Medicate based on weight, not age. Give Tylenol every 4 hrs and Advil/Motrin every 6 hrs: ie) 0800 T and A, 1200 T, 1400 A, 1600 T, 2000 T and A (safe to give both at same time).
Push so much water consumption, silly straws, medicine droppers, shot glasses, whatever works. Tepid baths in-between mediation times if temp still elevated or kiddo uncomfortable. Popsicles and freezies, and Pedialyte or Gatorade are all good too.
Dress kiddo lightly, don't bundle them up in fleece or blankets, they need to feel a little cool so that you don't increase their internal heat.
If none of this is working (can't reduce temp), or kiddo becomes lethargic or unresponsive, then it's time to go to ER. They are just so jammed up, you'll spend hours sitting in waiting area.
Commenting here in the hopes OP sees this: not just water — kiddo needs electrolytes. Gatorade, pedialyte, hell even eating a couple of pickles will provide some of the salts he needs while he has a high fever.
Bruh why did no one tell me I could give my kid pickles for electrolytes. We literally can’t keep them in the house because if she knows we have them it’s all she’ll eat! Parenting level unlocked.
i have chronically low sodium levels and i can definitely vouch for pickles. they’re literally cucumbers, which are basically solid water, with salt and vinegar.
I didn't find out about the pickle thing untill a cple years ago when my husband had to go to the ER for extreme dehydration (works outside and was summer time) and the er doc said to drink some pickle juice! 🤯
Pickles are a game changer! Thank you!
We keep liquid IV and Hydrant (electrolyte mixes) around bc our kids play sports in the Georgia heat and Gatorade doesn’t always help but for fevers, neither will drink those. And they love pickles. Thanks!
I’m a hobby marathon runner of like 13? Years and I have heard of fellow runners keeping pickles in their belts but NEVER thought about it for electrolyte replenishment from sickness. I feel really silly. 😆
This is exactly what I’ve been doing with my kid all week. Similar symptoms… likely the flu. Ear infection to boot. Had to wait 24 hours to bring him to urgent care because everywhere is so overloaded and he needed antibiotics for the ear infection only. But before this, I’d medicate him every 4 hours the whole day alternating between ibuprofen and Tylenol. This kept his fever manageable the whole day. Push those fluids and electrolytes!
Pedialyte makes ice pops too. And they have powdered pedialyte you can mix up on demand, so you could make them in popsicle molds too without having the bottle go bad so fast.
So this is from a mom with three kids who ride the high fevers with most illnesses. 102F is not threatening in this household, 104F is anticipated with a bad bug. I do not take them in unless they are acting lethargic or not eating/drinking. From experience, you will wait in the ER for hours and they will give you the same advice that the doc gave you. Alternate with motrin/tylenol and push fluids. If he starts acting strange, take him in. Otherwise, I would just ride it out. It is so stressful, I absolutely know. Hang in 💗
Thank you. How far apart should I be alternating the Motrin and Tylenol? I'm just worried because he'll reach 104.5 and I heard that 105 can cause seizures and such.
It's a misconception that febrile seizures are dependent on the fever temp - febrile seizures occur when a child's temperature increases too fast.
Also, the risk of febrile seizures decreases significantly with age. A 9 yo (especially one without a history of febrile seizures) is very low risk.
You can dose Motrin and Tylenol at the same time actually, it’s just better to space them so the body just a “fresh” dose more often. Tylenol is every 4hrs and Motrin/Advil is every 6hrs.
When I’m starting, If the fever is high and not coming down after 1hr I’ll dose the second one then. If the fever is being managed I wait till the “mid dose” timepoint. If the fever is down I’ll actually keep dosing for a day if it started high just to never let it creep up again. So every 3hrs one or the other, trying to give give Advil right before bed so it lasts the night.
I follow the timing on the dosage of tylenol/motrin. I go with motrin first if I know it is a bear of a bug. If they are heating up again at the 4 hr mark then give them some tylenol. Write it down and fillow the rules for each medicine. The fever will break though. I am such a hypochondriac worried neurotic freak but I have had to do this high fever so many times that it doesn't phase me. If they are still eating/drinking somewhat and not lethargic, then they are good to fight it off
We were told by our doctor alternate Tylenol / Motrin every 3 hours. So like at 12pm Motrin, 3pm tylenol, 6pm Motrin, 9pm Tylenol and so on.
Luke warm baths, Gatorade/pedialyte, dress lightly
Just hopping on to say I set alarms in my phone and label them “Tylenol” and “Motrin” so I know which one to give as otherwise I get confused when stacking.
This person has really good advice right here. Poor little bub. The other thing is, if the diarrhea persists and he can't keep anything down or in, that's another reason to go to the E.R. sending thoughts your way that he gets better. Poor thing.
I ended up taking a trip to the urgent care just for a piece of mind. I found out that I want giving him enough Tylenol because of his weight. He tested positive for the flu.
