Glandular Fever & my 7yrDD

[doulamamma]

my dd 7 was just diagnosed with glandular fever - she's got all the syptoms.. she's been so exhausted , has a fever every night, - falls asleep anywhere from 4pm onwards - today was her longest day she went to bed just before 7pm (her usual bedtime)
She has been like this since last Sunday and looking very pale and miserable. tummy aches constantly - and very swollen glands.
anyone had a young one with this?
or any advice on how to boost her - she has little appetite and always falls asleep before or at dinner (literally - she fell asleep at the kitchen table sipping tea)
she seems ok in the morning but usually tires by lunchtime.
Although in the last two days i think she is on the up, but i see it as a slow recovery.

any advice please

[Becci]

I've not had a little one with Glandular Fever but I had it years ago. It's very exhausting.
I would get up in the morning, have my shower, then lay on the couch for a few hours, completely exhausted. Thank Goodness I didn't have kids then!
I had two and a half months off work, so it affected me pretty badly.
the best thing I did was go to a naturapath. But not sure if you want to go down that path with a littly. She put me on a tincture and a non dairy diet for a while and it helped. I just couldn't afford the visits while on sickness benefits ( I was on my own at the time).
I did get over it though. I found that for the next few years I had to watch that I ate well or I would get run down easily. And if I got a virus I did suffer a little more than most.
But I can say I have hardly had tonsilitis since (that's where mine started) so that's a bonus.

I do hope your daughter get well soon. Be thinking of you both.

[Kristin27]

Oh your poor DD, and poor you!

I had glandular fever when I was about 20, I was so sick, my tonsils were so swollen and covered in puss, I hardly got out of bed because I was sooo tired, when I did get up to go to the toilet I would faint or have to crawl because I was so dizzy.

Anyway, my mum dragged me to a natropath (I didn't believe in all that natural stuff!) for help after my GP said it was untreatable, two day later I was as good as new!

I can't remember exactly what I was given, but I recall a zinc medicine/drink, lots of multi vitamins, and no dairy. Every morning I had a soy milk banana smoothie with a raw egg (once it was blended I couldn't taste the egg at all - perhaps don't tell DD you're putting it in?)... Not sure what that was for but gee i felt better.

I did get tired easily for the following couple of years, but I'm totally over it now (I'm 28) and have never had tonsilitis again.....

I highly recommend visiting a natropath. Good luck and let us know how you go...

[doulamamma]

thanks for the replies
I took her to a natropath yesterday and wasn't too impressed - she was giving a pillule to take once a week for four weeks - i think she needs a more intensive approach.
Tomorrow we are going to a chinese herbalist - i think her liver is really troubling her - its her most often complaint. - and she says 'it feels strange - like my tummy is moving sideways and up and down' and 'it feels like somethings moving in there' my being pg makes the last one only slightly humurous!
I think she needs a liver cleanser and all round booster - we 'll see how tomorrow goes. but with her generally underweight and low energy - i worry this will bring her down unless we address this straight away.
she is still rather clingy and pale with red under her eyes and swollen glands..
i'll keep you posted

[paradise lost]

My only advice is big breakfasts and snacks all morning. If she has a good hour or two in the morning that's the time to try to get some cals into her. Unless you are going the no-dairy route i'd be putting butter on toast, cream in porridge, giving her bits of cheese to snack on through the day... You can also get booster drinks in most supermarkets (not sure which brands you have in Aus) which are worth a go if she's finding eating hard going.

Poor kid, i hope she's on the mend soon...

Bx

[Becci]

My dr told me that liver and kidney compliants with GF are quite common.
For me it was my kidney - shocking infection, and my friend (who I got it from) had liver problems. Nothing major, just played up. Might have been all the alcohol filled years leading up to GF that didn't help though lol (well we were 19 & 20 at the time).
Hope she's feeling better soon, keep us posted.

[Kitt3n]

no experience with this with a little one, however I had it myself when i was 16. A friend of mine was actually off work for 6 months when she had it!

I agree with getting as much into her as you can in her "energetic" hours.

I found it so very very had to swallow at first though, so maybe extra liquids and some good home cooked soup. Even if she cant swallow the ingredients, much of the goodness will be in the liquid.

And lots of hugs and patience - i wouldnt wish this on my worst enemy, or even G W Bush!! Her little body just needs lots of rest and a loving mummy. Sounds like you are doing a great job.

[The[cookie]Doctor]

Hoobley suggested booster drinks -
When my DF had glandular last year (and yes i realsie the massive age difference but...)
We got him to have lots of powerade/gatorade and sustagen. At least that way when he wasn't eating he was pouring in liquids etc.
Powerade etc is electrolytic which from memory facilitates muscle repair etc, so it could help a bit, and as for the sustagen - well i used that as a food replacement when i was pregnant becuase with m/s i couldn't stomach anything.

