Daughters Fever and When to Take Her to the Doctors

Updated on May 04, 2009
L.J. asks from Howell, MI
19 answers

My daughter who will be 6 in a week came home after school with a high fever over 102.5. This was last Thursday the 24th. She continued this fever all through the weekend, and was fine for school Monday. A few times this week her fever spiked again and was really high friday night. My question is when do you take you kids to the docs? My husband thinks if we take her in they will make a big deal of it thinking it is the swine flu, which i don't think it is. She has no other symptoms except she has lost her appetite this last week and has not been eating her lunches at school and very little dinner. I gave her tylenol the first couple days when it started but then she would be up jumping around becasue she felt better but i have since not given her any in hopes she would rest and get better on her own. Any suggestions as to what to do would be great. Thank you

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So What Happened?

I probably should have said her fever came and went, it wasn't constantly ever day that high, but i appreciate all the responses. her fever is gone, and she is fine.

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A.D.

answers from Detroit on

I would take her to the doctor. It could be strep throat my daughter just went through the same thing and that is what it was.

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A.T.

answers from Detroit on

I don't think it is the swine flu. But I would take her just in case! Do you want to be that parent that deny's the fact that it could be, just to later regret that decision?

Good luck

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T.M.

answers from Detroit on

I've had some great experience (unfortunately) with high fevers, with my children reaching as high as 105 & having the onset for seizures. Something is causing the fever to linger, and she may have been successful in fighting it off, but after 5 days of spiking off & on, it's important to have her checked - I was always told 5 days is the 'rule of thumb' more or less. Good luck & I certainly hope she feels better soon.

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J.S.

answers from Detroit on

Hi L., As most of the mom's have suggested please take her in. It cant hurt! Plus with a fever that has lasted this long it seems it could be an infection. Maybe inner ear or throat that your daughter is not telling you. I understand waiting a day or two because sometimes thier bodies do fight off what ever is bugging them...but it seems this is not the case for your daughter. Doesnt sound like the swine flu so I wouldnt worry that your Dr. would just assume that is what it is. There are specific symptoms for that. Good luck with everything:)

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C.H.

answers from Detroit on

The fever with no other symptoms has been going around....I had it for a week in March. So weird, because I have never had that before, a fever with absolutely no other symptoms. Well I finally called the doc on day 5 (which was a friday) and of course they didn't have anymore appts that day, they told me to go to urgent care on saturday, but it went away after 6 days. I would say if this has lasted longer than a week to go ahead and call the doc

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C.B.

answers from Detroit on

Get some immune booster in her too.

I'm thinking there's a huge overdone panic with the swine flu too.

Tylenol is really not the best for anyone. I'd go with Motrin for kids or find something suitable at Better Health/Whole Foods. they'll be far better. I'm not above using ibuprofen or excedrin. But I stay away from tylenol. And especially for such a little tyke!

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R.S.

answers from Detroit on

HI L.,
My daughter who is also 6 years old gets this about once a year. She calls it "The Fever" And that is exactly what it is, nothing more. This last attack also lasted about a week and several other children in her school had it. My opinion is that it is a bug going around. As soon as she had Tylenol or Motrin she would feel like a million bucks, but as soon as it wore off she was back to feeling yucky. I would take her to the doctor if you think they can do anything. Maybe I would call them first and talk to the nurse to see if they can even do anything. You may find that it is just a virus going around. I know it is the worst thing when your kids are sick and you want to do anything you can to make it better.

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L.O.

answers from Detroit on

my dr says a child with a fever for 48 hours should be seen by a dr.

However ... my duaghter is a fever girl.. she always gets a fever no matter what kind of bug she catches.. so after taking her to the dr several time with a fever that she has had for 48 hours..and having the dr say it is just a virus...I now wait 72 hours to see if the fever breaks..

It is important to notice how they are acting a listless child just laying on the couch with a 100 degree fever might be a lot sicker than a child with a 102 feve that is dancing around the room.

If she continues to be feverish.. take her to the dr on mondya.. but avoid the ER or you might be there for days with all the swine flu folks..!!!

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L.M.

answers from Detroit on

Take her in she might have something secondary going on like strep throat. My dtr never complains when she has strep throat but I know by the fever. It will make you feel better to take her in too. THat's what the doctor is for..