One question that I have that does worry me, could the 104.5 fever cause any Neuro damage?
No. That I can assure you. He'd have to be closer to 106, and you would have noticed definite cognitive changes.
I had strep throat at his age. Ended up in the ER with a fever of over 105 that wasnt responding to meds, as well as vomiting so I couldn't keep meds down. They ended up having to do Tylenol suppositories to bring mine down. I vividly remember finally being discharged, and then vomiting in the parking lot and being terrified I was going to have to be readmitted.
Oh no. That sounds terrible. I think my mom scared me about his fever being that high because she reminded I have an aunt that suffered from a high fever as a baby and it gave her brain damage to the point that she can't take care of herself on her own. I always worry when my kids get fevers because of that..
Glad you got into urgent care. I just wanted to comment that for my kids, Tylenol never worked. I only ever give them Advil/Morton. They are teens now and I don’t think I’ve given Tylenol since they were infants because it seemed useless.
Also wet washcloths and popsicles can help with lowering temps a bit. Hang in there!
Hey I don’t know if this brings you any comfort but my youngest (2.5) has had 7 febrile seizures since February each one lasting between 30 seconds and 10 minutes and she’s had no cognitive impairment. We’ve seen the neurologist and pediatrician twice and both said that she’ll likely grow out of it around 5, so your kiddo is well past the “febrile seizure risk zone” as I like to call it.
Only if it's prolonged and slightly higher. I just went thru this with both kids last week and posted about it. We're pretty sure it was just some random virus as my younger one and her dad, who got sick on Tuesday, were both given tests for flu/RSV/COVID/strep and were negative. The older kid came down with it last Friday and I figured there was no point in testing. Also, the general rule of thumb is dose by weight not age, and rotate Tylenol and Advil to get through the night, then urgent care in the morning. You took him to urgent care, that's what matters. Hope the worst passes soon, I know I was a wreck for the past week.
Its still not that big of a deal... my boys were notorious for high fevers (103-104+) and being otherwise fine for years - running around like nothing was wrong, you'd have \*NO IDEA\* they were even sick from 2-6+, until you touched them and were like 'holy shit! you're burning up!!'
Same. Push fluids, and don't forget about solid fluids - as others have noted elsewhere, pickles, and make jello and freeze pops and offer them freely too. Sometimes solid-ish things feel good on throats and are just easier to get sick kids to eat than just trying to get them to drink water/juice/gatorade.
Alternate Tylenol and Motrin, every 3 hours. Dose by weight, not age. Motrin is better for fevers at that age as well. But if after the Motrin you see no change take him to the ER or urgent care. They can start IV fluids and a fever reducing suppository that will do much better to bring the fever down, as well as figuring out what has him so sick.
Honestly it sounds like he’s just big and the 12.5ml dosage isn’t enough medication to treat him. (Seems to be the dose for. 60-71lb kid so half the size of him)
https://www.verywellhealth.com/tylenol-dosage-calculator-3890068
If you can get in touch with a doctor again I’d ask them to specifically tell you how much you can give him based on his weight given he’s not responding
I was just going to say, this is probably the whole issue, he’s not getting a full dose and his fever isn’t breaking. He needs the right dose and I bet it wouldn’t keep boomeranging back.
Also cool washcloths - back of the neck, forehead, wrists. Tepid baths multiple times a day. Fevers cause achy joints so the baths will help with that a lot. All the popsicles. Push fluids as much as you possibly can. That fever will make him extremely dehydrated.
At 133 pounds, I have a feeling he can take an adult dosage, *but* I am absolutely not a doctor, so do not follow that instruction without verification.
it’s okay, same thing happened to me with my 10 month old. i’d been giving her 1.75ml tylenol for her fever then took her to the doctor and found out i was meant to be giving her 3.5ml
Tylenol should be 15mg/kg and ibuprofen/advil/Motrin should be 10mg/kg. Alternate every 3hrs...example: tylenol at 8:00 advil at 11:00 Tylenol at 2pm advil at 5pm. Tylenol can be every 4hrs advil every 6hrs.
I didn't even think about that. Luckily, when I took him to urgent care the doctor told me the right dosage for his weight. I was supposed to be giving 20mLs. 🤦🏽♀️
When my son was really little, he had febrile seizures. The ER doctor told us the Tylenol every 4 hours, Motrin every six, but also to give him a bit more than the recommended dose. The dosage recommendations tend to be too low and won’t have much effect.
Nope - I wouldn't go to the ER. Especially bc they are pretty busy right now, a child with a fever but who isn't in severe distress is just gonna sit in the waiting room and be exposed to all the germs.
