thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Feb 7, 2020 15:08:07 GMT -5
Do you take meds to lower fever right away - in either yourself or your kids?
I thought the science said that fever was doing something in your body, so as long as the fever is somewhat low, and not making you uncomfortable, you should let it burn at least for a period of time - like a day or two.
But, apparently, the clinical results are not crystal clear. A few studies show it beneficial to ride, a couple others not so much. They did these studies in the ICU, often with terminal patients, so I'm not sure if that translates into healthy people who catch a little bug.
My husband not only rides it out, but encourages it - dressing warm, covering himself with blankets and actually raising his temperature. He actively burns out his illness. I ride it out, staying comfortable and usually taking a shower every day - which I occasionally find breaks my fever.
What do you do?
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weltschmerz
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Post by weltschmerz on Feb 7, 2020 15:18:58 GMT -5
Many bacteria and viruses thrive best at normal body temperatures. Fevers are the body's immune response in reacting to these germs. Fevers turn on the body's immune system.
That being said, I let low fevers ride, and treat higher fevers with antipyretics. Higher fevers can also damage the body and brain.
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Deleted
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Fever
Feb 7, 2020 15:32:12 GMT -5
Post by Deleted on Feb 7, 2020 15:32:12 GMT -5
I will ignore a low grade fever in my kids unless it's keeping them from sleeping. 101 and above? No. I give them something to bring it down so they're comfortable. My son had a 105 fever once and I rushed him to the ER in the middle of the night. By the time I got there the Tylenol was already kicking in.
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oped
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Post by oped on Feb 7, 2020 15:48:39 GMT -5
I don't know that I've ever treated fever in an older child or adult specifically... if there accompanying aches I might take or give something that also happens to bring down fever.
In a younger child I'd be cautious because they can shoot up fast and are more dangerous at high levels.
This does lead me to a question though. With the recent decrease in 'normal temperature' has there also been a change in what we should consider fever and high fever?
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Tiny
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Fever
Feb 7, 2020 16:00:45 GMT -5
Post by Tiny on Feb 7, 2020 16:00:45 GMT -5
I've only dealt with my own fevers. I don't generally notice when I've got a low grade fever going. It isn't until I get achy from it (when it's hitting 101 or higher) that I think to take something (my go to pain reliever is ibuprophen... so that's what I take). Odds are I've gone some hours with the low grade fever before taking anything. I'd say I'm only taking something to help with some other symptom and it effects the fever. ADDED: I usually feel cold when a low grade fever is in that 100 but not quite 101 range... so I do tend to bundle up when I have a fever - because I feel cold - I don't think I've ever felt uncomfortably warm or hot when I've had a fever - it's allways uncomfortably chilly or cold (and achey).
When I "sat on" my nieces/nephews and they were sick or had meds - their mom usually would say to have them take the prescribed meds on the schedule. If they were feverish or something else OR the kid just kept asking for "aspirin" it was time to call mom who would determine what course to go. I think I only gave something to specifically reduce a fever once over the babysitting years. I put plenty of antibiotics, eye drops, ear drops, OTC cough stuff, OTC decongestant, and other stuff I can't remember into kids. (and occassionally gave pets their own meds if I was also pet sitting) I suspect mom was aware of the interactions of the stuff the kids were taking as in they may already have been getting a fever reducer in the cough syrup.
I know you have to be careful when giving or taking a lot of different OTC medications. There's often an analgesic component to cough/sinus meds - which when combined with a dose of aspirin/acetemetophin/ibuprophin (like tylenol or advil) can reach really high dosages. And I know you aren't suppose to mix and max your pain relievers (with each other and with alcohol).
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NomoreDramaQ1015
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Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Feb 7, 2020 16:04:56 GMT -5
If I am having trouble sleeping or functioning because of it I will take something. Same with the kids.
Otherwise we just ride it out with rest and plenty of fluids.
No real rhyme or reason, with the kids it's they refuse to take anything. If they are willing to take Tylenol then I know they are REALLY sick.
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giramomma
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Fever
Feb 7, 2020 16:12:00 GMT -5
Post by giramomma on Feb 7, 2020 16:12:00 GMT -5
We sort of go by behavior before we even break out the thermometer. Being a lump and whiter than a ghost is pretty out of their normal...and that warrants some intervention. Usually that means the kids have a 101+ temp. Glassy eyes and a little tired but OK enough to play some minecraft= let body fight without meds.
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TheOtherMe
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Fever
Feb 7, 2020 17:01:38 GMT -5
Post by TheOtherMe on Feb 7, 2020 17:01:38 GMT -5
Mom always said she could tell by my sister's breath when she had tonsilitis. Things were different then and she would call in and the doctor prescribed the meds. Couple days later and she would be much improved.
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Feb 7, 2020 18:12:22 GMT -5
The only study I ever remember reading about was an old study looking at chicken pox and fevers. As I remember it, there were no attempts to control the fever as long as it was under 102 deg. in half the group, the other half controlled fever from the beginning via meds. Those who did not control their fever halved their recovery. This article addresses it briefly. www.thedailybeast.com/let-it-burn-why-you-should-let-fevers-run-their-course
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wvugurl26
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Post by wvugurl26 on Feb 7, 2020 18:12:30 GMT -5
I haven't had a fever in ages. Probably since I was a child. Even when I was hospitalized and dehydrated with an infected gallbladder and a white blood cell count three times the max normal number I didn't have a fever.
