Persistant Fever

My 6 year old daughter had a fever for 8 straight days before it finally went away. I took her to the doctor's, but they said it was viral, so I should just treat it with fever reducers. Just keep medicating. If you want, put a vaporizer in his room. This seemed to help clear up my son's nose when he got a cold.

Not sure what area you live to know if it is the same thing going around here but my daughter had something similar. She has a fever I couldn’t keep down or away with the same medicines. I mentioned it to a bunch of woman (older and much more wise) and one women said it could be Roseola (spelling) another girl there with a son close the same age as my daughter had the same symptoms. Research it online. My daughters fever and other symptoms only lasted the 4 days that it said.

I would probably take him to the doctor so you can be sure it isn't an ear infection or other problem. The fever is a sign of infection, and if it lasts 2 or more days or comes back I would definitely take him in. It's worth it for you not to worry, even if the dr says to wait it out.

My little boy had a high fever (101-104) for 4 days straight before he turned 1 years old. I called the Dr on day 2 and they said as long as it wasn't 104 for more than 1 hour and the Tylenol or Motrin didn't make it come down that he was ok, he just needed to drink lots of fluids to stay hydrated.He really had no other symptoms, no ear tugging and he basically was a happy guy although at the peaks of the fever you could tell he was uncomfortable. He wanted a little more TLC than my usually busy bee. Look for other symptoms though, if your child is extremely sleepy and lethargic or if they are very uncomfortable its time to call the Dr again. They also told me if he still had a fever on day 4 call them. He did so I ended up taking him in. They did a urine analysis and blood work to test for internal infections. He tested fine and they sent me home. His fever broke later on that night and he was fine. Just turned out to be a virus. On the other hand, you know your child best and if something seems a little off to you take him! Don't wait. Here is an article I found on BabyCenter.com that I use as a guide. I hope this helps!!

****The BabyCenter Seven: Signs it's something serious****
When would our panel of pediatricians want you to give them a call? If your sick child showed any of the following signs that he's not just suffering from a run-of-the-mill cold or flu:
1. High fever. Be on the lookout for fever 99 degrees Fahrenheit or higher in infants under 2 months, 101 degrees or higher in children 2 months to 2 years old, and 104 degrees or higher in kids over 2. These high temperatures could mean an infection or other medical problem that needs immediate attention.
2. Symptoms getting worse, not better, after seven to ten days. Going downhill suggests that a cold virus has evolved into a bacterial infection, such as a sinus infection, that requires antibiotics.
3. Lethargy. Extreme sluggishness can be a red flag for conditions needing medical attention. Call the doctor if your baby won't wake up to feed or can't be aroused by prodding or loud noises, or if your older child can't haul herself out of bed and hardly responds to food, your voice, your touch, loud noises, or bright lights.
4. Persistent vomiting. If your child can't keep anything down — not even sips of water — or isn't peeing for an entire day, he could be getting seriously dehydrated.

5. Stiff neck. It might just be a pulled muscle, but if your child is already sick and can't touch her chin to her chest, it could be a sign of meningitis or another serious infection. (If your child has a stiff neck with no other signs of illness — such as fever, vomiting, or a rash — it's reasonable to try some ibuprofen and see if it gets better.)
6. Mucus that starts out clear, but turns green. Sometimes colds cause thick, green mucus right from the start — and that's nothing to worry about. But if the mucus starts out clear and changes after seven to ten days to the nasty green stuff — especially if new symptoms like a fever, headache, or cough suddenly appear — that's a sign of bacterial infection and the need for antibiotics.
7. Any symptoms at all in a baby under 3 months. Fever, diarrhea, vomiting, persistent fussiness, poor feeding, cough, and runny nose are all things your newborn's doctor should hear about pronto.

This article was taken from the following webpage:
http://www.babycenter.com/refcap/baby/babyills/babycold/1...

This is another article on Colds that might be helful too:
http://www.babycenter.com/refcap/toddler/toddlerills/todc...

If you've been giving him antipyretics around the clock and his temp is still high, you should call his doctor. I agree that a temperature is the body's way of fighting infection and so is meaningful, however, it's one thing to have a temperature of 101-plus without medication but for it to stay that high even with Tylenol/Motrin might be something to look into. I also wonder how you know it isn't pneumonia? I too am an RN and have had the experience of pneumonia not being obvious in a patient until an x-ray is obtained. Pneumonia doesn't necessarily "rattle" when you listen to an afflicted lung; rather you may simply hear a certain lack of sound in the area. Home diagnosis is probably not advisable.

