Winter bugs

fits · 03-12-2022 11:20am #1

It seems like one or other of us has been sick for almost a month now. Tummy bugs, colds etc. Both my boys have temperatures the last two days and tonsillitis. One has a rash this morning so I decided maybe would be best to get him checked and can’t get through at all to our out of hours gp services. Husband has tried and failed twice to get gp appointments in last month and had to use online doc through insurance.

the viruses are having an absolute field day. Anyone else? I hope at least we will have immunity to everything by Christmas time.

Mundo7976 · 03-12-2022 11:32am

Yep, started with our eldest coughing about 6weeks ago. Since then it's been snots, coughs, aches & pains for us all. Feck all can be done about it except temporary relief with hot drinks & over the counter 'remedies'

tom1ie · 03-12-2022 11:44am

8 month old is on antibiotics and inhaler (via a spacer)

7 year old is on antibiotics and an inhaler.

I am on my second course of antibiotics, 6 steroids a day and an inhaler.

Wife and eldest are also starting to cough.

Believe it or not we are generally a very healthy family and quite active. I don’t know what the craic is this year but it seems to be hitting people quite hard.

fits · 03-12-2022 11:49am

Big time. Hitting every one of us quite hard also.

the_amazing_raisin · 03-12-2022 1:44pm

3yo daughter has had a temperature since last Sunday, head cold turned into a chest infection, so she's on antibiotics now

She got an upset stomach from the antibiotics and got sick a few times yesterday. Finally improving, her temp has dropped so hopefully she keeps recovering

The missus had the same cold the past week, she's been feeling pretty miserable all week but seems to be recovering

My 6yo son and I are currently unaffected, although considering the number of times we've been coughed on I'm pretty sure our turn is coming

I'm utterly exhausted from looking all the missed sleep and general stressing 😫

I definitely feel like there's a few nasty doses going around. We managed to suppress cold and flu viruses pretty well during lockdown and I reckon we've lost a bit of immunity because of that

Kinda miss mask wearing a bit, it wasn't very effective against the later strains of COVID but it did seem to stop a lot of other viruses being spread

fits · 03-12-2022 2:46pm

One young fellow gone into out of hours GP now so they can check out a rash. Ugh.

shesty · 03-12-2022 7:08pm

We got away with November but October was a s**t show here.Antibiotics and steroids all round.In the last 2 weeks my youngest did get sick once, and the older two complained of sore tummies a lot -my own wasn't great either.Vomiting is doing the rounds in the school.The 4 year old is quite snotty yesterday and today, and is in awful form - I am crossing my fingers he isn't coming down with something worse.My 4 year old niece has also had dose after dose since late September.

Masks are fine but they aren't going to make these bugs vanish- they'll catch up with us all eventually.These are the "unknown unknowns" resulting from 2 years of lockdowns.

The bugs are one thing but for me, the horrible difficulty of trying to access basic medical services in a timely manner is the biggest stress of it all.The system can't cope.

Loveinapril · 03-12-2022 7:20pm

My 3 year old has been in hospital 3 times in the last 8 weeks for a nebuliser and steroids because of breathing issues with a cold/ cough. The pharmacist told me there is a shortage of those little dissolvable steroids at the moment. My daughter had Slapped Cheek during that time too. My 5 year old had a virus last week, high temp and complaining headaches and aches and pains. He only started school in Sept and has already been off for 17 days! I have a chest infection that just won't shift. It is exhausting!

fits · 03-12-2022 9:39pm

Oh wow that’s tough going alright.

turns out we all have strep. One boy has scarlet fever and me and other boy have strep throat. Fun day !

SnowyMuckish · 04-12-2022 1:02am

Just sent my son back to crèche after vomiting bug 3 days, the cold in the house 8 days, with an inhaler trial for possible asthma. In one day, got a call that he had a temp of 39.3, the joys.

mojesius · 04-12-2022 2:34am

In the last two months, we've had vomiting bugs (both ends), ongoing coughs, snots galore and temperatures. It's not covid. My kids are only 4 and 2 so I'm thinking a lot of this is due to the fact that they realistically missed 2 years of being exposed to common viruses at an early age due to covid restrictions (last year the guidance from my older child's preschool was that they couldn't attend with any sort of a cough) and now it's all hitting them full force.

Last two weekends have been a nightmare with the youngest, he's been so ill in different ways.

greasepalm · 04-12-2022 2:43am

Wow plenty of people getting sick at the wrong time of year.

As an adult i have been lucky to not catch a cold for 2 years as i bought a product called Vicks First Defence which is a nasal spray and when i feel a sore throat i squirt each nostril and it goes away and saved hundred of euros on LemSips and other meds.

Might be worth looking into it and hoping its not more serious

fits · 04-12-2022 9:47am

Feeling guilty this morning I didn’t get first boy to doctor sooner. It’s been very painful.

keep an eye out for the strep A illnesses folks. Antibiotics will help this one. It’s everywhere at the moment

https://amp.theguardian.com/society/2022/dec/02/strep-a-what-are-symptoms-how-can-infection-be-prevented

shesty · 05-12-2022 10:53am

Saw it alright last week on Sky News.

