Any opinion, Dr. Hive?

[Pamela H in Texas]

Background: My 4yo had a touch of tummy bug Friday. He was puny yesterday, but okay. Today he has taken it easy, but also is fine. In the middle of the night, my 3yo woke up vomiting as did my 16yo. The 3yo was just the once and has seemed fine today. The 16yo is miserable. Since, the 6yo is also miserable, taking after her bigger brother than little ones.

 

Okay, so my 16yo. His head, back and neck hurt so much that he was asking for an insane amount of pain reliever (and "joking" about morphine). His face is dark red with thousands of tiny spots. I didn't see any anywhere else and his arms and tummy have normal (very pale) color. He says he's burning up and having goose bumps at the same time; but he doesn't have a fever. He can't keep ANYTHING (water, popsicle, etc) down. Mostly, he's complaining about the severe pain in his back.

 

It just seems like an odd combination of symptoms. Whatcha think?

[JenneinCA]

Can you call you doctor's after hours number and get an opinion?

 

Something about the little red dots and the neck pain would make me incredibly nervous but I don't remember why.

 

I hope he feels better soon.

[ChristusG]

I believe that the rash and the stiff neck are both signs of meningitis. I would take him to the ER.

[Pamela H in Texas]

My friend thinks the dots are hives and gave us some benedryl. It's not been long.

From here, I can still tell he's dark red.

Our walk-in clinic is open til 6pm. I thought about going there. He is resistant.

Of course, *they* probably COULD give him something for pain other than ibuprofen.

 

 

ETA: If it were meningitis (I looked up the symptoms), wouldn't that be odd since all the kids have/had a stomach bug?

Edited February 26, 2012 by 2J5M9K

[swellmomma]

The red spots are likely just from vomitting so much however I would take him in. Just the vomitting that much for me is reason to go in to get anti-emetics and IV fluids since he can't even keep popsciles down. But combined with that level of neck pain I would want to be sure it was not menegitis.

 

Even if just a flu he is at risk for dehydration not keeping anything down and should be seen imo

[swellmomma]

My friend thinks the dots are hives and gave us some benedryl. It's not been long.

From here, I can still tell he's dark red.

Our walk-in clinic is open til 6pm. I thought about going there. He is resistant.

Of course, *they* probably COULD give him something for pain other than ibuprofen.

 

 

ETA: If it were meningitis (I looked up the symptoms), wouldn't that be odd since all the kids have/had a stomach bug?

 

Not if it is viral men. I think that viral menigitis is caused mostly by enterovirus right? the smae sort of virus that causes the common cold

[Bassoonaroo]

Ewww. sounds strange.

 

Just because the other seem to have garden variety tummy bug doesn't mean this one doesn't have something different. Common sense and logic and experience say that when two or more kids are sick, it's usually the same thing. The same common sense, logic, and experience also remind me that usually we get just one bug at a time BUT it is possible for two or more bugs to be in the same house and even two or more bugs in the same kid.

 

It just sounds worrisome and worth getting checked out. Probably they will tell you that he's got a whopper of a tummy bug. That's okay, let them give him some antiemetics (anti-barf) medicine and let them stick an IV in because he's surely dehydrated and dehydration often causes nausea on its own, making it a vicious circle. If you can at least break the dehydration cycle, there's a good chance he'll feel somewhat better.

 

The pain worries me...

 

And you do want to rule out nastier stuff.

[Unicorn.]

Pamela, how's your ds?