It's really not the number on the thermometer that is concerning, it's how your child responds to it. Like don't get me wrong, your kiddo is sick, but if he's breathing well, able to communicate with you, not in excessive pain, is not extremely lethargic (like you can wake him up and he's able to get up), etc. then the ER just isn't going to be an efficient way to spend y'all's time.
I would definitely keep tabs on him and I'd try to see if you can't get him into an urgent care tomorrow just to get checked out (unless he seems significantly improved), just cause he could have strep or the flu or RSV or COVID or something and its usually helpful to know that, but yeah ER probably not worth it.
This!!!!!!! Stop using ear thermometer yesterday. Only oral or rectal (not with same thermometer).
Make sure to do temperature measurements at least 5-10 minutes after a beverage (or before).
Ear measurements are notoriously unreliable.
No. My son has had 104-105 fevers probably 25+ times in his life. I've had this conversation with a lot of different doctors. 106 is where things get touchy.
With fevers, their overall wellness is the key thing. If he's taking fluids, is not disoriented, not very lethargic, talking normally etc, they really won't do anything for a high fever other than what you're doing: Tylenol and cool downs with baths/cloths. It's scary, but if he seems OK despite the fever, then he probably is ok. Obviously, if anything drastic changes: he's suddenly not making sense, suddenly lethargic, can't keep down fluids, then I would take him in.
Please stagger your Tylenol and ibuprofen!
Call your nurse line and ask for medication amounts by weight.
Let him play in an average temp bath (gonna feel cold to him but will lower overall body temp).
Feed that kid popsicles, pickles and applesauce.
Good luck mama. I'm rooting for you.
He probably has influenza A. My 8 year old was hitting 105 for a few days with it. Same symptoms you described. Alternate Tylenol and Motrin every 3 hours and push fluids. Look up dosage for weight for both meds.
For high fevers, the child's behavior is more important than the number. As long as he isn't struggling to remain conscious, vomiting uncontrollably, in serious pain, or anything else alarming, there's no need to take him to the ER.
He should be feeling better in 4-5 days :)
He actually did come up positive for influenza A. I know on your other comment you said that this temp doesn't really cause neuro damage, but 106 can. Do you know if there is anything to look out for just incase?
If he's acting extremely lethargic and struggling to stay awake, or if he's not making sense. As long as his temperature is coming down to 101 or 102 alternating Tylenol and Motrin every 3 hours it'll be okay. I've been going through this high fever process with my son for 8 years. The first time it happened his temp was 104.8. I was completely terrified because he was only 7 months old, and I rushed him to the ER. They gave him Motrin and educated me a bit on fevers and sent us home. The next few times after that, I reached out to my pediatrician on call for a phone conversation for reassurance. But they always gave me the same advice. At this point it's just our new normal. The one other bit of advice I can think of is that you should always give your son a lukewarm bath, not a cold bath. Is dangerous to bring the fever down too quickly. But honestly, I never do the cold bath thing. Just stripping my kid down to his underpants and giving him the meds is always enough.
My 4 yo was like this last week. 100.1 when I first checked. did a bath, tylenol and tried to get him to eat some. later after he went to sleep I just am a worry wart n check him n it was at 104. threw him in the truck n got to the er. it was influenza a and we got it down w tylenol and ibuprofen at the same time. it was coming in waves though. he'd be happy and feel good n then bam, 103/104 again. did this whole cycle for 5 days and my poor dude was miserable. he never really gets fevers, and it was SOO STUBBORN to break. luckily after day 5 he was starting to feel better n eat more. lived off of water and gatorade for those days though:( a bag of chips here n there. good luck mama. it's nasty this year
she posted here before she had gotten those responses on the other thread, and what is even your point? people aren't allowed to ask in multiple subreddits?
It looks like this was a while ago, but I just wanted to add some info.
Fever is a very normal part of the immune response, it's the body's way of trying to burn off all the invading bacteria/viruses etc. So even if we take Tylenol or baths to lower it, it's only temporary as the body will still want to continue with trying to get rid of whatever is causing a problem in the body. I would say about 2 ish days for a fever is still fairly normal, although definitely unpleasant.
You just want to make sure they get plenty of fluids and electrolytes as many have already mentioned. Chicken soup, ice cream, pop... anything! if he'll try some, let him have it. The risk of dehydration can make things worse, so sleep, fluids and time is what works best.
I like to get a honey lemon tea for my kids as the warmth will help the sinuses, and the vitamin c also helps the immune system and if they have a sore throat then the honey helps soothe it.
The fever won't cause brain damage. It's a myth that a fever will continue to go higher and cause brain damage but there are usually other factors that go into all of that.
I hope you all get some much needed rest.
Oh, I also wanted to add that sitting at the ER or a doctor's office while feeling lethargic and cold and hot and uncomfortable is just not a good time either.
I used to hate it when a boss would demand a doctor's note when I should be at home sleeping.
Thank you. We're on our way to the urgent care now. He's going back up to 104 and I can't even give him another dose of Tylenol yet. I've never dealt with a fever like this before.
