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Child Frequently Gets High Fever, Complains Of Back And Leg Pain, Tiredness. Had Taken Antibiotics For Cough. Cause?
My 11 year old boy, normally very healthy getting high temperatures often. He complains about back pain , leg pain (this was after a baseball pratice on Sat though). He woke up this morning, face was red but his temperture was normal & went to school. Now he is back & his body temp is up & tired. Hw was taken to a doc one week back & was given Amoxycillyn for cold & cough . What would be going wrong? Thanks
Sat, 22 Jun 2013
Hello,
A fever is the body's response to an infection. It is the body trying to cook the virus or bacteria and make the cells of the immune system more efficient. Fevers require energy so we feel tired and often get muscle aches with them. I typically do not have patients intervene with a fever until it hits 105 degrees F/40.6 C.
Antibiotics only work on bacterial infections. If your son has a viral infection causing his cough the antibiotics did not kill the virus and he is still fighting it. Viruses have week long cycles typically, so if the symptoms last more than 1 week it will take another week to clear the infection. To help him do this he should rest, drink plenty of water, eat broth with garlic (anti-viral), and if you can some form of hydrotherapy to increase is immune system function. After a hot bath have him put on a t shirt run under cold water and wrung out so it is damp but not dripping, then wrap him in a blanket until the shirt is dry. The same can be done with socks.
If the pains and fevers last more than 2 weeks he should have a CBC with differential and Complete metabolic panel lab tests done to make sure there is not something more serious going on.
In good health,
Dr. Walters
A fever is the body's response to an infection. It is the body trying to cook the virus or bacteria and make the cells of the immune system more efficient. Fevers require energy so we feel tired and often get muscle aches with them. I typically do not have patients intervene with a fever until it hits 105 degrees F/40.6 C.
Antibiotics only work on bacterial infections. If your son has a viral infection causing his cough the antibiotics did not kill the virus and he is still fighting it. Viruses have week long cycles typically, so if the symptoms last more than 1 week it will take another week to clear the infection. To help him do this he should rest, drink plenty of water, eat broth with garlic (anti-viral), and if you can some form of hydrotherapy to increase is immune system function. After a hot bath have him put on a t shirt run under cold water and wrung out so it is damp but not dripping, then wrap him in a blanket until the shirt is dry. The same can be done with socks.
If the pains and fevers last more than 2 weeks he should have a CBC with differential and Complete metabolic panel lab tests done to make sure there is not something more serious going on.
In good health,
Dr. Walters
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