My 17 m/o old son has a fever of 103?

Question

The ER doctors said it was just a virus. He has no other symptoms. Anyone had this problem with their children, how to make him more comfortable. I gave him tylenol already.

Answer 1

If it goes higher, I would definitely take him to the ER again. You can try to bring it down by putting him in a cool/cold bath and pouring water over him. This will help to bring his temperature down. I used to do this when my son was little and it helped. Hope all will be OK. Best wishes.

Answer 2

You can also give him an appropriate dose of Motrin. The two medicines work differently so there's no danger of overdose. give him Tylenol every 4-6 hours and the Motrin every 6-8 hours.

You should also dress him in nothing but a diaper or maybe some thin cotton short. Give him plenty to drink. Now is not the time to insist on only healthy drinks. Water, juice, Koolaid, Jello-juice, soda (no caffeine), whatever as long as he drinks.

A cool bath is helpful, but not cold as you don't want him to be shivering. If he's shivering, he'll start heating his body again because that's the point of shivering. Also don't do the alcohol thing. It's not safe for little kids cause they can inhale the vapers and it causes the child to cool off too quickly which results in shivering.

When my boys were young and feverish I'd end up holding them all night in the rocking chair. Put on some good movies (hopefully child friendly) and get comfy. You might be able to put him in his bed when he falls asleep, but be sure to leave the doors open or the monitor on and listen for him.

It's so sad when your little guy is sick. Even this year, my 6-year old was so sick with his fever, he couldn't do anything.

Hang in there, Mom. You'll get through this, but if his fever doesn't go down by morning, I'd call his pediatrician and see if the suggest anything else.

Answer 3

I agree with happydawg (A NURSE). You never put a child in an ice bath, or even cold. It should be lukewarm, and used as a last resort. My son (he is 21 months) has a tendancy to run very high fevers if he has a virus. I'm talking 105 degrees, and several emergency room trips. Docs say (and I agree, I have three kids) that this is normal in infants. Alternate Tylenol and Motrin. If you call your local pharmacy, the pharmacist should be able to advise you on doseages and time. Alternating the 2 helps keep the fever down, because they have a constant stream of fever reducing medicine in them. Just make sure you write down which one you give and the time, so that you do not make a mistake and overdose. This seems to be the most common error when alternating the Motrin and Tylenol. Encourage him to drink lots of fluid, and don't worry if he doesn't have an appetite. Good Luck, and give him lots of extra kisses!!

Answer 4

I had the same problem 2 weeks ago with my 11 month old daughter, and er said the same thing. Told me nothing to do at all. I took her to my doctor and was told to give her lukewarm baths NOT cold. Also tylenol and then 3 hours later motrin. Said the fever would be for 24 hours and then go away. and sure enough after 24 hours i tested it by taking her off of tylenol and she had no more fever at all. Ohhh and also no solid foods for 24 hours either. I was to put her on pedialite and nothing else. As much as she wanted to get her electrolites up. I would still take him to the doctor just to be on the safe side though. Sometimes the er doctors are in such a rush they just want to get you in and out and miss stuff. hope this helped. jeanine.

Answer 5

Listen to happydawg! NO ICE BATH!! Yikes - that could be a serious shock to him. And stick to Tylenol only - most pediatricians agree that's safest. But infants do tend to run fevers like that and are OK, but do keep an eye on him & make sure no other symptoms develop. Sometimes a little fever burns away the germ, so don't obsess with getting it down to nothing. Just make sure he doesn't get dehydrated and is comfortable. Keep him close. Love to both - this harder on us than on them usually. :o)

Answer 6

When my son was little, the doctor thought he had a problem because he would get a fever up to 105. I learned quickly how to run tepid bath water and to give Tylenol before his fever went that high. You never run cold water into a bath for a child running a fever, it makes them uncomfortable, lukewarm water is fine. ( I am a nurse in a hospital) Also, I dont advise giving the tepid bath unless the temperature raises issues about seizures etc...because it is very uncomfortable to be running a fever and sitting in a bath. . .
My son was just a kid with no temperature control. He is 21 now and lived thru it.

Answer 7

My daughter always gets high fevers when she is sick. I alternate between motrin and tylenol. When I give her tylenol, I then give her motrin when it is time for her next dose. A lukewarm bath also helps my daughter. It's miserable when they are sick, and you feel so helpless. There is nothing that you can do that will really help, just a bunch of hugs, kisses, and being held. But the alternating between medications really relieves my daughters fever. It always seems to spike at night so I try to give her a dose before she goes to sleep. Sorry, I can't be of much help! Hope your son feels better soon!

Answer 8

My son has had fevers that high and the only thing that helped him get comfy was alternating tylenol and motrin and yes it is ok that advice was given to me by my pediatrician. Good luck and just give him a little motherly love.

Answer 9

Didn't they tell you in the ER how to control the temp? Ice bath, cold cloths on the forehead. Alternate tylenol with advil every four hours. Has he ever had a high fever before?

Answer 10

103 is not cause to concern in young infants. go to a pharmacist and they can figure out an adequate dose of an OTC medicine such as Tylenol for children that wont hurt him