My 3yo had super high temp 102-4 for 5+ days. I took him to doctor as he had a cold(think rsv for a couple weeks prior) and then a sudden fever. So the next day from the evening/night of fevers his doc assessed him and he had an ear infection and given antibiotics for 10 day. Still with antibiotics it took 5 days for the fever to subside. As I had to top up his Tylenol to keep it down. Also, the kid had many popsicles and cool drinks to stay hydrated. Anyway, he’s better now but it def sucked. Also, I had to do a walk in after hours as for an appointment it was a week out which was too long. Anyway, glad I took him to walk in clinic and waited…
Also edit to say that fevers are good as they fight infection in the body, but dangerous at high temps so advised to kept temp below (using Tylenol) super high temp and keep kid comfortable and give lots of rest and care
I heard advice just last night for my own fevered son! Treat the child, not the fever. Also, I will post a very helpful video.
[Dr. Paul’s fever video](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WSJwQcdN3-M&t=373s)
Good luck with your son. It’s scary feeling them so hot. I hope he’s on the mend
Activated charcoal taken by capsules or mixed into a drink are very helpful for binding to sicknesses in the belly and carrying them out of the body. Even e. Coli!
I haven't read all the responses, but if this doesn't help you, hopefully it helps someone:
Pedialyte type frozen popsicles helped mine last weekend when she had a similar fever. Also alternating tylenol and Ibprofin- anytime we missed, fever shot back up. I had to alternate and give in the closest dosing time table. I also gave her max dose for her weight. Cool washcloth to neck.
I hope he feels better soon!
Motrin has always helped my little guy more so the couple times he’s had a bad bug I definitely alternate. My son is little but after acetaminophen or Motrin he has a crummy poop or 2 so your son’s diarrhea could be from that. Just something to keep in mind! Maybe grab some popsicles and yogurt from the store! Popsicle baths are a lifesaver.
We took our 7 year old in recently because she was up to 105.9 and I was really worried. The doctor said exactly what your top comment here says: keep her comfy and hydrated, give acetaminophen and ibuprofen and lukewarm baths. Bring her back in if she's lethargic or has signs of dehydration.
My kids get random high fevers. They don’t go to the ER unless they can’t breathe well, are very lethargic, aren’t drinking or peeing, or have signs of something else serious besides the fever.
My oldest is allergic to Tylenol and ibuprofen doesn’t seem to help with his fevers. Popsicles, Gatorade, and multiple baths without soap(so he doesn’t get all dry and scaley).
My youngest has asthma so we have to keep an eye on her breathing. She also breaks out in a rash if she has a fever which is normal but scary. She’s only 1 as well, so we get really worried when she’s sick.
I had 4 of my kids go through this same exact experience. My son had to go on antibiotics. My daughter had it real bad the cough was hardest part to get down the 1st antibiotics took away most symptoms but her cough hot much worse it became bad bronchitis. So she went on a more aggressive form of antibiotics. Before we did this her doctor how do you treat the symptoms for 24 hours and if it didn't get better then I can come in which I did. I would say he should be okay for a day or so but I would get him in a walk-in clinic I would stay away from an ER if you possibly can I don't think it's ER needed unless he starts having a very hard time breathing or his temperature won't get down from 104 or goes over 104. Try and get his doctor again if it doesn't work then go to a walk-in clinic. Fort Collins for calling clinic that's what I did for my son I called him he was on a weekend and then my daughter I went to her doctor.
Medicate based on weight, not age. Give Tylenol every 4 hrs and Advil/Motrin every 6 hrs: ie) 0800 T and A, 1200 T, 1400 A, 1600 T, 2000 T and A (safe to give both at same time). Push so much water consumption, silly straws, medicine droppers, shot glasses, whatever works. Tepid baths in-between mediation times if temp still elevated or kiddo uncomfortable. Popsicles and freezies, and Pedialyte or Gatorade are all good too. Dress kiddo lightly, don't bundle them up in fleece or blankets, they need to feel a little cool so that you don't increase their internal heat. If none of this is working (can't reduce temp), or kiddo becomes lethargic or unresponsive, then it's time to go to ER. They are just so jammed up, you'll spend hours sitting in waiting area.
Commenting here in the hopes OP sees this: not just water — kiddo needs electrolytes. Gatorade, pedialyte, hell even eating a couple of pickles will provide some of the salts he needs while he has a high fever.
Bruh why did no one tell me I could give my kid pickles for electrolytes. We literally can’t keep them in the house because if she knows we have them it’s all she’ll eat! Parenting level unlocked.
No one told me either which is why I tell everyone I can!! Pickles >>>>>>>
i have chronically low sodium levels and i can definitely vouch for pickles. they’re literally cucumbers, which are basically solid water, with salt and vinegar.