If her liver has issues as well you have to cut out as much fat from the diet as possible. From DF's experience, fat can/will cause diarrhea if she is having liver issues.

I hope she gets better soon.

[paradise lost]

Yes, powerade helps the body build muscle, i drink it after long runs (10miles+) to help refresh my legs. I have a friend whose little girl had to have chemo and they managed to keep her weight on with drinks like sustagen.

I totally forgot that fat would cause problems if her liver was ill too. Poor little love! She sure is lucky to have you doulamamma. What did the chinese herbalist say? I know they have good herbs for toning the liver but only know adults (with alcohol problems) who've used them, don't know if they'd be too strong for littlies.

Bx

[doulamamma]

she's slowly improving - but still very tired - slept three hrs this afternoon - a rareity! we'll see how long she lasts tonight.
the chinese herbalist gave her 'spleenogen' and 'mnb' (vitamin b and folic) - and although she'd rather take pillules (sugar coated) she's been pretty good about taking it all.
Her appetite is definitely stronger in the mornings - but overall she is still pretty exhausted - and prefers to stay home . she is drinking a lot of tea - and complains only sometimes of a sore throat - its mostly the stomach (liver/spleen) that is really bothering her. and she doesn't like that she hasn't been able to hang out with her cousines (who have imposed a quarantine on her)
- as for the fat - we are trying to avoid dairy and extra fatty - she has gone off things she usually likes that are unhealthy -pringles - (normally she could eat half a tin - she tried one and left it alone)
thanks all. - will keep you updated

[Becci]

Glad she's feeling a little better.

[Schmickers]

Glandular fever causes a very long-lasting fatigue and malaise, and children who do not adequately rest can often experience a resurgence of the symptoms of the initial infection. It's important not to push her too hard, and to allow her to rest as much as she needs - the kind of sleeps you are describing are typical of early glandular fever, and the best thing she can do is listen to her body and rest and sleep as she needs to. As she gets better, she may feel more energetic, but she will still need to be reminded to take it easy and rest.

Oh, and be careful of energy drinks or milkshakes with raw egg in them - they can cause salmonella gastroenteritis, which is a quite severe gastro infection, and the last thing she needs at the moment. Perhaps hold off on anything containing raw egg until she is better, or in fact, see if you can omit it completely.

[doulamamma]

thank you -
she is eating little bits - but gets completely drained by late afternoon - i avoided the raw egg (maybe its me being pg that told me not a good idea..) so thank you Shmickers.
its getting good foods into her thats tough. she has no appetite, but her body is starving - so if i just have ready food around her - she is more likely to eat it -
her complexion is rather chalky - she is pale in general, but there is a yellow tinge almost which looks less than healthy - as well as the extreme bags under her eyes which are there regardless of how much sleep she gets..
we'll see how the next few days go.

[Becci]

Hmmmm the yellow tinge might be jaundice. You did mention that she was complaining of liver pain. Might be a good idea to visit the dr about it.

[megjay]

my ds 5 also has glandular fever - we are in about week 5. He is still weak but now going to school and wanting to play sport - impossible to stop him but then tires very quickly and spends next day suffering. wednesday he could not walk from sore muscles. My chemist suggested a formula type calorie building drink so maybe ask your chemist. He is improving but it is a long road...

[doulamamma]

i'll take a good look at her tomorrow and try and assess whats going on - if she's still pretty chalky/yellow i will get her tested (she was incredibly good at her last blood test)
i might weigh her and see if she's losing drastically - she was 20kg last sunday (at drs) .
Megjay - 5 wks.. i was thinking this is going to take some time..
this is going to be week 3, but that's only since i really paid attention (we were running a mad retreat before that ..160 guests, total chaos, so i hardly had the time to notice what was going on, but only in the last 48hrs of it, really began to worry.) and now she is slightly improving in her daily activity, but once her energy levels go, there's no moving her.. she can't walk, eat.. etc.
poor baby - i went out and bought her all these little toys i am slowly giving her bits - its the guilty mother, wish i could take away the pain.. desperate measure on my part i think..

[paradise lost]

its the guilty mother

I am now simultaneously slapping your wrist and giving you a MASSIVE hug. It is so, so hard when they are ill. Don't feel guilty, you are there caring and acting and LOVING her and that is all a mother can do. It's such a painful job, mothering, don't allow guilts in. Spoil her because you can, because you love her, but leave your guilt at the kerb for collection (or re-cycle it by giving it to some rude person you meet? )! It is not yours, so do not carry it!

I hope she's doing better soon, it sounds like such a rough thing for a kid to go through, it's hard enough for teens and adults. I'm thinking of you both.

Bx

[Becci]

It's very hard to see our little ones suffering and not being able to do anything about it.
Even my mum was struggling when I had gladular fever and I was 20!!!!
Hope the little cherub is feeling better today, and give her a big cyberspace hug from us all!