Your son's healthcare provider will have someone on-call outside of regular business hours. If you are concerned at all, please give them a call today. At the very least they may be able to put you at ease.

Good luck!

If you are truly concerned, you should take him to the MD. If over the counter medicine isn't working then perhaps a prescription is needed. My son had bronchitis when he was a baby and had some of the same symptoms that your child is having. The best thing to do when you are truly concerned is to take them to the doctor, they know best and can always calm the mother by answering any questions.

Low grade fevers are the worst....the fever is a sign that his poor body fighting some sort of toxin...whether it be viral or bactirial who knows...but heres a little home remede that can't hurt. (this of course should only be used if you son is over 2yrs old. you didn't mention age) 1tbls each of cider vinigar, lemon juice, and honey (you can add more honey if it will help him drink it) warm it, but not so hot he can't drink it, just enough to melt the honey so it mixes well. Sounds descusting I know, but it's really not that bad. This helps to detoxify the body. We could all use it once in a while.

i am a mother of a 13,11 and 4 year old so i know whats going on. it sounds like to me that he may have some type of infection whether its his ears or upper respirtory. when a child has a fever that will not go away that normally is the cause. i would take him to the doctor.to get him on an antibio.

Hi M., I am an RN with years of pediatric experience, AND I have 2 sons who both have asthma. It sounds like your son may have a virus. The fever is his body's way of fighting it off. I'd encourage rest, lots of liquids, even popsicles are ok. I'd only give breathing treatments if you feel his airways are constricted. I don't know what kind of medical experience YOU have, but I'm glad an RN is listening to his lungs everyday. A virus can last 2 weeks, so be patient even though it's hard. Good luck, M.

I guess my question to you would be how do you know it isn't pneumonia?? Last year my daughter was sick like this and I followed the advice of a pediatrician. Turns out that even though her blood didn't show a bacterial infection or anything she indeed had pneumonia. They never did a chest xr ay until the 5th visit of her not getting better. It turns out is was pneumonia and because they let it go on so long it had spread from one lung to the other.I had that mommy gut feeling. Do you have that? I say always trust your instinct. The only way one can know whether it really is pneumonia is by taking a chest xray. On the up side of things. A fever although concerning to us mommy's is often a sign of a good thing. That our bodies are doing their job of fighting off an infection. Whatever he has he is definately fighting off something. trust yourself because I really believe mommy's do know our children best!

I have 2 boys and I've gone through tons of cols and fevers. If when you give your son the motrin or the tylenol and his temp comes down even 1/2 a it's working. I need to emphisis the the importance of not letting it go without really being checked out. My son who is nine about 3 years ago had gotten a cold little fever and it went away. A few days later 1/2 of his face paralyzed and he looked as if he had gotten a stroke. After several test and an MRI they noticed that he had bels palsy and many times you can get this with an inner ear infection. If you and I had had the infection he had we would have been screaming but apparently he has a high tolerance for pain so it went undetected. I would advice you to take him back to the doctor and not let it slide. Fever is good in a sense because it's fighting something in their body but you need to see at least some relieze. For the cough I use Delsym it works great. Sit on the floor of the bathroom with him and let him breath the steam. I hope he feels better! By the way all my sons symptoms went away but it was a process.

Yikes. What a way to spend a holiday. Just make sure you're paying attention to the med directions very carefully. Tylenol only lasts 4 hours. Motrin for 8. The baby Tylenol is more concentrated than regular, so be very careful. Keep up the fluids and advice from your Ped. Is he on any amox?

I am just an MA, so my two year degree does not come anywhere close to your RN friend or your Ped. However, what is confusing me is why is the doctor NOT concerned about his fever?? A cough could just be a result of something else, since children have a tendency to develope things and pass them to a cough. Does he have any other Signs and symptoms you are concerned about??

My suggestion, keep calling your doctor. Dont fret about it, that is what they are here for. Tell her/him you are trying ALL of the medications recommended, and nothing is working. Let her/him know EXACTLY what is going on. Try keeping a diary of when his fever and symptoms spike. When your child seems to be fussy, maybe atrigger for anything that irritates him. That will help to identify the problem in a more clear way. Good luck, and try to keep that fever down!!!