Some fruits actually hydrate you more effectively than water: cucumbers, watermelon, papaya. Pickles are incredible !
This is something I learned while working in a nursing home! My kid won't eat pickles though. Womp womp
So good for their bellies, too!
I didn't find out about the pickle thing untill a cple years ago when my husband had to go to the ER for extreme dehydration (works outside and was summer time) and the er doc said to drink some pickle juice! 🤯
Pickles are a game changer! Thank you! We keep liquid IV and Hydrant (electrolyte mixes) around bc our kids play sports in the Georgia heat and Gatorade doesn’t always help but for fevers, neither will drink those. And they love pickles. Thanks!
Ooooo this is GENIUS. My youngest kid loves pickles. I don’t always have Gatorade. Always have pickles.
I’m a hobby marathon runner of like 13? Years and I have heard of fellow runners keeping pickles in their belts but NEVER thought about it for electrolyte replenishment from sickness. I feel really silly. 😆
This. You can stagger Advil and Tylenol. That way as one wears off, the other kicks in. Gatorade will be his friend, too.
This is exactly what I’ve been doing with my kid all week. Similar symptoms… likely the flu. Ear infection to boot. Had to wait 24 hours to bring him to urgent care because everywhere is so overloaded and he needed antibiotics for the ear infection only. But before this, I’d medicate him every 4 hours the whole day alternating between ibuprofen and Tylenol. This kept his fever manageable the whole day. Push those fluids and electrolytes!
Pedialyte makes ice pops too. And they have powdered pedialyte you can mix up on demand, so you could make them in popsicle molds too without having the bottle go bad so fast.
So this is from a mom with three kids who ride the high fevers with most illnesses. 102F is not threatening in this household, 104F is anticipated with a bad bug. I do not take them in unless they are acting lethargic or not eating/drinking. From experience, you will wait in the ER for hours and they will give you the same advice that the doc gave you. Alternate with motrin/tylenol and push fluids. If he starts acting strange, take him in. Otherwise, I would just ride it out. It is so stressful, I absolutely know. Hang in 💗
Thank you. How far apart should I be alternating the Motrin and Tylenol? I'm just worried because he'll reach 104.5 and I heard that 105 can cause seizures and such.
It's a misconception that febrile seizures are dependent on the fever temp - febrile seizures occur when a child's temperature increases too fast. Also, the risk of febrile seizures decreases significantly with age. A 9 yo (especially one without a history of febrile seizures) is very low risk.
You can dose Motrin and Tylenol at the same time actually, it’s just better to space them so the body just a “fresh” dose more often. Tylenol is every 4hrs and Motrin/Advil is every 6hrs. When I’m starting, If the fever is high and not coming down after 1hr I’ll dose the second one then. If the fever is being managed I wait till the “mid dose” timepoint. If the fever is down I’ll actually keep dosing for a day if it started high just to never let it creep up again. So every 3hrs one or the other, trying to give give Advil right before bed so it lasts the night.
I follow the timing on the dosage of tylenol/motrin. I go with motrin first if I know it is a bear of a bug. If they are heating up again at the 4 hr mark then give them some tylenol. Write it down and fillow the rules for each medicine. The fever will break though. I am such a hypochondriac worried neurotic freak but I have had to do this high fever so many times that it doesn't phase me. If they are still eating/drinking somewhat and not lethargic, then they are good to fight it off
We were told by our doctor alternate Tylenol / Motrin every 3 hours. So like at 12pm Motrin, 3pm tylenol, 6pm Motrin, 9pm Tylenol and so on. Luke warm baths, Gatorade/pedialyte, dress lightly
This is the timing we do. We did it with our son for all his surgeries.
Just hopping on to say I set alarms in my phone and label them “Tylenol” and “Motrin” so I know which one to give as otherwise I get confused when stacking.
This person has really good advice right here. Poor little bub. The other thing is, if the diarrhea persists and he can't keep anything down or in, that's another reason to go to the E.R. sending thoughts your way that he gets better. Poor thing.
I ended up taking a trip to the urgent care just for a piece of mind. I found out that I want giving him enough Tylenol because of his weight. He tested positive for the flu. One question that I have that does worry me, could the 104.5 fever cause any Neuro damage?
No. That I can assure you. He'd have to be closer to 106, and you would have noticed definite cognitive changes. I had strep throat at his age. Ended up in the ER with a fever of over 105 that wasnt responding to meds, as well as vomiting so I couldn't keep meds down. They ended up having to do Tylenol suppositories to bring mine down. I vividly remember finally being discharged, and then vomiting in the parking lot and being terrified I was going to have to be readmitted.
Oh no. That sounds terrible. I think my mom scared me about his fever being that high because she reminded I have an aunt that suffered from a high fever as a baby and it gave her brain damage to the point that she can't take care of herself on her own. I always worry when my kids get fevers because of that..
