how to help teething/feverish/snotty 2yo?

[♥ms.pacman♥]

any suggestions appreciated!! yesterday DS came down with a fever in the afternoon (102),had a pleghmy cough, very snotty and extremely irritable and he said his ear hurt. instead of him napping i took him to the ped, and strep test was neg, ears fine, lungs fine...say just a really bad virus (the 2nd one, last week on Thurs he came down with a fever, vomited a few times, etc..i assumed he had HF &M virus which is what DD had)...he was MUCH better this weekend but then yesterday started seeming sick again... i guess he caught something else :(

now i realize that when i ask DS where it hurt he wasn't pointing to his ear, but to the bottom of his ear,near his jaw. I see him sometimes reach his fingers in his mouth. So I think all 4 of his molars are coming out, which probably doesn't help things.

Anyway, how to help? Would Orajel help here (or is that just for young babies?) Honestly i've never had to give anything to either kid for teething so i have no idea. We do have a humidifier in his room, and i run it whenever he's sleeping and i think it helps. I've been giving him pedialyte popsicles since he likes things pretty cold it seems. Last night he was very whiny and snotty but managed to sleep 10-7 without waking up (miraculous)..though i didn't sleep much, i was still so wound up from the craziness. Today this morning his fever was down to 100, but he was still very irritable, moaning and whining and nauseous every now and then. :( I gave him Ibuprofen last night, but have not given him any this morning, since i think somewhere I read that it should only be used when they have a high enough fever or something...

Also, he usually drinks 8 oz cows milk in the morning and then before bed. Is cows milk bad for all the pleghm/mucus? He is so snotty/pleghmy right now. I also worry if it will irritate his tummy (i can't handle dairy for the most part, but i know kids are different). I've been giving him crackers, pears, and diluted juice. He sometimes asks for cheese and stuff but i don't want to give him that if his tummy is weak.

Sorry for all the rambling. I am exhausted, DH is out of town this week and i just have no idea what to do, and i hate googling because it always takes me to sites that say things like "if your kids have this virus, it could mean they have menigitis" or something, which freaks me out even more...

[lmh2402]

when DS is super snotty, milk makes him puke. so...proceed with caution.

i've been taught by the wise mamas on here...when DS is sick like that...really irritable and acting like he's not feeling well...i go with whatever works to help him relax & feel better

offer whatever foods...and if he opts for no food, i try to manage my nerves and remember that he will eventually eat again. and let it go

we had literally five days last year, when DS ate nothing but water and juice and occasionally a little bit of milk.

as for suspected teething pain...not sure about orajel. but if it were me, and he were sick/running fever and expressing discomfort, i would give him tylenol or ibuprofen.

i hope he feels better!!

[BDKmom]

Poor little guy! It stinks when they are sick and you don't feel like there is much you can do for them. I would skip the cow's milk, it can definitely thicken the mucous. Push other fluids (water, juice), which can help keep him hydrated and thin the mucous. I would keep up with the popsicles if they seem to help with the teething pain. They will be helpful for hydration, too. I usually give DS ibuprofen for teething pain, even if he doesn't have a fever and especially if he has multiple teeth coming in at once.

That's about all I know to do. Hope he feels better soon!

[♥ms.pacman♥]

thanks for the reply! the thing is, DS does have an appetite every now and then..like this morning he was screaming for his milk and he downed 8 oz so fast. he then was asking for Pirates booty and crackers. I thought he was feeling much better, but then an hour or so later i could tell his tummy was feeling sick..i thought he was going to puke any second. It went away but still..he says his tummy aches. My problem is having to say no to him eating/drinking stuff that i fear may make him sick..

and i may go out and get some tylenol..i think we just have ibuprofen. the dr mentioned something about alternating tylenol/ibuprofen every 3 hours. anyway, wasn't sure if i should give it to him if he didn't have a high fever (today it was around 100).. i've just been giving him those LIttleColds honey syrup for his throat/cough.

[BDKmom]

My problem is having to say no to him eating/drinking stuff that i fear may make him sick.

Maybe just try to have some other things around to offer that wouldn't be as harsh on his tummy? I don't know what he likes, but stuff like mashed potatoes, jello, popsicles, toast. But if he won't go for the alternatives, I would probably be like you and just let him have what he's asking for. Maybe just try to get him to do small portions at a time and not overload his tummy.

[crl]

I would definitely give ibuprofen.

Catherine

[♥ms.pacman♥]

thanks y'all! i just gave him a dose of ibuprofen, since he definitely seemed warmer than this morning, and was feeling lethargic, clingy, etc. That was half an hour ago, and he seems a bit better now, laughing, eating popsicle, etc.

and i think i will skip the milk for tonight...our nanny was just telling me how milk puke is really nasty and not fun to clean up at all...so that's another reason to avoid it!!