My son needs help

Leticia said:

I am a 24 yr old female. My son is 5 yrs. of age. We have been to multiple physicians and no one
seems to have an answer to his problems. It all started back in July of 2003. He started out by
just getting high fevers around
103.5 - 105.7. They come about twice a week and there was no sign of infection other than that
until September. He then started to get bad aching pain that started from his feet and ended
about two inches above his ankles. Now he has his fever one to two times a week along with his
pain, and then came fatigue. Whenever we take him to the emergency room all they do is run
simple test and say that he has no infection. Is there something else that I should be asking
about?

What is "simple test"? Chest x-ray? bloodwork ? urinalysis? tonsils? teeth? lymph nodes? spleen ?
appendix? Signs (anything visible) ? and what else happened in July? Travel? Injury? Swimming? etc
and what type of doctors have been consulted? J -not a doctor

See merck.comch267i.jspOpen ↗

and Section 17, Chapter 188). (an excerpt) Substances that cause fever are called pyrogens. Pyrogens
can come from inside or outside the body. Microorganisms and the substances they produce (such as
toxins) are examples of pyrogens formed outside the body. Pyrogens formed inside the body are
usually produced by monocytes. Pyrogens from outside the body cause fever by stimulating the body to
release its own pyrogens. However, infection is not the sole cause of fever; fever also may result
from inflammation, cancer, or an allergic reaction.

Usually, fever has an obvious cause, which is often--but not always--an infection (such as
influenza, pneumonia, a urinary tract infection, or some other infection) that a doctor can easily
diagnose with a brief history, physical examination, and occasionally a few simple tests, such as a
chest x-ray and urine tests. Sometimes, however, the cause is not readily discernible.

If fever continues for several days and has no obvious cause, a more detailed investigation is
required. There are many potential causes of such a fever; common causes in adults include
infections, diseases caused by antibodies against the person's own tissues (autoimmune diseases),
and an undetected cancer (especially leukemia or lymphoma).

To determine the cause of a fever, a doctor begins by asking a person about present and previous
symptoms and diseases, drugs currently being taken, exposure to infections, and recent travel. The
pattern of the fever usually does not help with the diagnosis. There are, however, some exceptions:
a fever that recurs every other day or every third day is typical of malaria.

Recent travel (especially overseas) may give clues to the cause of a fever, because some infections
occur only in certain areas. For example, coccidioidomycosis (a fungal infection) occurs almost
exclusively in the southwestern United States. A history of exposure to certain materials or animals
also is important. For example, a person who works in a meatpacking plant is more likely to develop
brucellosis.

After asking questions, the doctor performs a thorough physical examination to find a source of
infection or evidence of disease. Blood and other body fluids may be sent to the laboratory to try
to grow the microorganism in a culture. Other blood tests can be used to detect antibodies against
specific microorganisms. Increases in the white blood cell count usually indicate infection. The
differential count (the proportion of different types of white blood cells) gives further clues. An
increase in neutrophils, for example, suggests an acute bacterial infection. An increase in
eosinophils suggests the presence of parasites--for example, tapeworms or roundworms.

When a person has a fever of at least 101° F for several weeks and extensive investigation fails to
reveal a cause, a doctor may refer to it as a fever of unknown origin. In such cases, the cause may
be an unusual chronic infection or something other than infection, such as a connective tissue
disease, cancer, or some other disease. Ultrasonography, computed tomography (CT), or magnetic
resonance imaging (MRI) may help a doctor diagnose the cause. Injection of white blood cells labeled
with a radioactive marker can be used to identify areas of infection or inflammation. If these test
results are negative, the doctor may need to obtain a biopsy specimen from the liver, bone marrow,
or another suspected site. The specimen is then examined under a microscope and cultured.

Because fever helps the body defend against infection, there is some debate as to whether it should
be routinely treated. However, a person with a high fever generally feels much better when the fever
is treated.

Drugs used to lower body temperature are called antipyretics. The most effective and widely
used antipyretics are acetaminophen and the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such
as aspirin and ibuprofen. However, aspirin should not be given to children and teenagers to
treat a fever because it increases the risk of Reye's syndrome (see Section 23, Chapter 273),
which can be fatal.

[email hidden] (Leticia) wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I am a 24 yr old female. My son is 5 yrs. of age. We have been to multiple physicians and no one
seems to have an answer to his problems. It all started back in July of 2003. He started out by
just getting high fevers around
103.5 - 105.7. They come about twice a week and there was no sign of infection other than that
until September. He then started to get bad aching pain that started from his feet and ended
about two inches above his ankles. Now he has his fever one to two times a week along with his
pain, and then came fatigue. Whenever we take him to the emergency room all they do is run
simple test and say that he has no infection. Is there something else that I should be asking
about?

I would ask the doctors if there could be any kind of internal injury that could be causing this
(not an infection, as they have ruled it out.)

If possible, visit some alternative therapists too, someone may make a crucial
observation/connection, or may have seen this before.

"soft-eng" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

[email hidden] (Leticia) wrote in message

news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I am a 24 yr old female. My son is 5 yrs. of age. We have been to multiple physicians and no one
seems to have an answer to his problems. It all started back in July of 2003. He started out by
just getting high fevers around
103.5 - 105.7. They come about twice a week and there was no sign of infection other than that
until September. He then started to get bad aching pain that started from his feet and ended
about two inches above his ankles. Now he has his fever one to two times a week along with
his pain, and then came fatigue. Whenever we take him to the emergency room all they do is
run simple test and say that he has no infection. Is there something else that I should be
asking about?

I would ask the doctors if there could be any kind of internal injury that could be causing this
(not an infection, as they have ruled it out.)

If possible, visit some alternative therapists too, someone may make a crucial
observation/connection, or may have seen this before.

L, have you been traveling in any "undeveloped" countries lately? I do not know why, but some type
of parasite comes to mind.

[email hidden] (Leticia) wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I am a 24 yr old female. My son is 5 yrs. of age. We have been to multiple physicians and no one
seems to have an answer to his problems. It all started back in July of 2003. He started out by
just getting high fevers around
103.5 - 105.7. They come about twice a week and there was no sign of infection other than that
until September. He then started to get bad aching pain that started from his feet and ended
about two inches above his ankles. Now he has his fever one to two times a week along with his
pain, and then came fatigue. Whenever we take him to the emergency room all they do is run
simple test and say that he has no infection. Is there something else that I should be asking
about?

Leticia,

It might be a good idea to take your son to a rheumatologist and test him for any array of
autoimmune disorders, including juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Has he been tested for Lyme disease ?
Skip the ER, their job is to stitch, stabalize and discharge. Let us know what happens.

Sean DC