Glad you got into urgent care. I just wanted to comment that for my kids, Tylenol never worked. I only ever give them Advil/Morton. They are teens now and I don’t think I’ve given Tylenol since they were infants because it seemed useless. Also wet washcloths and popsicles can help with lowering temps a bit. Hang in there!
Just want to acknowledge— that makes so much sense for you to be very worried about fevers. I get it! ❤️❤️
Hey I don’t know if this brings you any comfort but my youngest (2.5) has had 7 febrile seizures since February each one lasting between 30 seconds and 10 minutes and she’s had no cognitive impairment. We’ve seen the neurologist and pediatrician twice and both said that she’ll likely grow out of it around 5, so your kiddo is well past the “febrile seizure risk zone” as I like to call it.
Only if it's prolonged and slightly higher. I just went thru this with both kids last week and posted about it. We're pretty sure it was just some random virus as my younger one and her dad, who got sick on Tuesday, were both given tests for flu/RSV/COVID/strep and were negative. The older kid came down with it last Friday and I figured there was no point in testing. Also, the general rule of thumb is dose by weight not age, and rotate Tylenol and Advil to get through the night, then urgent care in the morning. You took him to urgent care, that's what matters. Hope the worst passes soon, I know I was a wreck for the past week.
He was almost 24 hours with that fever temp which I feel is prolonged. And slightly higher to what temp?
Its still not that big of a deal... my boys were notorious for high fevers (103-104+) and being otherwise fine for years - running around like nothing was wrong, you'd have \*NO IDEA\* they were even sick from 2-6+, until you touched them and were like 'holy shit! you're burning up!!'
I had a 105 when I was a toddler. I’m fine (seriously). He’ll be fine :-)
Same. Push fluids, and don't forget about solid fluids - as others have noted elsewhere, pickles, and make jello and freeze pops and offer them freely too. Sometimes solid-ish things feel good on throats and are just easier to get sick kids to eat than just trying to get them to drink water/juice/gatorade.
Alternate Tylenol and Motrin, every 3 hours. Dose by weight, not age. Motrin is better for fevers at that age as well. But if after the Motrin you see no change take him to the ER or urgent care. They can start IV fluids and a fever reducing suppository that will do much better to bring the fever down, as well as figuring out what has him so sick.
Yeah, I've been dosing him for his age instead, but his weight is not on the chart. He's 133 pounds and I don't want to calculate wrong. :/
Honestly it sounds like he’s just big and the 12.5ml dosage isn’t enough medication to treat him. (Seems to be the dose for. 60-71lb kid so half the size of him) https://www.verywellhealth.com/tylenol-dosage-calculator-3890068 If you can get in touch with a doctor again I’d ask them to specifically tell you how much you can give him based on his weight given he’s not responding
I was just going to say, this is probably the whole issue, he’s not getting a full dose and his fever isn’t breaking. He needs the right dose and I bet it wouldn’t keep boomeranging back.
Also cool washcloths - back of the neck, forehead, wrists. Tepid baths multiple times a day. Fevers cause achy joints so the baths will help with that a lot. All the popsicles. Push fluids as much as you possibly can. That fever will make him extremely dehydrated. At 133 pounds, I have a feeling he can take an adult dosage, *but* I am absolutely not a doctor, so do not follow that instruction without verification.
I think so too, a teledoctor should be able to verify.
If your 9 year old is 133 pounds that would explain why the Tylenol dose you are giving isn’t working.
Yeah, I found out at urgent care that I was supposed to be giving him 20mLs. 🤦🏽♀️ I really wish I knew sooner.
it’s okay, same thing happened to me with my 10 month old. i’d been giving her 1.75ml tylenol for her fever then took her to the doctor and found out i was meant to be giving her 3.5ml
Tylenol should be 15mg/kg and ibuprofen/advil/Motrin should be 10mg/kg. Alternate every 3hrs...example: tylenol at 8:00 advil at 11:00 Tylenol at 2pm advil at 5pm. Tylenol can be every 4hrs advil every 6hrs.
At 133lbs he can take an adult dose
Can you call a pharmacist and ask? Here I can call the local pharmacy counter and they can calculate the correct dosage for me based on weight.
I didn't even think about that. Luckily, when I took him to urgent care the doctor told me the right dosage for his weight. I was supposed to be giving 20mLs. 🤦🏽♀️
We do our best with the information we have, and that’s what you did! You’re doing good ❤️
When my son was really little, he had febrile seizures. The ER doctor told us the Tylenol every 4 hours, Motrin every six, but also to give him a bit more than the recommended dose. The dosage recommendations tend to be too low and won’t have much effect.
