Can someone help me my son is Ill!!!!

[Meewah]

I panic at the best of times. I love my Family very much and my eldest son (11) was complaining of stinging in his upper chest. I took him to the doctors as this morning he woke up and was very lathargic. The doctor said he had a chest infection and there was some rattling on his chest and pescribed him Amoxycillin. I have given him three doses but he was getting worse. His voice had gone up an octave. I took him to the doctor again this evening and he said he had got some wheezing on his chest and so pescribed him oral steroids and Inhaled steroids. Later this evening he started with a high temperature 38 degrees. I contacted the doctors on call and spoke to a nurse who said to give him calpol to get his temperature down, I have. He has just come down stairs saying his throat is stinging and he is crying he says it stings when he breathes. I have given him something cold to drink and he is calmer now but taking small breathes as he says it hurts when he breathes in large amounts.

I am really scared that he is not OK. He is currently watching TV and seems ok if not a little flushed. I dont want to ring the docs again as I find I panic and cannot think straight in these times.

My only wonder is that what if he had a reaction to penicillin??? When he was young he came out in a rash and so they took him off it. The doctor pescribed it today and showed us his notes which said he had amoxicillinin 2007. I cannot remember and so agreed. Would you expect a anaphalactic reaction to this to come on from the first dose or would it come on gradually over the day??

Please help urgently!!

Mee

[nomorepanic]

It would be instant - within 20 minutes so you would know.

[Meewah]

Thanks Nicola

I am Slowly working my self up. My mind is going 100 miles an hour trying to diagnose every ache and pain he has. I really share his suffering. I just hope I don't show it as that can make him panic. My wife is here in the same room and she seems so relaxed. The problem is this adds to the anxiety as you feel she is being too dismissive. I cannot talk to her because she will think I am overreacting.

I am not sure what to do next I feel like I should be running around the place. I cannot calm down.

I hate this feeling!!!

Mee

[ladybird64]

Mee..breathe :)

An anapyllactic (spelling? sorry, I'm tired) would normally hit straight away, if he has been prescribed Amoxycillin then he should be fine.
If I remember rightly your lad has asthma (4 out of my 5 kids are asthmatic, I have it too) and a chest infection does make you feel lousy, it is often just as bad for the person listening to the wheezing!
Sometimes antibiotics can take 48 hours to really kick in so in the meantime..try giving him some ice cubes to suck as well as loads of fluids. Keep him well propped up to ease his breathing, I always find having a fan on nearby makes me feel better..probably just psychological!
I know it's hard but do your very best not to show him how scared you are, the last thing he needs if he is a bit breathless is a dad going into meltdown :winks:
The steroid medications are the best treatment to keep the asthma under control but obviously if he gets significantly worse, ie starts wheezing or fighting for breath then get on the phone again.
I hope you weather the storm and that your lad starts to feel better soon.

[Meewah]

Thanks Ladybird...its a great help to find someone out there in cyberspace. I don't feel he is getting any worse, he is currently watching south park. He keeps going to the loo for a pee but I think that is just his anxiety. Sometimes or should I say mostly I let my wife, as she is so level headed, deal with the kids illness. I only step in when she thinks he needs to see a doctor. I find seeing my kids ill incredibly panicky. I know they always seem to get bad on a night when we are all tired and not thinking straight.

I feel shattered but yet I cant sleep for worry!!!

Thanks for the words of support...from one parent to another. I suppose I don't feel together enough in my own mind to deal with this calmly and rationally. I just know that my wife will be trying to get some sleep soon and will probably fall fast a sleep. I will be up until the small hours worrying...

I hope this ends soon.

Thanks again for the much needed support.

Mee xx.

[ladybird64]

No problem at all Mee..only don't you let that lad see you panicing!

This parent is off to bed to get some kip, hope you manage to get some, even if it's only for a few hours.

Take care :flowers:

[Meewah]

Night sleep well..

I have just been on the Pandemic flu site and entered all the details. The main question was does the patient have a high temperature and any of the following, which one was a cough and a sore throat and I said yes and now it has given me a number to take to the collection point to pick up antivirals. Yet the doctor said the temperature is from the chest infection and so is the cough, the only question mark is the sore throat. I feel this site cant acurately diagnose swine flu.

I am now in a total quandary and don't know what to do. Do I pick up the antivirals and risk the side effects? Do i give up the chance to pick them up? Do I listen to the doctors and they have not diagnosed swine flu? Do I ignore the doctors and go by the results on a three question website?

Help

Mee

[Anxious_gal]

well the antivirals from what i have read only slightly ease the symptoms.
plus it can make his tummy sick.
you can't mix medications.
I had a chest infection, I also had a cough, wheezing, temperature, sore throat .
I'm like you , I build things up in my head and get so worked up, then I wonder why everyone else is calm.
trust your doctor. if your son gets worse just call back the doctor.
I'm tempted to say try not to worry but i know how patronizing that is!
follow your wife's lead maybe? as long as she seems calm everything is more than likely ok.
don't forget to look after your self too, maybe do something nice for yourself, like that a bath or watch a good movie.

[Meewah]

Mishel Thanks

Supportive words like everyone has given so far is really helping me through this. I feel I should follow my wife's lead but I cant help feeling she is too relaxed the other way. I feel we should change roles sometimes... I could do with her calm controlled character but then again I am not sure I could deal with the kids when they are ill, something maternal seems to kick in to allow mothers to cope in a crisis.

I cant help feeling there are more men like me suffering in silence with the pressures of parenthood.

Thanks

Mee