Please help me figure out what's going on with my daughter

[maddymama]

Hi Moms,

DD1 who is 4.5 years old was admitted to the hospital for dehydration from rotavirus a few weeks ago. She recovered fully, but dehydration is a "hot button" for me right now, and DD1 is sick again and I'm nervous that she's going to run a fever so long she'll get dehydrated again. 

Monday at 1:00 am, she woke up freaking out, threw up a bunch of mucus, complained of a bad sore throat, and was running a bit of a fever.  We gave her Tylenol and helped her rest.  She threw up again around 7:00 am Monday morning, and then her fever dropped mid-day and she was fine.  Around 4:00 pm her fever was back, up to 102.5 last night.  In the middle of the night she woke up crying again (and begged to go to the ER, said she was sick of being sick, and didn't want to be tough or fight her illness anymore- poor kid, these statements broke my heart).  She threw up mucus twice and finally went back to sleep two hours later.

I took her this am (Tuesday) to see the pedi. Her rapid strep test came back negative, and we discussed treating it like a virus. He said her sinuses look fine, her ears are fine, belly fine, but she has swollen glands and a very red throat.  We are waiting the results of her long strep test, and trying to help keep her comfortable (and hydrated).

Help!  What might this be if it's not strep or a virus?  What can I ask her doctor to look for if we go back on Thursday or Friday?  What should I be looking for at home? 

What can I do to help her be more comfortable? Besides Tylenol for the pain and fever,  I've tried slushies, chamomile and honey tea, a spoonful of straight honey, chicken broth soup, and Capri Sun with limited success.  She cries with every sip of every drink. 

Also, if this does come back positive for strep on the long test, has anyone done the 1 shot dose of penicillin vs. the 10 day treatment?  How was it? 

Thank you for reading this and for any and all suggestions!

~maddymama

[JayGee]

Oh Mama!  That sounds so difficult.  My DD1 had a negative rapid strep last month, but came back positive for strep on the overnight culture.  Within 24 hours of antibiotics she was feeling fine.  As for the shot v. 10 days, I have had the shot myself and although I prefer it (once and done mentality), I wouldn't put my child through it.  They do it in the butt, and it's a very thick medication so a long, slow push.  YOWCH!  Hope your DD gets better soon.

[maddymama]

Kristina,

Thanks for the info... still waiting on the culture to come back.

Do you think getting the numbing spray on your butt would have helped the shot not hurt so much?  In our pedi office, you can get the numbing spray on your skin beforehand if you ask for it.

DD is doing a bit better today, but it's hard to tell what is Tylenol and what isn't.

~maddymama

[neetling]

I've had the shot and it wasn't really the stick that hurt so bad, it was the medicine being pushed in.

[lastrid]

We used a homeopathic remedy for strep and it cleared up just as quickly as with antibiotics.  I'll have to look to see which it was...

Here's a good little blurb about it:  http://ezinearticles.com/?Effective-Alternatives-for-Antibiotics-in-the-Treatment-of-Strep-Throat&id=225747  I think we used the phytolacca which we purchased at Wegmans.

[Llyra]

I've had the needle, too. It's not the stick that hurts-- it's the medicine going in, and it's not just a brief hurt-- it aches for hours afterwards.

[maddymama]

Thanks all for the information!

It turns out that DD1 had a virus that was similar in appearance and symptoms to  strep.  The long test came back negative this am, and she is feeling much better.  Fingers crossed to get past the 4:00 bewitching hour, but she seems like her ususal energetic self today.

In the future, we'll probably forgo (?SP) the injection and do the 10 day treatment as she is good at taking meds.

~maddymama