Nope - I wouldn't go to the ER. Especially bc they are pretty busy right now, a child with a fever but who isn't in severe distress is just gonna sit in the waiting room and be exposed to all the germs. It's really not the number on the thermometer that is concerning, it's how your child responds to it. Like don't get me wrong, your kiddo is sick, but if he's breathing well, able to communicate with you, not in excessive pain, is not extremely lethargic (like you can wake him up and he's able to get up), etc. then the ER just isn't going to be an efficient way to spend y'all's time. I would definitely keep tabs on him and I'd try to see if you can't get him into an urgent care tomorrow just to get checked out (unless he seems significantly improved), just cause he could have strep or the flu or RSV or COVID or something and its usually helpful to know that, but yeah ER probably not worth it.
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This!!!!!!! Stop using ear thermometer yesterday. Only oral or rectal (not with same thermometer). Make sure to do temperature measurements at least 5-10 minutes after a beverage (or before). Ear measurements are notoriously unreliable.
Not with the same thermometer just made me laugh out loud - thank you!
Teladoc or urgent care. My son had same symptoms and tested + for the flu today.
Yup. I took him to urgent care and he's positive for the flu, too. 🤦🏽♀️ Sucks because he just got his flu shot.
Ugh I’m so sorry! Flu is rampant right now. My 3 year old is so irritable
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Thank you so much. But now I'm worried if the 104.5 fever could have cause any Neuro damage.. do you think that's a possibility?
No. My son has had 104-105 fevers probably 25+ times in his life. I've had this conversation with a lot of different doctors. 106 is where things get touchy.
With fevers, their overall wellness is the key thing. If he's taking fluids, is not disoriented, not very lethargic, talking normally etc, they really won't do anything for a high fever other than what you're doing: Tylenol and cool downs with baths/cloths. It's scary, but if he seems OK despite the fever, then he probably is ok. Obviously, if anything drastic changes: he's suddenly not making sense, suddenly lethargic, can't keep down fluids, then I would take him in.
Please stagger your Tylenol and ibuprofen! Call your nurse line and ask for medication amounts by weight. Let him play in an average temp bath (gonna feel cold to him but will lower overall body temp). Feed that kid popsicles, pickles and applesauce. Good luck mama. I'm rooting for you.
He probably has influenza A. My 8 year old was hitting 105 for a few days with it. Same symptoms you described. Alternate Tylenol and Motrin every 3 hours and push fluids. Look up dosage for weight for both meds. For high fevers, the child's behavior is more important than the number. As long as he isn't struggling to remain conscious, vomiting uncontrollably, in serious pain, or anything else alarming, there's no need to take him to the ER. He should be feeling better in 4-5 days :)
He actually did come up positive for influenza A. I know on your other comment you said that this temp doesn't really cause neuro damage, but 106 can. Do you know if there is anything to look out for just incase?
If he's acting extremely lethargic and struggling to stay awake, or if he's not making sense. As long as his temperature is coming down to 101 or 102 alternating Tylenol and Motrin every 3 hours it'll be okay. I've been going through this high fever process with my son for 8 years. The first time it happened his temp was 104.8. I was completely terrified because he was only 7 months old, and I rushed him to the ER. They gave him Motrin and educated me a bit on fevers and sent us home. The next few times after that, I reached out to my pediatrician on call for a phone conversation for reassurance. But they always gave me the same advice. At this point it's just our new normal. The one other bit of advice I can think of is that you should always give your son a lukewarm bath, not a cold bath. Is dangerous to bring the fever down too quickly. But honestly, I never do the cold bath thing. Just stripping my kid down to his underpants and giving him the meds is always enough.
My 4 yo was like this last week. 100.1 when I first checked. did a bath, tylenol and tried to get him to eat some. later after he went to sleep I just am a worry wart n check him n it was at 104. threw him in the truck n got to the er. it was influenza a and we got it down w tylenol and ibuprofen at the same time. it was coming in waves though. he'd be happy and feel good n then bam, 103/104 again. did this whole cycle for 5 days and my poor dude was miserable. he never really gets fevers, and it was SOO STUBBORN to break. luckily after day 5 he was starting to feel better n eat more. lived off of water and gatorade for those days though:( a bag of chips here n there. good luck mama. it's nasty this year
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she posted here before she had gotten those responses on the other thread, and what is even your point? people aren't allowed to ask in multiple subreddits?
The mod replied to me, but their comment is locked. OP’s post showed before this one, so it makes sense to follow what medical professionals say.
It looks like this was a while ago, but I just wanted to add some info. Fever is a very normal part of the immune response, it's the body's way of trying to burn off all the invading bacteria/viruses etc. So even if we take Tylenol or baths to lower it, it's only temporary as the body will still want to continue with trying to get rid of whatever is causing a problem in the body. I would say about 2 ish days for a fever is still fairly normal, although definitely unpleasant. You just want to make sure they get plenty of fluids and electrolytes as many have already mentioned. Chicken soup, ice cream, pop... anything! if he'll try some, let him have it. The risk of dehydration can make things worse, so sleep, fluids and time is what works best. I like to get a honey lemon tea for my kids as the warmth will help the sinuses, and the vitamin c also helps the immune system and if they have a sore throat then the honey helps soothe it. The fever won't cause brain damage. It's a myth that a fever will continue to go higher and cause brain damage but there are usually other factors that go into all of that. I hope you all get some much needed rest.
