Not treating a fever?

Another fever question, I had a look through this section but I can't sit here to long looking for the right answer so I am really sorry if this has been asked so many times before.

DD1 has a cold and has a fever. I just checked her and it is at 38.3. For the last couple of days I have been treating this with panadol. When the temp goes down she runs around, plays is fine but when it comes back up she lays down and rests. I know she needs to rest to help her body fight her cold so my question is, if I keep monitering her temp every half hour, is it okay to not medicate and try and let the fever do it thing and keep her resting. I am giving her plenty of water.

My old GP has told me to always medicate when they have a temp.

Thanks to anyone who can help.

I seldom treat a fever. It has a function, and it needs to serve that function.
If their temperature reaches dangerous levels, then I will treat. But Panadol is ALWAYS a last resort in this house, it is nasty stuff. I actually didn't even have any in the house for months we use it so infrequently.
Cool flannels, plenty for fluids and/or breastmilk, tepid bath if needed, rest and cuddles. I tend to follow their cues when they are ill, just as I instinctively know what/how I want to be when I am sick, so do they.

That is my totally non-medical opinion, learned from my highly-trained nurse mother... ;) LOL

My big girls have both just had horrid colds with very high temps. Most of the time I tried to reduce their temps the natural way - not too much by way of covers, cooler baths/showers, quiet time on the couch etc. Having said that, when their temps reached 40 I was reaching for the panadol pretty damn fast

Check out the RCH fact sheets, basically up to 38 is considered normal and if it's over 38.5 and they are miserable you can adminster panadol. I don't give panadol unless the fever is over 39.5 and they are lethargic/flat/in pain. Otherwise I monitor every half hour and see how they go with lots of fluids.

Yeah, I don't give panadol until temp is dangerous if I can help it. A fever is the body fighting it off so they will get better faster if you let them have a fever for a while :) HTH :hug:

Thanks ladies. Very helpful. It is what I thought that we get a fevers for a reason and it has a job to do and that if I medicate then could it perhaps hamper or prolong the recovery.

30 minutes after my first post her temp went up to 38.8. Put cold washers on her head and back of neck. 20 minutes later it was up to 39.0 so we went to shower. Just took her temp again and it is 39.6. She is drinking and asking for toast.

Is her temp rising fast?

Sorry if seeming clueless, seems rational thinking has left my brain at the moment. I hate seeing her so miserable:(

If it was rising that fast and up that high I would give her some panadol hun, it's not going to hurt her to have it ITMS and that is just what I would do - she's 2 1/2 right? I would do that with my 4 and 5 year old and tended to act quicker when they were younger :hug: Hope she's feeling better soon. xoxox

I have a DD who has suffered from febrile convulsions so I treat fevers quite aggressively with nurofen firstly (find that to be most effective) and panadol as a back up. One thing we were told by RCH was not to treat by tepid baths/washs etc as it can cause them to shiver which causes a temperature spike which in my DD's instance can cause a convulsion. Obviously our situation is different from the normal, but I thought I would share what we were told by the doctors and nurses about the tepid baths.

In saying all of this, we have also constantly been told by the doctors that even treating with nurofen/panadol will not help if they are going to have a convulsion and that fevers are the body's natural response to illness and is present for a reason. If my DD did not have convulsions then I would tend to leave the treatment until they displayed signs of being in discomfort.

Janie xxx

How is she? Is she active, lethargic, animated?
I would keep going the way you are, and treat the illness, not the fever. If it gets over 40 and her appearance/animation becomes worrying, I would give the her the bottom end of the Panadol dose.

If you are worried, call Nurse on Call or Health Direct (or whatever they are called where you are!). Hope she is better soon xx

Thanks again. DD1 is 3y4months.
She is lathargic (for her anyway) but still sitting up watching a DVD. She just ate a piece of toast and is asking for another. Will give her another 30-60 minutes and if the temp keeps going up then I might do your suggestion Lime and give her a small dose of panadol.

I rang healthline and they said to give panadol if I feel she needs it. I was ringing them because I was not sure what I felt I should do so they were not to much help.

we find the same, if we treat the fever in day time they run around fine and end up getting sicker.
after 2 hours 38.5 or higher and a floppy child we give pamol and at night before sleep if over 39.
39 and higher is hospital vist temp (if its Been like that all day/night) we would rather be safe and know what it is, then decide how to.continue treatments :)

It went down to 38.9 after the shower but is now back at 39.4. I have made doctors appointment for a bit later just to get her checked. She had her tonsils, adnoids out and grommets put in 3 weeks ago and how stupid of me not to think that it could actually be something with that causing trouble like water in her ear or this cough irritating her scar where the tonsils were:wall:

Often treating a low fever will drive it higher after the panadol wears off as the body thinks the low temp isn't working and pushes it higher. We tend to only treat over 40' my youngest copes really well with fever and often seems fine even with a temp over 40! I try to take his lead with meds and if he seems happy and drinking I know the fever is working.

what did the Dr say? is from op or bugs going round?

Also just something important to note. How are you taking her temp? If its via the ear readings can be affected by ear infections etc so would not get a true reading.

I always give an initial dose of panadol when they present as uncomfortable and overly hot [38 +]. As I was told that if their temp continues to go up after they have had panadol, then they need to be looked at ASAP. At least by doing that, I know what I am dealing with.
Hope your dd is ok.

We generally go by treat the child not the fever. Personally I'm wary of fast rising fevers but usually it goes up and settles at a certain temp. Seems to be 38.8 in this house! If they go over 39 that's when they get miserable, dd1 gets headaches and DS tends to throw up. So that's when we start treating the child. I also don't like that panadol/nurofen makes them feel well enough to get up and play etc. when they need to be resting.
I hope she's feeling better soon.

How is your little girl today Kazzo?

Please be wary of usingg cold flannels and tepid baths, like someone else said, it can cause the body to get too cod and start shivering.
I hope she is on the mend

Thank you all so much.

The doctor said she has a very noisy/fluidy chest and a red throat but probably from the coughing. Her ears where clear thankfully. He gave me some antibiotics and said give her 2 doses tonight and three times a day for the next 5 days. The fever peaked at about 8pm and then came down. I gave her a small dose of nurofen to help her sleep because she said her throat was sore. She is 80% better today.

I think that not treating the fever gave her body the chance to do what it needed. Gives me confidence for next time that I will not reach for the meds so quickly.

Lilima, the doctor said the same, not to worry about all that.

good to hear :)