Topic: worried one of my 5 year old twin boys has swine flu...
tickbattler
Unregistered
posted
Just checked him for night sweats tonight and for the first time in months he had no sweats but felt very, very hot.
Checked his temp and it was 104. Called the ped and she thought it could be swine flu, as she has another case now with this high fever (confirmed as swine flu). She didn't think he needed to go the the emergency room if motrin brings the fever down. She will see him the the am.
Fever is down to 103 now an hour after the motrin.
He's currently on biaxin (just started almost a week ago) and rifampin for lyme/bart. Thank goodness he is much healthier than a year ago when we started treatment and most of his lyme symptoms are gone (still some psych stuff and night sweats.)
posted
Sorry to hear your son is sick. A few weeks ago they suspected my 2 yr old neice had it, but the pedi wouldn't test her for it, said they aren't testing now that it has become pandemic. Would only test if she was hospitalized...
She recovered without any problems.... Hope your son is feeling better soon.
-------------------- Mom to a 5 year old lymie.... Taking it one day at a time. Posts: 182 | From Ipswich, MA | Registered: Jul 2008
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tickbattler
Unregistered
posted
thanks for your replies. He is still spiking fevers higher than 104 when the motrin wears off. I am taking him in this morning to get him tested.
songbird - good to hear your niece recovered well. That is strange the ped wouldn't test her. Mine is going to so we will see. He is sneezing a lot too and vomited once last night.
posted
If your son has both Lyme AND swine 'flu I would suggest you try and get him on Tamiflu ASAP. For Tamiflu to be effective it should be given very soon after the symptoms begin (after 48 hrs it's useless).
Doctors are now getting the message that swine 'flu is "just" a 'flu, so not to make a fuss over it. But my experience is that for people with Lyme ANY 'flu can be hard to cope with.
I know they don't want to prescribe too much Tamiflu for swine 'flu to make sure the virus doesn't become resistant later on when/if the virus mutates into something nastier, yet I would still ask your doctor for a script because your son is also battling Lyme.
Good luck, keep us posted
Nelly
Posts: 416 | From france | Registered: Oct 2001
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Jane2904
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Member # 15917
posted
Sorry to read your son is not feeling well.
Hope he is on the road to recovery soon.
Posts: 1357 | From Massachusetts | Registered: Jun 2008
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posted
Tickbattler, I live near you and dozens of kids in my girls' school have been officially diagnosed with swine flu. All have recovered well.
Crossing my fingers that your little guy gets better soon; geez, as if you guys haven't been through enough!! Lynne
-------------------- Increasingly ill over past 10 yrs; treating since October '08. Posts: 180 | From Philadelphia, PA | Registered: Oct 2008
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cactus
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7347
posted
So sorry to hear about your son!
I would ask for Tamiflu also, and put in a call to your son's LLMD if you haven't already.
My nieces and nephews go to a school that has been affected by swine flu - and all the kids are recovering, to my knowledge. (around 20 kids)
But with Lyme added to the mix, caution is advised, of course.
Please keep us posted!
-------------------- �Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?� - A.A. Milne Posts: 1987 | From No. VA | Registered: May 2005
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posted
I'm pretty sure my son had it a couple of weeks ago. Most of the neighborhood was down with it -- and even though I BEGGED people to test for Swine (why should the immune compromised kids go to the ER if they don't have to?), no one did.
Swine flu cases are increasing rapidly. And I'd rather have my kids get it now than the next go around.
Hang in there. Keep us posted.
Posts: 564 | From Tick Hell | Registered: Oct 2008
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tickbattler
Unregistered
posted
Thanks for all of your responses!
My son tested positive at the ped's office for type A influenza, which she said can be swine flu. The only way to find out for sure is to have our ped order the kit to have it sent into the state. She said labs don't do this test anymore.
My son has not eaten anything and has vomited twice when he had too much liquid in the past 24 hours. Of course, he vomited 15 minutes after his first tamiflu dose. I guess it can cause nausea if taken on an empty stomach.
He spikes a fever of 104.4 every 4 hours and then I need to give Tylenol or Motrin. It's pretty scary. He is sleeping now. I hope tonight is not as bad as last night.
Thanks again for all of your support. It's good to hear everyone recovered so well.
posted
Why are you trying to lower the fever? The fever serves a purpose, and lowering it will
only prolong the illness. Brain damage will not occur until the fever exceeds 107.6, which does
not happen from illness--only heatstroke and poisoning.
