# Sudden waking with high fever, glassy eyes and shaking



## Pumpkin_Pie (Oct 10, 2006)

My 2.5 year old just woke up screaming from sleep. He was shaking, very glassy eyed and has a 103.3 fever. I am scared that it came on so fast. I just put him to bed about 3 hours ago and he was fine. We played outside all day and other than being very overtired, he was fine. He also got very wet and chilled during the day, but I nursed him and cuddled him skin to skin to get his temp back up.

Tell me I don't need to call the ped, or take him to the ER.... He is conked out on my lap right now snoring. I haven't given any fever reducers yet, as he doesn't seem to be having trouble sleeping now that he is on me. He is just on fire...









ETA: He also was complaining of belly, head and arm pain before conking back out.


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## shelbean91 (May 11, 2002)

If he's sleeping, I'd let him be. Sounds like it may be the flu, with the fever and aches.


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## mamefati28 (Jun 25, 2007)

When this happened to my 3 yr. old 5 weeks ago, I went ahead and gave him a fever reducer- he was miserable, it was the middle of the night, and I was a little desperate, he had never been sick before!
It reduced his fever and he never had another one. However, he did have a cough that is still lingering.
His came on very suddenly as well.
Hope your little one feels better soon!


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## Pumpkin_Pie (Oct 10, 2006)

Ok, so I need to stop consulting "Dr. Google"...








I keep reading about how if he is unresponsive and has a headache that I need to take him to the ER. He did say that his head hurt and after I gave him a sip of ginger ale







he conked out and is limp as a ragdoll. Granted, it is nearly midnight, but he is never, NEVER sick, so I just don't know what the heck to do. I feel scared to go to sleep.

I am sure I am just more worried than I need to be, but seriously, I think I might spend the night on the couch with him on my chest. I also keep reading that 104 is the magic number for fevers and if it reaches that high then we need to go in immediately.

Talk me down mamas.


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## Pumpkin_Pie (Oct 10, 2006)

OK, he is breathing a lot harder/faster now too.


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## EviesMom (Nov 30, 2004)

I would rouse him, so you try to wake him up a little. If he fusses and tries to resettle, then that's a normal response. If he's unresponsive, I would call the ped line or go to the ER. And if anything seems off to you, I would call. Even if it's nothing, I feel so much better after talking to them and it lets me sleep.


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## ~Demeter~ (Jul 22, 2006)

I have a couple of really excellent links regarding fevers:

http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/pa/pa_feverpho_hhg.htm

and

Fever

While I would pay attention to the number, I wouldn't place to much emphasis on it. I would really pay attention to his overall being. I wouldn't say 104 is the magic number, my oldest has reached that and been just fine at home.. I hope he's feeling better soon.


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## EviesMom (Nov 30, 2004)

The shaking could be from a febrile seizure, which is not what you want to hear, I know, but it does sound like one. I think that's from fast rising temp and not the temp number itself.

I also would personally do fever reducer, but my kids puke with the slightest fever and I like to ward that off whenever possible!


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## ~Demeter~ (Jul 22, 2006)

Febrile seizures are not dangerous, although they look mighty scary. My third son gets shaky when he spikes a high fever... it was rather alarming the first time it happened.


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## liliaceae (May 31, 2007)

I would call the pediatrician, mama. What could it hurt? You're worried and I would be too.


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## stik (Dec 3, 2003)

If he's breathing hard, that might mean he's not getting enough oxygen, and that's very serious. I would take him in.


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## mamefati28 (Jun 25, 2007)

I would do what evies mom suggested- rouse him and see his response.
Based on that I would make the decision to take him in or not.
If his breathing is changing and continues to get more labored, go in for sure!


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## Pumpkin_Pie (Oct 10, 2006)

I sat him up and he said "hi Mama" and when I asked if he was ok, he answered "yes". He is definitely still breathing a bit fast, and I think we might sleep on the couch tonight, but that made me feel a bit better.


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## EviesMom (Nov 30, 2004)

Do you trust your ped? You might sleep better if they've weighed in if so.


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## Pumpkin_Pie (Oct 10, 2006)

Well, uneventful night. He slept in until 6:30, when he is normally up at 5, and his fever is down to 101.3 and he is acting pretty normally now. Hopefully it all passes quickly and this is pretty much it.


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## mamefati28 (Jun 25, 2007)

glad the night went ok. I would focus on rest, liquids, and good supplements.
Hope you are through the worst of it!


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## chrissy (Jun 5, 2002)

So glad he's feeling better this morning. My mom tells the story of a time when I was 2ish and woke up in the middle of the night in a similar way. I was inconsolable though, writhing around and generally freaking out. She took me in to Urgent Care, and it turned out to be an ear infection.


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## lindberg99 (Apr 23, 2003)

That sounds like the flu. My 9 yo's temp went up very quickly to about 103. I hope your son is better soon!


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## Pumpkin_Pie (Oct 10, 2006)

I am not sure it was the flu, but today he ate pretty much nothing, took two naps and went to bed early (he usually only takes one and is in bed around 8ish). He also spent most of the day on my lap or sleeping on my chest. He did get up to play with his trains a couple of times, but for the most part, he was pretty low key.

His fever was pretty much gone by mid-day, and doesn't seem to be coming back tonight. He did drink quite a bit, so I am not really worried about him not eating. He did say that he feels better and that nothing is hurting anymore.

No idea what it was, but I am so glad he is on the mend. Thanks for all of your support mamas.


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## BellinghamCrunchie (Sep 7, 2005)

I just wanted to mention that rapid breathing and rapid heartbeat during a fever are very normal. The fever causes the rapid breathing - it doesn't mean that he isn't getting enough oxygen or anything like that.

From Dr. Sear's website: http://www.askdrsears.com/html/11/T081000.asp

"Your child's breathing is rapid and labored. Count the number of breaths he takes in 30 seconds, multiply it by two, and this gives you his breaths per minute. Go to the ER right away if the breaths are greater than 60 per minute for children under a year, greater than 50 for children 1 through 4, and greater than 40 for children 5 and older. *Be aware that fever alone can cause rapid breathing (and a rapid heartbeat).* Reduce the fever first and then evaluate your child's breathing".


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## leafwood (Jun 15, 2004)

glad that your LO is handling whatever the illness is reasonalbly well. the fever sitaution is always a bit alarming especially in the middle of the night. recently my two children were sick and dd (5y) had a very high fever (almost 104). she seemed to be breathing so incredibly fast and had a cough so the ped wanted to see her. he counted 35 breaths per minute with a 103 fever and said that was just fine. when ds had it (22m old) he seemed to be breathing in the 50's when he had a high fever and the ped was not worried. she said the thing to look for is a child breathing rapidly w/o a fever or if they have any retractions (ribs pulling in) or strained breath sounds (wheezing, stridor). otherwise, it's just that uncomfortable fever situation and the body doing what it is supposed to be doing to cope.

hope your household is on the mend!!!


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## Pumpkin_Pie (Oct 10, 2006)

Thanks for all the info on rapid breathing with fevers. He did have a little bit of retracting in his chest, but only a few times that I noticed. He also tends to sound wheezy when he sleeps, as he snores like a logger every night (super large tonsils even when he is not sick, just like mama as a child), so it can be hard to tell if he is wheezing once he is asleep. His wheezing/snoring didn't sound "off" to me when he had his fever, so I think he was ok.

Definitely all good info if he ever spikes a high fever again so suddenly. He was pretty much 100% today, although his appetite still isn't completely back. Off to work and school with us tomorrow. I am so glad that I won't be missing any work with this!


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