids, and if they have any spinal misalignment, they are more suseptible to sickness. I would suggest going to see one, to have your son checked out. Since going, my kids get sick ALOT less, and it usually lasts for 2 days, 3 tops. I go to Dr. Mahan, at Discover Chiropractic. He is exceptional, and is certified in pediatrics. It would be worth a visit. Good Luck, my heart goes out to you.

I personally have not experienced this with any of my children, but a very good friend of mine has. I am not surprised actually...Strep is a variation of Scarlet Fever, which due to very little to no atibiotics way back when, often led to your worse case scenario.

My friend's child came down with strep which did not respond to antibiotic treatments. He became so ill he was hospitalized for a week before they could get his fever under control.

This response is not unheard of, but is uncommon. Some strains of strep are resistant and much more difficult on your child but as long as he/she is being watched by a pediatrician or other family doctor, your child should be fine once they get his symptoms under control and you should not have anything else to worry about.

I do know how it is to have a very sick child and not be able to do anything but hold them and wait for it to go through their system. My oldest didn't have this problem with strep, but when she was 15 months she had ear infections that wouldn't respond to antibiotics, got the flu and strep throat on top of it and her ear drums started bursting. She spent every day for a month crying constantly from being tired and in pain. The only relief I got was the half hour 2x per day that teletubbies came on. It was the only thing that distracted her during this time.

Hang in there and let nature and the doctors do what needs to be done.

Good Luck and I hope your child feels better soon... ;-)

What about a chest xray to rule out pneumonia? My 7 month old went through the same thing, 102.5 for 4 days, even with tylenol and motrin every 4 hours around the clock.

Hi L.
bless you. Having sick children can really be traumatic , especially when you can't "fix it" for them.
I think the first thing I would do is rid my home of all household cleaners that are not chemical and toxin free. I would change laundry detergents and softeners as well. You can PM me and I can send you to a link for this information. Then, I would be interested in knowing what the blood test results were that were recently taken. I think there is something he is in contact with that is preventing him from responding to the medicine the Drs are giving him. If he shows no other symptoms except the fever you might consider some sort of allergy to something he is around....sometimes fever can come from alergic reactions....you can PM me at ____@____.com and just say "Help from L."
God Bless and good luck

My son went through something like that, although it wasn't every six hours. He had a fever @every two weeks and then we really started paying attention to him being sick. the doctor couldn't find anything wrong after blood tests. eventually it just went away on its own. although you should get a referral to a specialist. fevers every six hours isn't good, the body is trying to fight off something.

we had that happen to our then 5 year old. Take him to Bootin & Savrick - Dr Bootin actually was the one who prescribed a very strong antibiotic - if i remember kevin took it once a day - it wasn't a refrigerated one.

but it finally knocked the bug out. All of the other antibiotics we tried like 4 of them, didn't work. We almost had to cancel his first trip to Disney over the fever.

dr bootin is at ###-###-####

i had strep throat a lot as a kid, and i remember one time they gave me 3 different kinds of antibiotics and i still kept running fevers so they finally just gave me a shot of penicillan and that did the trick! so don't worry too much, it could be something as simple as that
fever itself isn't exactly a bad thing, the problem is the infection not going away. he could very well have gotten over the strep just to turn around and get the flu (especially being in and out of drs. offices this time of year)
try not to worry, i'm sure with all those tests, they will know if there is something else wrong. just keep him as comfortable and hydrated as possible

L.,

I am wondering if since the strep diagnosis he may have picked up a virus that is causing the fever. Antibiotics won't do squat for a virus, they just have to run their course and often come with high fevers. He could have picked up one at a doctor's waiting room from another child.

Try not to worry. My son had a viral illness accompanied by fever that lasted about 10 days when he was around your son's age. He had no other symptoms but the fever. It is very frustrating because we moms want them well pronto. I would say keep him well hydrated, push lots of fluids and rest and I bet he will be fine in a couple of days.

Try not to let your mind wander to worst case scenarios. Easier said than done I know! But anything serious being wrong with him is VERY unlikely. I am sure he is fine.

Since the 31st you've seen 3 different doctors? Blood work? Are they leaning towards him being neutrapenic? If so, don't panic......

Good luck and keep your head up.

D

I have had a very similar situation with my now 8 yr old. If the fever is a high one, only controlled by Tylenol I would look up and check into PFAPA...many of the stories in my support group start off with a case of strep (or so they think) Most of the children have the fever in cycles, and neg. blood tests (including my son) So be on the look out for a pattern, for your sake and your childs I hope it is nothing. Good luck!

I just recoved from some nasty virus in which I had a fever spike every afternoon. It started with a very sore throat. Many viruses start off like that. It took about 3 weeks to go away. I went to the doctor just to make sure it wasn't anything worse, but it eventually went away. Nothing but rest, lots of liquids and care can make a virus go away. You could try Elderberry Syrup - get it at Whole Foods or another health shop. It boosts the immune system and helps you fight off viruses. Directions for children are on the package. I would give it four times a day until all the symptoms are gone. If antibiotics don't help within 3 days, don't take them - they are only good if it's baterial infection. If the fever is under 101, don't give any meds. Low fevers help the body fight off infections. Go to askdrsears.com for more information about fevers. He gives excellent pediatric advice for just about all childhood illnesses. I have a four year old and I understand how worried you are. Doctors don't always know the best course of treatment; it is very frustrating. Good luck.