Posts: 311 | From CA | Registered: Jul 2008
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Geneal
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 10375
posted
I use the suppositories Fever All for my child when she has fever.
She throws up anytime her temp climbs.
Makes it hard to keep meds in her.
As a Mom, while I know fever serves a purpose,
I would be cautious about watching your babies temp.
Big hug for you and your little one.
Hope he gets better soon and the rest of your family stay healthy.
Hugs,
Geneal
Posts: 6250 | From Louisiana | Registered: Oct 2006
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cactus
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7347
posted
tickbattler, I'm glad your son is getting good care and that you are there for him.
And glad that the Tylenol or Motrin brings the fever down.
It is scary, but hopefully will continue to improve.
And maybe if this virus mutates into something else, your son will be blessed with immunities to it.
Please know that we are thinking of you, and of your son.
Take care of yourself, too - it's hard when our kiddos are so sick to remember to care for us.
-------------------- �Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?� - A.A. Milne Posts: 1987 | From No. VA | Registered: May 2005
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tickbattler
Unregistered
posted
Geneal,
I like the idea of the suppositories - my ped never mentioned this as an option. What is the active ingredient used in Fever All to lower the fever? I really hate to give the Tylenol and Motrin so often.
Is this all you need to keep the fever at a reasonable level? I will definitely try this tomorrow after I am able to pick some up!
Janice - I know fevers serve a purpose, but I don't think it's good when the fevers get much over 104. My boy gets really lethargic and his lips turn white and checks really red. He can barely move. My ped likes to let the fever do it's job but she does recommend Motrin/Tylenol when he gets to this state.
cactus - Thanks for the kind words - yes - I have thought about the immunities. I hope this will help him in the future if it comes back.
posted
I just wanted to correct something stated regarding febrile seizures. Febrile seizures
are caused by a very rapid rise in temperature. They are not caused by a high fever. So once a
fever is already very high, and a febrile seizure did not occur, it is not going to.
Posts: 311 | From CA | Registered: Jul 2008
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cactus
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7347
posted
Just checking in on your son, tickbattler, and hoping that he's been steadily improving.
You've been in my thoughts...
Please keep us posted.
-------------------- �Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?� - A.A. Milne Posts: 1987 | From No. VA | Registered: May 2005
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tickbattler
Unregistered
posted
Thank you all so much for easing my mind during those first 24 hours! That fever kept spiking to over 104 during the the first half of the second day as well.
But I was able to get two doses of Tamiflu in him (although he threw up 15 minutes after the first dose) on that second day and by the afternoon his fever was staying closer to 103 and I was able to avoid the motrin/tylenol from 1:30 until 8 pm, when I gave him motrin (and his second dose of Tamiflu).
After that he even ate some cheerios. I was so relieved he ate something and that his fever had stopped spiking.
Today he had no fever and wanted to help wash the car outside! I kept him in his room and on the couch for most of the day and finally let him go outside and he did fine. He still does not have his full appetite back but I think tomorrow he will be back to normal.
I can't believe how quickly this turned around. Our ped currently has one other patient with the swine flu confirmed and she had a high fever for several days.
I really think that Tamiflu did the trick (even that first dose which he might have partly thrown up!). I also think I got it in him within the first 48 hours, which probably made all the difference.
I brought him back to the ped yesterday to get the swab done to send to the state so we can find out if it really was the swine flu. I bet it was...but will keep you posted.
Thanks again for all of your support. My husband and neighbors were out of town the first night (I discovered the fever at 10 pm!) and I was calling our part time nanny to see if she would be ready to come over in the middle of the night in case we had to go to the ER. (We don't have any family in the area.) Thankfully, we got through the night. I think I slept 2 hours!
Jane2904
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 15917
posted
So glad things are better.
Hope you can get some rest too.
Posts: 1357 | From Massachusetts | Registered: Jun 2008
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Starfall1969
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posted
Praise God that your son is better!
They sure do bounce back quickly, don't they?
Posts: 1682 | From Dillsburg, PA | Registered: Sep 2008
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cactus
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7347
posted
Thank you for the update!
Your little guy's been in my thoughts, and it is so wonderful to hear how well he is recovering.
Now you can breathe easier and rest.
Big sigh of relief, Cactus
-------------------- �Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?� - A.A. Milne Posts: 1987 | From No. VA | Registered: May 2005
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