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S.S.

answers from Detroit on

Hi L.,

Please take her to the Dr.s it has lasted long enough. It probably is not the swine, but it could be something else. Please don't think you can over react with such a high fever. My doc, usually never worries about a fever, his question is always what is causing the fever? Take her in, you don't want to regret it. Our kids are the most prescious things in life. Please call the dr.

Good luck,
S.

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C.M.

answers from Detroit on

Fevers are scarey but they do serve a purpose. It's the body heating up to fight off whatever is invading....those invisible enemies! When my kids were little (they are 30, 27 and 25 now) our doctor always said 103 was the limit. The times I did give tylenol they would do the same thing, quit feeling "peek-ed" and start being up and not resting. If she is eating a bit and staying hydrated and has NO other syptoms, achey,vomiting any rash,or sore throat she is fine and fighting it off on her own. She is also old enough to tell you how she is feeling. If she was an infant, I would be a little more apt to take her to the doc, but even then ours always said a 103 is still OK. It's probably a virus and there's nothing to do about it anyway. Go with your gut.

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L.S.

answers from Grand Rapids on

With a fever for that many days she needs to be seen. It probably isn't swine flu but there are other things out there and some won't go away on their own and you are making her suffer longer waiting to be checked out. Also I think not giving her meds because she "feels" fine and runs around isn't the best way to go. My DD is the she way but once the meds wear off she's right back down. I personally don't feel that's a reason to not help her get though whatever is making her not feel good.

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S.W.

answers from Lansing on

L.,
I'm sorry to hear that your daughter is sick, we have a house full of sick kids as well. It sounds like your daughter just has a bug and it trying to fight it off. I would say fallow your gut, if you are that worried about it you can always call your doctors office and talk with the nurse and see what they say. They may say you are doing the right thing, keep water/juice in her give her tylonal for the fever. With the flu going around they very well might now want her to come in. But it sounds like you are doing all the right things and you just have to let it work it self out of her body. I sure hope she feels better soon :)

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V.G.

answers from Grand Rapids on

A high fever for that long is cause enough to take her to the doctors. While it may not be the swine flu, it could be something else equally as important, or dangerous. I believe the bottle of tylenol says something about consulting a doctor if you have to take it for so many days in a row. While you haven't been giving it to her recently, you should/could have been.

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K.M.

answers from Detroit on

If her appitite hasn't come around by monday and she still has a fever take her in. Theyusually like to see them if you can't get the fever to go away in 24hrs. To me it sounds like she may have a virus which can last up tpt 3 weeks to a month. She probably has that mad virus stomach flu everyones been hit with. Does she have diaharria? If so do not send her to school till this passes. Your just recontaminating everyone else. I would take her in on Monday if she still has symptoms just to make sure its the stomach flu or not something else. She could have something else her body is trying to fight. Sometimes kids can have strepp without a sore throat. Thats a big thing going around. Another thing is ear infections sometimes don't show anything but fevers. Just take her in I am sure she is fine but If its beena week of fevers on and off I would have her looked at. I would have after three days of it. This is rule of thumb Spike a temp for 24 hrs see dr. If no temp but is sick for over 10 days see a dr. But if sick and gets a tempature see dr after 24 hrs.

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K.K.

answers from Saginaw on

i usually take mine in when the fever is over 102...that temp seems to signify a bacterial infection, like strep or an ear infection, where antibiotics would help.
any lower is usually just something viral
I usually only give tylenol at that temp too...

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P.D.

answers from Detroit on

My rule of thumb for children is to go to the DR. when the fever is above 100°F. That's when it goes from low grade to high. High grades can be very dangerous. Now if her later fevers were below 100°F, I would be less concerned.

In general, fevers are good things. It's the body's natural response to killing foreign threats. I wouldn't even give tylenol. Let the body do its work. In the end, the body is much stronger for building antibodies.

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K.V.

answers from Detroit on

A fever for this long could be a sign of somehting that needs an antibiotic. I would take her in. If they want to check and make sure that it isn't the swine flu, all they have to do is a swab test. They won't make a big deal of it, I would guess that they are checking everyone with flu like symptoms and the last thing that they want is every person to be in their office in a panic. I hope that she gets better soon. Probably just an ear infection or something like that.

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K.M.

answers from Detroit on

I would rather be safe then sorry. Since it has gone on for so long I would get her in to the Dr. as soon as you can. It is probably just a virus but to make both of you feel better I would go to the Dr. also sending her to school when she is sick is passing it on to the other kids. I am sure you hate to have her miss school however you don't want to spread it around no matter what it is.
Keep us posted.
K.

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