It's beyond rough.That said, I remember winter 2019, I had a JI , a preschooler and a 9 month old - the viruses ran amok in Nov/Dec.The JI class were regularly down to single numbers, the teacher changed their christmas play date 3 times.Chicken pox hit here too that year.The kids were really sick.So this probably isnt totally out of the normal, but that said, it has probably been exacerbated by covid and lack of exposure for younger kids.

shesty · 05-12-2022 10:55am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119954816#Comment_119954816

It's horrible fits, I am prone to strep throat and well aquainted with it, I wouldn't wish it on anyone

Paul Pogba · 05-12-2022 11:05am

Our daughter (18 months) started crèche in august and I think she’s been out more than in. Ear infection, throat infection, common cold and has picked up conjunctivitis twice in the last 3 weeks. Bit of advice, get down on your knees and beg the doctor not to prescribe eye drops for a young child. Torture!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Feel so bad administering them.

shesty · 05-12-2022 11:12am

Oh they sting🙈Have had them in the last few months and it isn't so nice.The Fucithalmic ointment stings but the other option, drops that I can't remember the name of, they are ok.Getting them into a toddler is tough though, but sure has to be done if they need it.

Paul Pogba · 05-12-2022 11:18am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119958335#Comment_119958335

She cried and spoke a baby language I never heard before. Two person job. Me rugby tackling her. Wifey dropping.

Bobsammy · 05-12-2022 11:20am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119954816#Comment_119954816

My 4yo had strep throat a few weeks ago - she was so unwell and I felt awful that I hadn't got her to the doctor a few days earlier. But I just assumed it was likely to be something viral and she'd throw it off herself over the weekend.

Was 4 days on the antibiotic before she was really on the up but not a bother on her now, all recovered.

Next time they've a temperature like that I'll go to the doctor quicker, try and stop the infection taking hold. But I really feel like one or other of them has been a bit under the weather since we all went back to school in August. It seems never-ending this year.

crisco10 · 05-12-2022 11:25am

Have 2 kids, 4 and 18 months. Since the start of October, we have had ONE week where both managed to be in creche for 5 days (i.e. 100% attendance across the pair). Generally, just a variety of tummy doses, head colds and coughs. 18 month old currently playing around me today, its his turn to have fever and snots. It's the 4 year olds Christmas concert on Thursday, I'm just praying she makes it. We had to cancel her birthday party in October because of her 40 degree temp.

This after the 18 month old spent 10 nights in Crumlin in September with RSV.

Been a relentless winter so far.

fits · 05-12-2022 1:19pm

I’m just trying to figure out how we managed all this before wfh!

My husband was more flexible I think but I had to be in office daily. I’m on sick leave now but not getting a whole lot of rest with two smallies at home. Husband busy with pre Xmas rush so on my own.

pawrick · 05-12-2022 1:39pm

3 yr old came down with chicken pox in early September, followed by 3 separate bouts with short breaks inbetween of what ever viruses are on the go in the local playschool, so basically been sick on and off since Sept.

We all caught the last one off him and just getting over it now. He's on steroids at the moment and wired to the moon at night with them. 7 month old got over his bug within 5 days (he avoided chicken pox) but i think the chicken pox really hit the 3 yr olds system hard added to his first year mixing in a playschool.

Really annoying seeing other parents drop off thier kids to playschool when it's obvious they are sick/not over a bug but i guess not everyone can keep them home long enough due to personal circumstances.

shesty · 05-12-2022 2:34pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119958893#Comment_119958893

Definitely wondered this!We have a lovely minder who takes them but the chicken pox...my eldest had it awfully badly so she stayed home and I do remember one day with my husband meeting me in my work carpark so he could hand her over to me to take home for the afternoon, while he went to work for the afternoon.

Check the throats for little white spots, or a lot of tiny red dots on the roof of the mouth very near the back (so hard to see into toddler throats!), always a good indiction of when to go for a doctor.

JacksonHeightsOwn · 07-12-2022 9:34pm

is it me or is part of all these issues the fact we cant get to see doctors in person quickly enough?

back in october our youngest, 3 had a sore throat-temp-cough, rang the doctors as we where going on holidays, as ever, told us "it was viral, and it needs to run its course", we where due to go on holidays so we went, presuming our youngest would shift it in a dar or two, after 2 days away she was getting worse, thankfully, we got her into an actual doctor while we where in Belgium, the doctor gave her a good going over and prescribed antibiotics, within 3 doses she was nearly back to normal.

by the end of the holiday, our youngest was fine, but the eldest (7) started coming down with the same symptoms, we rang our doctor but told him he was sick for 10 days, otherwise he woudnt prescribe antibiotics, in hindsight, this turned out a very lucky move by us because he got the antibiotics fairly fast and kicked the issue quick enough, but during the course of the antibiotics, he broke out in a rash all over his face and body, at the time we didnt think much of it, but in looking at it now, it was definitely scarlet fever. So only we got him on the antibiotics quickly, god knws what could have happened.

shesty · 07-12-2022 10:15pm

Well I don't know if Strep A issues are a result of that.

