when to call the doctor, DS's fever is going up!

[AnnMorin]

Yikes,, we spent the day outside and he was enjoying himself, Said his throat felt yucky this morning- he has alergys and said it must be "boogers dripping down" I looked at it , it was not swollen or red (the glands) he played etc,. but then we came inside about 3pm and he was sneezing and very drippy and said his throat felt worse, After we were done with our nintendo game (it took until five pm) I ran to the drugstore and got him some benadryl and freezepops, he said he felt cold which was a clear sign something was amis as it is in the 90's today. I took his temp and it was 102 with the ear thermometer. I gave him a motrin and a benadryl and he took a nap on the couch. I just checked his temp and it is now 103.2! Two hours after the motrin. He says his throat feels much better but he is not hungry and is just watching TV. I tried to get him to go to his bedroom which has Air conditioning, the family room is about 82 degrees right now, but he said he just wants to sit.. I am toying with calling the doctor but it is 7pm on the forth of july.. I am such an overprotective mom... DS is ten by the way, has anyone had anything like this before?

 

[joeokw]

Call the doctor!!! They are on call.. believe me that is what they do for a living.

 

[MomE@Home]

I had the same thing a week ago. I think it was a virus because generally I don't have a fever with allergies. Put your son in a cool-not cold bath for about 15 min. & then check his temp. again. I always say if in doubt call the Dr. . There should be a number you can call on their machine for a Dr. on call.
Hope this is of some help ! Good luck !

 

[lisajl]

Either call the doctor or go to an urgent care center.
Let us know how he is doing.

Lisa

 

[AnnMorin]

The water is warmer than I would have liked for him but he wanted to be comfy,, it certainly is cooler than his temp, He is not too ill as he asked if he can put the jets on in the tub (which he likes to swish around in) but he did ask for a towel for his head, I think I will let him soak for a bit and then take his temp again, he was fine all day playing outside, swimming around in the hot tub etc. I thought maybe it was from the heat but I just checked my temp and it is 98.9... I feel like sneaking back in there and adding some cold water to the tub.

 

[AnnMorin]

well i did just go in on the pretext of "checking on him" and added some more cold water to the mix, now it is more like luke warm,, so I guess I will let him soak for 15 mins or so and check his temp again..........

 

[mickeysaver]

You know some pediatricians will tell you to alternate Motrin or Advil with Tylenol. You might want to call you pediatrician to see if it would be ok to do with your DS. It sometimes helps to get those higher fevers under control a bit better. Also, don't let the little guy bundle up. Keep him dressed comfortably for the temperature of the house. You might even want to consider doing a lukewarm bath for him after he takes some Tylenol for the fever. Most docs will send you to be seen if the fever is above 103.5 and doesn't come down easily with meds. He might well have a viral illness, but strep and mono are going around pretty bad around here. Both of these can cause sore throats. I see no harm in calling your pediatrician. It's part of the job for them to get calls about sick patients on holidays. They knew that when they picked their profession. Mickey

 

[ripleysmom]

It's up to you what you want to do but this is what I would do....

Continue to give him Motrin until the morning. Call the doc then and try to get an appointment.

If you call now that is what they will tell you to do, either that or direct you to the emergency room which is not something you want to do lightly especially here in NY where you are talking about spending a good 6 hours there.

If they don't have office hours on Saturdays then you might want to find an Urgent Care facility but only if there is not a doctor available to you tomorrow.

 

[AnnMorin]

It is 8:40 and I just checked him again- I got him into his bed which is in his airconditoned room, he is sipping gatoraide and eating graham crackers, anyhow his temp now is down to 101.5!! Thanks for the great advice everyone,,,,,, I hope it was just a combo of a virus and the heat,, 101.5 does not worry me at all, the 103+ sure did.

 

[Lorix2]

My DS always runs high temps when he's sick. I too always had to put him in a tepid bath and cool him down with a washcloth. His temp would come down in fairly quickly. Kids spike fevers so fast and especially toward night time. Keep him in cotton clothing which breathes and is more comfortable for him.

I would keep giving him Tylenol or Motrin - but I wouldn't do them back to back without talking to your pediatrician first. Usually one or the other will work just fine.

Hope he's feeling much better in the morning

 

[Serena]

I'm glad. I took my dd to the emergency room for a temp of 103 and they sent me back home and charged me $400. They told me to do all the normal stuff and alternate the tylenol and motrin.

 

[BibbidiBobbidiBOO]

The Motrin has brought his fever down, so remember to let it wear off a bit now and then to see how sick he really is. Motrin can deceive us into thinking they are better than they are. Could be strep and you need to know that.

 

[AnnMorin]

I just checked his fever and it is perfectly normal. I will monitor him during the day, he said his throat feels much better today that it is just a little sore

 

[BibbidiBobbidiBOO]

Good! Probably a little virus, especially since his nose was running too.

 

[MomE@Home]

I'm so glad that your little guy is doing better !

 

[KathleenC]

Fever can be a healthy sign as it is the body's way of fighting off infection and children can usually tolerate higher fevers than adults. An adult will be flat on their back with a 103 degree fever but a child will often just be a little "off".
When my kids were little, I used to go by how the child was behaving. If they were just a little listless but otherwise alert (like wanting to play in the hot tub!) I would push the fluids and give the tylenol/motrin if they complained of any discomfort.

That said, don't hestitate to call your doctor. Even if he or she just tells you to do the same things all the posters did, the reassurance alone is worth it. If not, a doctor would much rather get a call at 7PM on a holiday than 3AM from an emergency room on any day.

 

[Pin Wizard]

I'm sorry DS is under the weather, Ann. With that temp, I would call. My DS was fine this morning. While we were out running around this afternoon, he said his neck hurt in the back. Then he said his throat hurts when he swallows. He felt a little warm. Came home and tried to check his temp with the ear thermometer. It's giving me weird looking and numbers that don't make sense! Tossed it in the garbage after trying a new battery and it didn't help. Now I've got to get him up and going again to go buy a new one. Just to be safe, I gave him Motrin. He also laid down to rest...he NEVER does that! Good luck! I hope your DS is feeling better soon.