5 year old always sick! - General Health Message Board

jenn.e · 03-18-2005, 01:13 PM

My niece who will be 5 this month is always sick. I am very worried. This last month she had a fever of 105 and my sis took her to the ER. They kept her until it went down. Then again today she was at 103 and she went to the doc. They always tell her its the flu. But she seems to get "the flu" 2-3 times a month. Its also never contagious. Her brothers nor cousins never get it. When she was 5 months old she got meningitis and recovered. Ever since then this little girl is always sick. They have done blood tests and cultures that have all came back normal. I worry that something really serious may be wrong that they are over looking. Any ideas
Thanks, Jen

AprilPow · 03-18-2005, 09:02 PM

My kids are sick often. I've noticed since my oldest started school, the little one gets sick but everyone else is fine. It may be viruses they are bringing home and she is just sensitive.

ticker · 03-18-2005, 10:03 PM

You may want to consider Lyme disease as a possibility. Lyme disease is a multi-system bacterial infection caused from the bite of an infected tick. It often starts out as flu-like symptoms. Ticks can also transmit several co-infections, including ones that can cause a high fever.

When Lyme disease is a possibility, it is very important to see a knowledgeable doctor. No test is completely reliable. A negative test does not rule out Lyme. The best Lyme pediatrician is Dr. Charles Ray Jones in New Haven, CT. He sees patients from all over and has helped a lot of children. You may want to call his office for advice.

For more information on Lyme disease (including a symptom list), see the Lyme disease board at this site.

Keep searching, you will find out what is wrong. I hope your niece feels better soon.

Soibhan · 03-18-2005, 10:11 PM

I'm wondering if your niece could have a hidden strep infection that somehow isn't being detected. When my son was in 3rd grade, he got strep 7 times in a row and was really SICK! His fever was high and it didn't always show up on the culture. After 6 rounds of antibiotics, we ended up having to see a new doctor and she prescribed a different antibiotic and he's 21 now and never had strep again. Don't know if it was that particular antibiotic or if he just finally managed to kick it. So you might ask your doctor about the possibility of strep. Could someone in your family possibly be a carrier?

blondy2061h · 03-19-2005, 06:51 AM

This is a very off the wall idea, but I was having fevers all the time and I was tested for familial hibernian and familial mediterranian fever diseases. I don't know much abou tthem, but the symptoms include high fevers with stomach and joint pain. They are genetic diseases and are extremely rare. A simple blood test showed that I don't have it.