Can we talk about high fevers

[lovemybubus]

All 3 of my kids seem to have a propensity for high fevers. A cold means a high fever, the flu, same thing. Sometimes they get fevers for 1-3 days with no other symptoms and while I usually never take their temps I have in the past and they easily get up to 106. I was wondering: Is there a genetic predisposition?

Last night my dd did take some Motrin at her request. Said she wanted something to take the pain away so that she could play (she'll be 5 in 1 week). Last night in bed her fever was so high that she was hallucinating. This is not the first time she has done this. I feel like other kids get sick, we all do, right? But I feel like the only one that deals with fevers of this magnitude.

FTR, my pediatrician never seems concerned. He says it's the collective symptoms not just the high fever. But why do theirs get so high? Or does this happen to other moms and I just never hear about it?

[angelachristin]

My son seems to have a tendency for this, as well. When he was an infant, a cold or an ear infection would easily have him at 104, 105. I ran to the ER with him just wearing a diaper one day with his temperature over 105 when he was probably about 8 months old. That's just how he is. I have found that medicating it made it worse and made the fever hang around longer, it sounds like you don't do that though, which is good. Two weeks ago we all had a cold and DS was the only one with a fever. He hung around about 102-103 all day and night, and then when he woke the next day the fever was gone. DH, DD (11 months), and I also got the cold but we only got runny noses and sneezing.

I did read where kids who have the highest fevers have the healthiest immune systems. It's good to have a nice strong fever response when the body needs it.

[deditus]

My dd generally runs high fevers, too - the best part - i don't medicate them and she is often symptom free! Meaning, she runs a fever for 12-36 hours and burns off whatever it is and doesn't get the cough/cold/sneeze/ whatever gunk. I worried about it at first (because of not knowing WHAT she was sick with) but it has happened enough times around other people who did get symptomatically ill that I have to assume it was the same illness.

[EllyMayMomma]

While normally I am not a fan of medicating, my youngest has high temps and I medicate when it gets up to 104 or if he gets lethargic. I would take him to the ER if his temp was 105 and not coming down with medication. 106 - I am sorry but that is dangerous and hallucinations should be a clue that a temp that high is not good for the brain. I have several doctor friends and while we do not see eye to eye on most medical stuff, I have never met a doctor that would not take a temp of 106 plus hallucinations very seriously. That really floors me. Perhaps the doc does not believe that they are really going to 106 or that she is having mental symptoms.

[lovemybubus]

Good to know I'm not alone in dealing with fevers. But to Elly May, what would the ER do? The night she had the hallucinations I don't know that her fever was 106--I didn't take it but I do know she had restless sleep all day and thought maybe it's also a combination of dreams and sleeplessness, make sense? But it is scary. My ped truly is not frightened by high fevers, maybe he understands that some kids just get higher fevers? This is something I will discuss with him. When she woke up yesterday morning the fever had broke and she seemed a lot more herself. It did come back last night but today she is resting.

[Marnica]

http://www.unhinderedliving.com/fever.html

also Dr. Greene has this to say

Many parents fear that fevers will cause brain damage. Brain damage from a fever will not occur unless the fever is over 107.6 degrees F (42C) for an extended period of time. Many also fear that untreated fevers will keep going higher and higher, up to 107 degrees F or even more. Untreated fevers caused by infection will seldom go over 105 degrees unless the child is overdressed, or trapped in a hot place. The brain's thermostat will stop the fever from climbing above 106 degrees F.

http://www.drgreene.com/blog/2001/06...brile-seizures
glad she's feeling a bit better. I agree with this article 100%

[lovemybubus]

Thanks Marnica! I know these things to be true in my heart but geesh people really are terrified of fevers and then my kids tend to get these high ones and I cannot always filter the fear (when of course I am worried about my lo as it is). And then really my question always is the same, what would the ER do anyway? She is 100% back to herself tonight without any other symptoms, maybe just a little tired and appetite is at about 85%

[tanyalynn]

I can chime in from the opposite end of the spectrum, DS got sick a lot as a baby/toddler and he never ran fevers. It wasn't until about a year ago (he's 4 now) that he started having fevers with his illnesses and overall I think his immune system is functioning better now than it was when he was younger. I think starting to run fevers has been a very good sign for him.

That said, there are a lot of supportive things you can do to help your kids get through illnesses faster, and if they help, the side effect would be shorter and possibly lower fevers. Vitamin C has been great at reducing the severity of DS's illnesses, he gets through them faster, and just this summer I've started playing with cell salts (there's a long thread) and I really like them, both for general use and specifically for illness, I think the kids' illnesses are less severe and shorter in duration with them. I'm sure there's lots more, I keep finding more and more things to add to my toolbox of ideas.

[es1967]

My DS who is almost 4 now also runs really high fevers. He's had them run 105 -106. It scares me everytime and I once ran to the ER when he was around 2 yrs old. All we did was wait in a hospital bed and they monitored him-gave him a popsicle. It was not fun so thats something I would not do unless really necessary. Now I know better.
I really try to not medicate but like you mentioned he also started hallucinating the last time. I'm fine with 104 but over that if he is really feeling horrible I give him something. I wish I had the confidence to not give it but I get scared and DH would medicate at 101 if he was in charge so I really get the pressure. I've been planning to get some of the recommendations on the homeopathic thread. Will check out the cell salts too. Otherwise my DS is very healthy and gets over his illness very quickly. He just runs really high fevers. Hopefully it is a sign of a strong immune system. I do give him SA, elderberry etc etc which I really think helps.

[stayo22]

My 2 yr old daughter has high fevers too. I feel that she has a very healthy immune system. She is two and has had a total of 5 colds her whole life. Every cold usually means a 104 degree fever though (which worries me at times and I check her like a nutcase every 30 minutes!!) I know I shouldn't fear her high fevers but I can't help myself.

I'm glad to read that other children are like this. I finally told myself after her last cold that this is just the way she is (and was thinking it was some odd thing) but it is comforting to know that others are like her!

[es1967]

My DS seems to only get the high fevers with flu's-not with just a cold. I'm not sure about others but my son is rarely ever cold. He hates being covered up at night. Was wondering if this has something to do with it? That he has a high internal body temp or something.

Ofcourse after I wrote this DS came down with a fever. He was fine all day then tonight he started feeling bad. I thought he just had a cold but I guess he can have a fever w the cold.