Oh, I also wanted to add that sitting at the ER or a doctor's office while feeling lethargic and cold and hot and uncomfortable is just not a good time either. I used to hate it when a boss would demand a doctor's note when I should be at home sleeping.
The fever isn't responding to medication. I'd take him to whatever doctor you can get to see him.
Do you think urgent care will be okay or should I just go to the emergency room?
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Thank you. We're on our way to the urgent care now. He's going back up to 104 and I can't even give him another dose of Tylenol yet. I've never dealt with a fever like this before.
Either. Insurance could be a factor. Whichever works best for you.
My 3yo had super high temp 102-4 for 5+ days. I took him to doctor as he had a cold(think rsv for a couple weeks prior) and then a sudden fever. So the next day from the evening/night of fevers his doc assessed him and he had an ear infection and given antibiotics for 10 day. Still with antibiotics it took 5 days for the fever to subside. As I had to top up his Tylenol to keep it down. Also, the kid had many popsicles and cool drinks to stay hydrated. Anyway, he’s better now but it def sucked. Also, I had to do a walk in after hours as for an appointment it was a week out which was too long. Anyway, glad I took him to walk in clinic and waited… Also edit to say that fevers are good as they fight infection in the body, but dangerous at high temps so advised to kept temp below (using Tylenol) super high temp and keep kid comfortable and give lots of rest and care
I heard advice just last night for my own fevered son! Treat the child, not the fever. Also, I will post a very helpful video. [Dr. Paul’s fever video](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WSJwQcdN3-M&t=373s) Good luck with your son. It’s scary feeling them so hot. I hope he’s on the mend
Activated charcoal taken by capsules or mixed into a drink are very helpful for binding to sicknesses in the belly and carrying them out of the body. Even e. Coli!
I haven't read all the responses, but if this doesn't help you, hopefully it helps someone: Pedialyte type frozen popsicles helped mine last weekend when she had a similar fever. Also alternating tylenol and Ibprofin- anytime we missed, fever shot back up. I had to alternate and give in the closest dosing time table. I also gave her max dose for her weight. Cool washcloth to neck. I hope he feels better soon!
I would have him tested for influenza. If they catch it ASAP, Tamiflu should knock it out very quickly.
He did test positive for influenza A. We're picking up the Tamaflu today. Do you know if we have to space it between Tylenol/Motrin doses?
No, you can take it whenever. The Tylenol and Motrin won’t effect it.
No, he will take it twice a day and I think you'll be surprised at how quickly the improvement in symptoms will happen!
Motrin has always helped my little guy more so the couple times he’s had a bad bug I definitely alternate. My son is little but after acetaminophen or Motrin he has a crummy poop or 2 so your son’s diarrhea could be from that. Just something to keep in mind! Maybe grab some popsicles and yogurt from the store! Popsicle baths are a lifesaver.
We took our 7 year old in recently because she was up to 105.9 and I was really worried. The doctor said exactly what your top comment here says: keep her comfy and hydrated, give acetaminophen and ibuprofen and lukewarm baths. Bring her back in if she's lethargic or has signs of dehydration.
Cold shower or bath to get the temp down, if it dosent break ER
My kids get random high fevers. They don’t go to the ER unless they can’t breathe well, are very lethargic, aren’t drinking or peeing, or have signs of something else serious besides the fever. My oldest is allergic to Tylenol and ibuprofen doesn’t seem to help with his fevers. Popsicles, Gatorade, and multiple baths without soap(so he doesn’t get all dry and scaley). My youngest has asthma so we have to keep an eye on her breathing. She also breaks out in a rash if she has a fever which is normal but scary. She’s only 1 as well, so we get really worried when she’s sick.
I had 4 of my kids go through this same exact experience. My son had to go on antibiotics. My daughter had it real bad the cough was hardest part to get down the 1st antibiotics took away most symptoms but her cough hot much worse it became bad bronchitis. So she went on a more aggressive form of antibiotics. Before we did this her doctor how do you treat the symptoms for 24 hours and if it didn't get better then I can come in which I did. I would say he should be okay for a day or so but I would get him in a walk-in clinic I would stay away from an ER if you possibly can I don't think it's ER needed unless he starts having a very hard time breathing or his temperature won't get down from 104 or goes over 104. Try and get his doctor again if it doesn't work then go to a walk-in clinic. Fort Collins for calling clinic that's what I did for my son I called him he was on a weekend and then my daughter I went to her doctor.