Last spring I had the sticky bacteria that wouldn't quit and my white blood cell count was almost that hospital level again, I had no fever.
I mostly get sinus infections. If my whole face down to my teeth is hurting, I take advil. I just don't think fever is one of my body's responses anymore.
My mom and brother have never had normal temperatures. They have always run low.
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giramomma
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Fever
Feb 7, 2020 20:44:33 GMT -5
Post by giramomma on Feb 7, 2020 20:44:33 GMT -5
I just remembered. With Miss M, the peds told us to avoid medicating her if she ran a fever after her shots..
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swamp
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Post by swamp on Feb 7, 2020 21:41:26 GMT -5
More cowbell
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weltschmerz
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Fever
Feb 8, 2020 0:17:18 GMT -5
Post by weltschmerz on Feb 8, 2020 0:17:18 GMT -5
I just remembered. With Miss M, the peds told us to avoid medicating her if she ran a fever after her shots..
Increased chance of Reye's Syndrome if you give aspirin (an antipyrertic) after a vaccination. Better to avoid them all.
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Fever
Feb 8, 2020 1:53:24 GMT -5
Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Feb 8, 2020 1:53:24 GMT -5
I just remembered. With Miss M, the peds told us to avoid medicating her if she ran a fever after her shots..
I suspect that this has to do with eliciting an immune response. There is a whole cascade of things that need to happen immunologically, and suppressing fever suppresses those factors your child needs to work to make antibodies after vaccination.
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Fever
Feb 8, 2020 1:58:57 GMT -5
Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Feb 8, 2020 1:58:57 GMT -5
I haven't had a fever in ages. Probably since I was a child. Even when I was hospitalized and dehydrated with an infected gallbladder and a white blood cell count three times the max normal number I didn't have a fever. Last spring I had the sticky bacteria that wouldn't quit and my white blood cell count was almost that hospital level again, I had no fever. I mostly get sinus infections. If my whole face down to my teeth is hurting, I take advil. I just don't think fever is one of my body's responses anymore. My mom and brother have never had normal temperatures. They have always run low. Me too. When my hips got infected, I never ran a fever, I just felt off. Hell, when I was septic, I never ran a fever. My mom said when I was a child, she had to tangle with more than one nurse about fevers. She would know I was sick, but as I never ran a fever, they would tell her I was not sick. She knew I was sick, and would need to fight to get me seen. The mother of all fights she had was when I had a kidney infection and nearly lost kidney function because the nurse insisted I wasn’t sick because I had no fever.
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giramomma
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Fever
Feb 8, 2020 7:42:02 GMT -5
Post by giramomma on Feb 8, 2020 7:42:02 GMT -5
I just remembered. With Miss M, the peds told us to avoid medicating her if she ran a fever after her shots..
I suspect that this has to do with eliciting an immune response. There is a whole cascade of things that need to happen immunologically, and suppressing fever suppresses those factors your child needs to work to make antibodies after vaccination. That's what they said. It was a change from children 1-3. The nurses were like "OK, kids are x weight, here's the dosage for the pain relief.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Feb 8, 2020 12:36:40 GMT -5
Well, now my house smells of germs and misery. I have opened all the windows and am washing/bleaching everything. Hopefully the fever has passed, but my husband did say he was sweating and cold, so, maybe he is still in the fever. I've started coughing a little. Hopefully it will pass quickly.
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Works4me
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Post by Works4me on Feb 8, 2020 20:47:04 GMT -5
Every time I see the title of this thread the lyrics from the Peggy Lee song start going through my head.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Feb 9, 2020 14:09:08 GMT -5
Every time I see the title of this thread the lyrics from the Peggy Lee song start going through my head. Lol..me too, and I wrote the title!
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Rukh O'Rorke
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Fever
Feb 9, 2020 14:14:45 GMT -5
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Post by Rukh O'Rorke on Feb 9, 2020 14:14:45 GMT -5
The only study I ever remember reading about was an old study looking at chicken pox and fevers. As I remember it, there were no attempts to control the fever as long as it was under 102 deg. in half the group, the other half controlled fever from the beginning via meds. Those who did not control their fever halved their recovery. This article addresses it briefly. www.thedailybeast.com/let-it-burn-why-you-should-let-fevers-run-their-courseThanks Mich! Interesting info.
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teen persuasion
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Fever
Feb 9, 2020 14:40:35 GMT -5
Post by teen persuasion on Feb 9, 2020 14:40:35 GMT -5
I haven't had a fever in ages. Probably since I was a child. Even when I was hospitalized and dehydrated with an infected gallbladder and a white blood cell count three times the max normal number I didn't have a fever. Last spring I had the sticky bacteria that wouldn't quit and my white blood cell count was almost that hospital level again, I had no fever. I mostly get sinus infections. If my whole face down to my teeth is hurting, I take advil. I just don't think fever is one of my body's responses anymore. My mom and brother have never had normal temperatures. They have always run low. Me too. When my hips got infected, I never ran a fever, I just felt off. Hell, when I was septic, I never ran a fever. My mom said when I was a child, she had to tangle with more than one nurse about fevers. She would know I was sick, but as I never ran a fever, they would tell her I was not sick. She knew I was sick, and would need to fight to get me seen. The mother of all fights she had was when I had a kidney infection and nearly lost kidney function because the nurse insisted I wasn’t sick because I had no fever. My sister has the opposite problem with her son, whose normal temp always runs high. Whenever a nurse takes his temp, they think he has a fever. She's had to fight the school, and their no fever rules - that's his normal temp!
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