Desperate: What do you do to

lower a high fever?

I've had a fever ranging from 103-104.6 for 48 hours straight now.

I'm taking tylenol every 4 hours and cold showers at least 4 times a day/night....in addition to the occasional cold washcloth on my neck and forehead.

Dr feels that i have a virus/viral pneumonia, but due to the fact that I have other auto-immune issues, I cannot take steroids in any shape or form. He told me to do exactly what I'm doing, and that it'll have to pass.

The showers are BRUTAL. I'm soooooooo colddddd - shivering so hard I bit my own tongue.

I'm constantly slipping in and out of sleep (in just undergarments) - tried to move from the bed to the couch but got too dizzy and DH caught me before i hit the ceramic tile full force.

Anyone have any old wives tales for me? I know this is heath-related, but like I said, I'm desperate and i'm keeping it here until it gets moved.

THANK YOU

I am so miserable

eta: I also can't take advil/motrin/ibuprofin.

Dr said that the ER can't do anything for me - they'll just give me an IV to stay hydrated, but I'm doing a good job of that myself. My doc did a "virtual exam" via webcam this morning. Amazing, isn't it?

Message edited 9/7/2008 6:22:10 PM.

Re: Desperate: What do you do to

Nicole if you are feeling that bad PLEASE go to the er passing out when you get up with that high of a fever mamma please get looked at. as for the shower do not make it cold it needs to be room temp. IF YOU NEED ANYTHING PLEASE CALL ME feel better

Re: Desperate: What do you do to

I'm sorry you are feeling so bad right now. Have you gone to the emergency room?

Re: Desperate: What do you do to

I'm soo sorry, Ive got no remedies for you but I hope you feel better soon!

Re: Desperate: What do you do to

Can you take a Tylenol????

Re: Desperate: What do you do to

Posted by Shorty

lower a high fever?

I've had a fever ranging from 103-104.6 for 48 hours straight now.

I'm taking tylenol every 4 hours and cold showers at least 4 times a day/night....in addition to the occasional cold washcloth on my neck and forehead.

Dr feels that i have a virus/viral pneumonia, but due to the fact that I have other auto-immune issues, I cannot take steroids in any shape or form. He told me to do exactly what I'm doing, and that it'll have to pass.

The showers are BRUTAL. I'm soooooooo colddddd - shivering so hard I bit my own tongue.

I'm constantly slipping in and out of sleep (in just undergarments) - tried to move from the bed to the couch but got too dizzy and DH caught me before i hit the ceramic tile full force.

Anyone have any old wives tales for me? I know this is heath-related, but like I said, I'm desperate and i'm keeping it here until it gets moved.

THANK YOU

I am so miserable

eta: I also can't take advil/motrin/ibuprofin.

Dr said that the ER can't do anything for me - they'll just give me an IV to stay hydrated, but I'm doing a good job of that myself. My doc did a "virtual exam" via webcam this morning. Amazing, isn't it?

Re: Desperate: What do you do to

I repeat, I CANNOT GO TO THE ER FOR OTHER REASONS I don't feel like exposing on here ! Thanks though.

I didn't quite have a fainting spell - i know the difference by now.

I'm just looking for some "mommy remedies". I've used all of MY mommy's remedies already.

Re: Desperate: What do you do to

I'd get in bed and PILE the blankets on and hopefully you can sweat it out!

Sorry you are feeling crappy

ETA: I don't think advil helps with a fever, I think tylenol does, so take that if you can!

Message edited 9/7/2008 7:14:01 PM.

Re: Desperate: What do you do to

I am so sorry! I don't know of any good remedies except for time... I had a fever like that in February that I will never forget, I was delirious. Just hold on and do the best you can for a few days and you will feel better soon.

Re: Desperate: What do you do to

also, drink fluids as much as you can. if you're dizzy you could be dehydrated.

Re: Desperate: What do you do to

thanks...its a good thing i'm not sick often because this really sucks!!!

Re: Desperate: What do you do to

agree with a pp. get in bed and pile on all of the blankets you can get. drink oj too to keep your sugar and vit c intake high.

Re: Desperate: What do you do to

you've had high a fever for that long??

have you tried Mortin or Advil?

don't take anymore cold showers. I honestly do not think that have any benefit. just stay in bed with tons of covers and try to sweat it out of your system.

Re: Desperate: What do you do to

thanks
Can't take anything containing ibuprofen as it aggravates my hives from the auto-immune issue. That's all I'd need - hives blocking my airway!

I'm such a disaster

Re: Desperate: What do you do to

Posted by missus-hbradio

I am so sorry! I don't know of any good remedies except for time... I had a fever like that in February that I will never forget, I was delirious. Just hold on and do the best you can for a few days and you will feel better soon.

Re: Desperate: What do you do to

Posted by Shorty

thanks
Can't take anything containing ibuprofen as it aggravates my hives from the auto-immune issue. That's all I'd need - hives blocking my airway!

I'm such a disaster

Re: Desperate: What do you do to

sweat it out, girl
that's the only thing that works for me

feel better

Re: Desperate: What do you do to

Posted by KateDevine

I'd get in bed and PILE the blankets on and hopefully you can sweat it out!

Sorry you are feeling crappy

Re: Desperate: What do you do to

You poor dear. I faint a lot when I'm very ill (happened a few weeks ago when I had strep). Drink more water then you can stand. Herbal tea and lemonade are good as well. You may be slightly dehydrated. No more cold showers. A cold cloth on your stomach can do the same thing with a lot less pain. Feel better and if you start to feel worse PLEASE see a doctor. I'm not sure why you can't go to the ER but please consider having a chest x-ray if you don't start feeling better in the next 24 hours or so.