But I find it very difficult to get medical appointments in a timely way, and from what I hear, my place is actually pretty good.1 - 2 day wait if things are bad.A neighbour told me it was a 10 day wait for the next appointment at her GP this week, which is madness.That's not actually doable if you or your kids are sick.

fits · 07-12-2022 10:55pm

I was holding for 30 minutes to get through to our out of hours gp for first boy Saturday and then over 20 minutes the second time. Had to be very persistent. And I wasn’t overly worried so almost gave up. Glad I didn’t

JacksonHeightsOwn · 08-12-2022 8:45am

But isn't this the issue.

Before covid, if you where feeling unwell, you could walk into your doctors and be seen to.

But now, they wouldn't entertain you without an appointment. Not a hope of being seen to.

They're pretty much the only profession that hasn't gone back to work to pre covid levels. That's not practical

I had a bout of pneumonia 6 weeks ago, but because I couldn't actually see a doctor, it got hold of me much worse than if I saw a doctor earlier in the illness, gone are the days where a doctor sat you down, looked in your throat, checked your ears and listened to your chest. At least where I live in Dublin anyway

72sheep · 08-12-2022 2:06pm

Today's Indo: "We’re not contemplating any Covid-style measures for Strep A" says Tánaiste. Oh so it's part of the accepted toolkit now then is it?

fits · 08-12-2022 2:45pm

Well what would you have to give out about if it weren’t?

anyway back on topic I’m still not 100% today. I had train ticket booked to go to office yesterday and changed my mind just before Twas time to leave and ended up taking another day. What was I thinking! Kids are flying it again though.

shesty · 08-12-2022 10:24pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119969815#Comment_119969815

No my doctor pretty much never took walk-ins.

shesty · 22-12-2022 9:12pm

Thank god it's the christmas holidays.

Managed to get a last minute cancellation at the GP for child no. 2 - tonsillitis/strep, whatever you want to call it.She's very miserable.

We were home ten minutes when child no. 1 informed me her throat hurt.I am over all of this.Not a hope in hell of getting a doctor appointment in the next few days.The health service has just buckled at this point.I can't think of anything else to do right now oher than have a large glass of wine and hope something a bit miraculous happens tomorrow.🙄

SnowyMuckish · 22-12-2022 9:58pm

Jeebus it never ends! They sure have a nack for timing 🙄. Some insurance policies have online docs/ nurses, if you have one might be worth a shot?

fits · 22-12-2022 11:13pm

I’m fairly sure we are just coming out of flu. One boy had a really awful dose. I had him at GP twice to be checked. He’s had it a week now and still getting high temperatures. Awful bug. I gave up work earlier than I intended to cos I’m just exhausted with it now.

shesty · 23-12-2022 1:55pm

All the online doctors booked out for 2 days.The gods were clearly smiling on me, I rang my surgery early this morning and they had a cancellation for this afternoon.Twice in 3 days now, the luck!!Otherwise we would have been going to Affidea walk in or blanch A&e (which is wrong, it is not right to have to go to an A&E for a prescription). I am asking them for a prescription for my third child while in there, so I am not caught out over the next 4 days with him.Mind you, no penicillin available either, so hope alternatives are.

Aw @fits hope he recovers soon.I think we will be hibernating for the next 2 weeks, we are all exhausted.

Supercell · 01-02-2023 11:58am

My 7 year old daughter has a fever now for the fourth day running with blocked nose and a cough, its soul destrying as a parent, if I could take if off her into me I would.

Doc wont see her without a covid test, she absolutely refuses to have the swab anywhere near her. We all had covid last november so its probably not that anyhow. Really wish I had gotten them all the flu spay, hopefully she makes a recovery by the weekend, my heart is broken.

fits · 02-02-2023 8:40am

I hope she is feeling better supercell. My boy had fever for a week before Christmas and lost some weight.

the_amazing_raisin · 02-02-2023 12:31pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120186364#Comment_120186364

One thing we found useful for the antigen tests was to get the kids to do the swab themselves. Call it a science experiment or something

They don't stick the swab in as far as the instructions say, but their noses are smaller and if they're snotty then it probably doesn't make much difference

Supercell · 02-02-2023 3:52pm

Thanks guys, today is the first day since Sunday she hasnt got a fever. Fingers crossed shes on the mend, sooo relieved.

My elder daughter in fourth class cheerily reported 3 kids puked in class today and 10 others were out.

Guess who isnt going to school tomorrow!!! Last thing her younger sister needs is that brought back home. Madness.

shesty · 02-02-2023 8:40pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120191291#Comment_120191291

We also say put it in yourself and do a big blow out your nose while the swab is in there.

No scientific basis for it other than the fact that surely something will get on it that way🤣also kids nostrils are shorter than adults, so they can't really put them in as far as we do.

fits · 02-02-2023 10:28pm

I won’t test my boy with SEN. Too distressing for him and no real need now anyway

Winter bugs

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