recurring fever in 6 year old - Children's Health Message Board

rachelspop · 06-13-2003, 08:19 PM

Hi. I'm new to this board, so hello to all, and THANK YOU in advance for any assistance provided.

My six year old son is just completing his kindergarten year and has lost upwards of 25 school days to a recurring high fever.

More than once per month his temperature will spike to around 104 degrees. Once, this was the result of strep throat, but every other time he tested negative for the strep bug. The only other symptoms are lack of appetite and general lethargy. The condition lasts for 2-4 days then he's ok again.

He's been to his pediatrician at least a dozen times in the last 7 months. If he tests negative for strep, the instruction is to give him plenty of fluids and dose him with Motrin every six hours to control the fever. No other action is taken.

I don't think that a child should be this sick this often and am terrified that this is symptomatic of something more serious. He's just come down with it again (on wednesday of this week) and is still sick.

Has anyone out there had a similar experience or any idea of what could be causing this?

PinkPiglet · 06-13-2003, 08:49 PM

Wow can I relate with you! My 7yod in grade 1 has had the same thing. She's missed 19 days so far.

She had pneumonia once and the rest of the time was just high fever and cough. Over and over and over again!

Next year we're homeschooling and I'm hoping it will give her a break from being sick. I personally think it's her immune system that is out of wack and she's catching everything that passes by her.

We have to wait 7 months to get into an asthma specialist for her and they are going to do immune testing from there. Her asthma acts up every time she gets a "cold" or cough.

Sorry I can't answer it any better... just wanted you to know you are not alone.

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Pink

rachelspop · 06-14-2003, 06:00 AM

After I posted this message last night, I went further into the message board and think I may have identified the problem.

This is from another post: "Yes my 6 year old was diagnosed with P.F.A.P.A this morning. She has had all the described symptoms for about 2 years. We have missed alot of work due to doctors not believing us. Our Pediatrition was informed of the fevers with no symptoms and she thought we were nuts. We kept taking her back about once amonth for these fevcers and some illness such as strep, ear infections colds combined with PFAPA. She finally called the CDC and they saw her today. Dr Feder dianosed her in about an hour. He has writen papers on this which can be found by typing Periodic fevers in the google.com search window. We are just starting our battle with this disease. They are putting her predisone in anither 21 to 28 days. Hope this helps. Good Luck !!"

Please do not post web links without first getting the permission of the moderator. Thank you.
Go there. It may help. Good luck

[This message has been edited by kitaki (edited 06-15-2003).]

rachelspop · 06-17-2003, 05:46 PM

Thanks for the suggestion, 7mommy.

I will definitely investigate this.

kymomlee · 06-18-2003, 04:10 PM

Has the pediatrician ever done any lab work? Check a white blood cell count. that tells you whether an infectous process is happening and they can do it with a finger stick. IF the WBC is elevated they run a differential which can tell you if it is a virus or something else.
one other thing, did the doctor do the quick strep test in the office? that only test for one kind of strep and there are multiple types

[This message has been edited by kymomlee (edited 06-18-2003).]