Re: Desperate: What do you do to

it's actually a myth to sweat out a fever! you are supposed to put blankets on if u feel cold and take them off if you feel hot!
drink fluids, try maybe pedialyte to stay hydrated too
eat good old fashioned chicken soup
maybe get some fresh air (i know this sounds silly but getting out of the germs in the house and just getting out of the house in general may feel good!) i don't mean to go shop--just sit in your yard!
i hope u feel better soon

Re: Desperate: What do you do to

Found this online...

Liquefy your assets. When you're hot, your body perspires to cool you down. But if you lose too much water—as you might with a high fever—your body turns off its sweat ducts to forestall further water loss. That makes it more difficult for you to cope with your fever. The moral of this story: Drink up, mateys, or your ship will be sunk. In addition to plain water, doctors favor the following.

Fruit and vegetable juices. These are high in vitamins and minerals, says nutrition counselor Eleonore Blaurock-Busch, Ph.D., president and director of Trace Minerals International in Boulder, Colorado. She particularly favors nutrient-dense beet juice and carrot juice. If you're thirsty for tomato juice, notes pharmacology professor Thomas Gossel, Ph.D., R.Ph., chairman of the Department of Pharmacology and Biomedical Sciences at Ohio Northern University, choose one that is low in sodium.


Get compressed relief. Wet compresses help reduce the body's temperature output, says Dr. Blaurock-Busch. Ironically, she says, hot, moist compresses can do the job. When the patient starts to feel uncomfortably hot, remove those compresses and apply cool ones to his forehead, wrists, and calves. Keep the rest of the body covered.

But if the fever rises above 103°F, she says, do not use hot compresses at all. Instead, apply cool ones to prevent the fever from getting any higher. Change them as they warm to body temperature and continue until the fever drops.

Sponge off. Evaporation also has a cooling effect on body temperature. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, nurse clinician Mary Ann Pane, R.N., recommends cool tap water to help the skin dissipate excess heat. Although you can sponge the whole body, she says, pay particular attention to spots where heat is generally greatest, such as the armpits and groin area. Wring out a sponge and wipe one section at a time, keeping the rest of the body covered. Body heat will evaporate the moisture, so you don't need to towel off.

Doctors warn that although alcohol evaporates more rapidly than water, it can be uncomfortable for someone with a fever. What's more, there's the danger of inhaling the vapors or even absorbing them through the skin.

Take a dip. "Often when I have a fever, I really start to shiver," says Dr. Gossel. "At that point I'm most comfortable getting into a tub of warm water."

Dr. Banco advises room-temperature baths for babies. An alternative treatment, he says, is to sandwich the child between wet towels and change them every 15 minutes.

Don't suffer. If you're very uncomfortable, take a pain reliever. For adults Dr. Vickery recommends either two aspirin or two acetaminophen tablets every 4 hours. The advantage of acetaminophen, he says, is that fewer people are allergic to it.

Since aspirin and acetaminophen exert their effects in slightly different manners, he notes, you might want to pair them up if one alone is not effective in controlling the fever. Take two aspirin plus two acetaminophen (a total of four tablets) every 6 hours. Or stagger the medications so you take two aspirin at one time and two acetaminophen 3 hours later. Make sure this therapy gets your doctor's approval.

Dress the part. Use common sense as far as clothing and blankets go, says Pane. If you're very hot, take off extra covers and clothes so body heat can evaporate into the air. But if you have a chill, bundle up until you're just comfortable.

Be especially careful to monitor infants, who cannot undress themselves if they become overheated, cautions Dr. Sterne. In fact, he says, overdressing a child or leaving him in a hot place (such as a car) can actually cause a fever.

Create a healing atmosphere. Do your best to make the sickroom conducive to healing, says Dr. Blaurock-Busch. Don't overheat it—German doctors generally recommend that the temperature not exceed 65°F, she says. Allow just enough fresh air to promote recuperation but not to create a draft. And keep the lighting subdued so it's properly relaxing.

Eat—if you want to. Don't fret over whether you should feed a fever or starve one. Some doctors, like Dr. Blaurock-Busch, prefer juice fasting until the fever is reduced nearly to normal. Others feel that you should eat during a fever because the body's increased heat uses up calories. Ultimately, of course, the choice is yours and hinges on your appetite. Just remember to keep up your fluid intake.

Link

Feel Better

Re: Desperate: What do you do to

cool, wet, washcloths on your head, and stomach...contuinue with the tylenol, and just lay in bed...drink lots of fluids

feel better

Re: Desperate: What do you do to

DO NOT bundle up. You will make the fever go higher. You will "sweat it out" when your body is ready.

We used to put a potato on our heads to suck out the fever ( cut in half ) and my mom still swears that it works but that is probably an old wive's tale.

DH gets high fevers and luke warm ( NEVER COLD ) baths help him as well as cold rags on his head and chest.

Drink lots of water but NOT ice cold.

I dont know what else. . . i hope you feel better

Re: Desperate: What do you do to

I don't think you're supposed to be taking COLD showers??? Your Dr told you to do that??? I always thought it was Room temp/ "teppid" showers? i was always taught cold is bad.

also- drink as much fluids as possible!!! water, gatorade... just keep drinking.

Re: Desperate: What do you do to