So sorry L.. I don't have direct experience with it... However thought I'd ask whether you have mentioned your exposure to the situation to your OB? Just to safe guard the fetus against anything... You could put a quick call into your doctor to see if you should be on any antibiotics as a preventative measure? I know, websites say strep throat exposure is not a concern if your pregnant, but if this has progressed to something else or this is a resistant infection, I'd play it safe and call my OB.

Look for areas of reinfection... Change his bedding, towels and pjs. Get him a new pillow. Soak in hot water, then wash everything in hot hot water, including any lovies and stuffed friends. Up the water heater temperature if you don't think the water is hot enough. New tooth brush and new tooth paste tube. New soap and soap dispensers. Spray down his bed frame and toys with 'clorox anywhere' (it should be safe for your pregnancy) or make a list and then call in a maid for a one time emergency 'disinfect the house' effort if you don't have one normally.

Big hug.

First of all you have to relax and get that worst case scenario out of your head. Sometimes kids get fevers with no symptoms because they are fighting a viral infection which antibiotics don't work on. Be glad he has no other symptoms, that means it hasn't turned into anything else. I'm suprised not one of the Dr.'s told you this. If the fever is 101 or less, just try to keep him comfortable, he needs lots of liquids and rest. Dehydration and tiredness could possibly make it worse. Our Dr. recommends alternating tylenol with ibuprofen with fevers that won't subside. Good luck and try to be calm and get rest when he rests, so you don't get sick.

I had this same thing happen with my son. We used FIVE different antibiotics before he responded. Finally we saw an infectious disease specialist and he was able to help us. Then we got the tonsils out ASAP and he has been fine since then.

Hi L.,,,

Have you tryed a Ear Nose Throat DR.sometimes they find things others dont if so then ask for a referral to someone they think can help you .Sorry you are going through this wish i could help you more.
Very Best of Luck L.

I had strep 3 times in a row as soon as i finished the medicine it would return I finally got rid of it with a antibiotic shot hurts but worked good luck J.

L., has your child been recently vaccinated? Many children are immuno-compromised following vaccines, making them ripe for opportunistic bacteria and viruses, which leads to chronic low-grade fevers as their bodies attempt to manage microbial populations. The up-side is that his 'fever' represents his body's attempt to mount a defense. Reducing his fever only prolongs the process, so make sure he stays hydrated, gets plenty of nutrients in the form of fresh fruits and veggies, and eventually he will prevail. Best of luck.

If your son is still experiencing a sore throat, then take your child to an Otolaryngologist. (Read ear nose and throat). They are specialist and can deal with things better. It may be that your son has another issue that makes him prone to sore throats.
Please don't wait on this. My mom waited when I was a child and after 6 months of Dr.s offices, antibiotics and tests, we were finally sent to the ENT. He looked at me and I had liquefied my tonsils with all the infetions. They were removed, but my immune system has never recovered from the anitibiotic overdose when I was a kid. (I have actually developed allergies to many of them and when I was in a coma with ARDS and MRSA last year it made my treatment that much harder because there were so few things that I could take yet alone would work).
If it is just a fever, then it is probably viral and antibiotics are doing no good what so ever, ecept to make him more susceptible to bigger nastier bugs.

Most doctors are baffled when this occurs, really must agree with Claudia.
Great explanation of the milk.
Once dairy was removed, this helped my sons.

I have been told by several of the medical physicians and pharmacist to avoid dairy and vitamins while under antibiotics.
When an individual experiences some unexplained fever and when anyone is on any type of antibiotics one must take Probiotics.

Plus cut down on sugar (juice)as it is feeding part of the culprit if there is any yeast overgrowth.
Google Candida/yeast overgrowth.
Check out your sons tongue, if there are some white coating, signs of yeast overgrowth/candida.

Some parents fear that fevers will cause seizures. For the great majority of children, this is not the case. However, febrile seizures do occur in some children. Once a child is already known to have a high fever, a febrile seizure is unlikely with the current illness. In any event, simple febrile seizures are over in moments with no lasting consequences.
Although infections are the most common causes of higher-than-normal body temperature, fevers have a long list of other causes, including toxins, cancers, and autoimmune diseases.
It is getting to the root cause of it.

This was my experience when taking my sons & now my grandson to the doctor:
Have you been sent home time and again by doctors who say "nothing is wrong" -- when something so obviously is?
This could be candida infection or candida yeast overgrowth.

Fever is not an illness. Far from being an enemy, it is an important part of the body's defense against infection. Many infants and children develop high fevers with minor viral illnesses. While a fever signals to us that a battle might be going on in the body, the fever is fighting for the person, not against.

Most bacteria and viruses that cause infections in people thrive best at 98.6°F. Raising the temperature a few degrees can give your body the winning edge. In addition, a fever activates the body's immune system to make more white blood cells, antibodies, and other infection-fighting agents.

Can children take probiotics?

http://nutrition.about.com/od/nutritionforchildren/f/chil...

If in SA, contact your son's primary physician and see if they would not mind referring your son to a Hematologist such as Dr, Mahendra Patel,
Pediatric Hematology and Oncology.
He could run the test needed.

If doctor questions you, it is only to rule out if any food allergies or food sensitivity which is triggering off the recurrent infections.

In my son's case, it was dairy.

I chose this route as I heard him at a conference and what he had to share in regards to the recurrent infections.
My sons had food allergy test through other medical physicians, ENT and food allergist, nope nothing was detected, until I took them to Dr. Patel.

Hope your son recovers well so that you may be at ease and get some rest for your next baby, congratulations on your future bundle of joy.

I.