Re: Letting Run its Natural Course?

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Our daughter Hannah is almost 4 now and started fevering at around 10

months. For about 8 months we dealt with the fevers believing it was a

virus, using Tylenol and Motrin. Then we had moved, changed doctors,

and we became suspisious and had a pedi who was really searching, so

we did a few tests to exclude other illnesses, etc., then went to see

Infectious Dis. Doc who diagnosed her with and said we could use

Predn. So ever since then, we only take her to the Doc when we are not

sure what is going on or when she has a 'real' thing (which does not

happen often as she is extremely healhty in between fevers) and for

regular check-ups. Even though we minimized her doctors visits she

hates them and is very opinionated about not going ( " I am fine

already, no, nothing hurts, etc.). We have used predn. a few times and

always keep it at home for emergencies, like vacations, birthdays,

other important holidays, or important work stuff, ... Generally, we

only use tylenol chewables b/c it is the ONLY thing she takes

volntarily. A year ago we wanted to try tagamet b/c we felt it was a

fairly harmless drug but we could not get her to take it, we really

really tried every way of doing it, no success (I followed all

suggestions and more that I got from this listserve).

Anyway, all this to say that we generally feel that we don't have to

'treat' since with there is nothing to treat other than lowering

the fever and make her feel better. Over the last six to ten months

the episodes have become more sporadic, less than once a month, and

soemtimes they only last for a day (without predn.), or she has some

joint pain and stomach ache but the fever never comes... However, I

don't dare to say yet that she is growing out of them. I used to write

it down on the calendar, now we just try to live our life and when it

comes we deal with it. We have a very cooperative all day private

pre-school, where they call me and would tell me when she starts a

headache and gets warm, they give her tylenol and she generally gets

through the day since the fever really onsets at night. I have not

even measured her fevered in two years. I know when she is warm, when

she is hot, and when she is really really hot. Her general symptoms

are headaches, joint pain usually in knees and feet, stomach ache and

the actual fever (with some vomiting when it rises too high while she

sleeps or when the belly hurts too much).

She is a true hero, a very well adjusted and happy child, absolutely

normal development, and while I wish that these fevers would just

finally stop and we did have rough times, I am at a point where I know

it could be much much worse. Long answer to a short question - but I

think it is absolutely ok to have run its natural way - I think

about this as an immature and in many ways overactive immune system so

over the long run I am sure it will start being 'normal " .

best of luck with your decision on what to do, but don't feel like you

have to do more than keeping the fever down, do what makes your child

feel normal and ok.

Durham, NC

[Guest guest]

My 4 year old has and until about 6 months ago we did not have and name

for his fevers or a treatment He suffered a lot with very high fevers for 6 to

8 days and every 6 weeks Although is not life threating did does alter

their quality of life My son has missed out on mant Birthday parties and days

of preschool and playdates because of fevers not to mention he is absolutely

miserable when he is sick So far the prendisone was helping and cut he fever

time down to 1 day He feels better but now the prendisone does not seem to be

doing the trick but I am glad that I tried it Good luck

Amy