# You have a fever. Do you medicate? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 3, 2011, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-a-fever-do-you-medicate/591326 "2011-08-03T15:22:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![PeskiPiksi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e495f1/32.png) [@PeskiPiksi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PeskiPiksi)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2011, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-a-fever-do-you-medicate/591326/21 "2011-08-03T23:12:24Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > I know this is IMHO and we’re not supposed to critique other posters’ posts, but I feel like I really should step in and let you know that while this was once standard advice, we now know this is a dangerous practice. > > We used to think that children’s[febrile seizures](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Febrile_seizure)were related to the number on the thermometer, and that very high fevers were the only way they’d be at risk of a seizure. We now know that it’s the abrupt increase in temperature, and that a seizure can happen at a lower temperature than you’d expect if a child’s antipyretic is withdrawn before the problem has resolved. > > So please, keep giving them the fever reducer during the day, okay? For me? Wow, thanks for this heads-up. I was just going off the advice of my pediatrician, but admittedly we haven’t spoken about it in about a year or so. My kids just don’t get sick very often so the question doesn’t come up. I’ll defintely do some research on it and bring her any info I find! I’d hate to think she’s giving out incorrect info to all her patients. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2011, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-a-fever-do-you-medicate/591326/22 "2011-08-03T23:38:12Z")
> [@eclectic\_wench](#): > > WhyNot, can I ask at what temp you’d give a kid something to reduce fever? I’ve always done the same as PeskiPiksi - during the day, Widget only gets something if she seems uncomfortable or if the fever’s above 38 (100.4F). What’s the recommended temp to start giving a toddler antipyretics? We were taught the same thing as for adult patients: You don’t have to lower the fever, you have to make them comfortable. We don’t recommend antipyretics for fever reduction before 102, but if they’re a whiny mess, go ahead and give it for its analgesic properties. If all she’s running unmedicated is 100.4, then it shouldn’t be the most worrisome worry on your list right now; a seizure really isn’t likely in any case - there’s not enough room between 98.6 and 100.4 for the resumption of the fever - even if it’s quick - to trigger a seizure, it seems. So check with your doctor - she may recommend you give it to her when she’s uncomfortable, don’t worry about it when she’s not. But if your kid tends towards \*high \*fevers, maintaining medication is much more important. Some tots run absurdly high temps as a hobby. My son was known to run 104-105 temps with every sniffle (and yes, I took him to the doctor’s the first few times before we learned his body pattern) and that’s not unusual. 104 just isn’t a problem all by itself, especially if it took two days to get there. But if I give him ibuprofen, it comes down to 99, and then I don’t give him more ibuprofen and it shoots up to 103.5 over 15 minutes when the medicine wears off - \*that \*can trigger a seizure. So either leave the 104 alone (which, I’ll be honest: all this book learnin’ aside, I just couldn’t do, as a worried mom) or keep treating them until you’re pretty sure the fever is past. Fevers of 102+ in children over 3 months (and fevers over 100.4 in infants under 3 months) do warrant a call to the doctors office, though, just in case something particularly worrisome has been going around. They’ll want to know the child’s other symptoms, and they’ll help you decide whether or not to reduce the fever. Thanks for understanding my buttinskiness, **PeskiPiksi**. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2011, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-a-fever-do-you-medicate/591326/23 "2011-08-03T23:38:25Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > How could you not be uncomfortable with a 101 fever? I’d be shaking with chills and sweat. Is that because I’m normally 97 and change? Would most people not be uncomfortable? I’m startled by your post. I am the same way, my normal base temp hovers mid 94. When I hit 101 it is in the danger zone. I start getting the shakes around 99. Luckily my doc is aware of the problem, and he advised medicating when I hit 97 consistantly for 24 hours. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2011, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-a-fever-do-you-medicate/591326/24 "2011-08-03T23:56:47Z")
I don’t take anything for fever, _per se_, but I’ll take it for headches or other pain. I take a lot of NSAIDs as a matter of course for psoriatic arthritis anyway. I generally don’t like to take any of the OTC cold/flu remedies. They don’t really do that much. It’s better to just let the fever burn out the bugs and drink a lot of green tea. ---
**Author:** ![rhubarbarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb9ed0/32.png) [@rhubarbarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhubarbarin)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2011, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-a-fever-do-you-medicate/591326/25 "2011-08-04T00:16:55Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > How could you not be uncomfortable with a 101 fever? I’d be shaking with chills and sweat. Is that because I’m normally 97 and change? Would most people not be uncomfortable? I’m startled by your post. The highest fevers I’ve had have been 101 (always from ear infections, tonsillitis, or strep) and I’ve never had chills, abnormal sweating, shaking, hallucinations, etc from being ill/feverish. Just bad headaches with attendant nausea, maybe some body aches, tiredness and spacy feeling, and whatever symptoms are dependent on the condition; stabbing pains in the ear or really sore throat. I too always had body temps in the 97s until about a year and a half ago, now I’m steadily in the 98s and it’s changed my body in a big way. I have a really hard time tolerating heat all of a sudden, when I used to thrive in it. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2011, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-a-fever-do-you-medicate/591326/26 "2011-08-04T00:19:36Z")
Usually I let the body do what it wants - but if I am in discomfort I’ll take something to break the fever. ---
**Author:** ![Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angel_of_the_lord/32/2949_2.png) [@Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angel_of_the_Lord)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2011, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-a-fever-do-you-medicate/591326/27 "2011-08-04T00:52:20Z")
If it’s only a fever with no headache, I generally won’t take it; I figure I can just let it burn through. If I’m in pain, however, I’m taking the Tylenol, because headaches suck. Also, if I can’t sleep because of the fever, I’m taking the Tylenol. I know that my immune system knows what it’s doing when it raises my temperature, but I’m not going to be miserable because of it. For me, there’s nothing more miserable than shivering under the blankets. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2011, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-a-fever-do-you-medicate/591326/28 "2011-08-04T01:08:00Z")
> [@Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](#): > > \ For me, there’s nothing more miserable than shivering under the blankets. Then throw them off. Then put them back on. Then throw them off. Then put them back on… ---
**Author:** ![Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angel_of_the_lord/32/2949_2.png) [@Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angel_of_the_Lord)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2011, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-a-fever-do-you-medicate/591326/29 "2011-08-04T01:14:23Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > Then throw them off. Then put them back on. Then throw them off. Then put them back on… That’s less miserable, and more aerobics. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Bri2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/48db29/32.png) [@Bri2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bri2k)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2011, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-a-fever-do-you-medicate/591326/30 "2011-08-04T01:25:20Z")
I don’t like using thermometers, so I only take something for a fever if my eyes feel hot. That seems to be the limit I can deal with. Thanks for all the great info here. You’ve taught me some new things. Now I need to go learn about the side effects of aspirin, which I always thought was fairly benign. Bri2k ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2011, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-a-fever-do-you-medicate/591326/31 "2011-08-04T01:40:45Z")
I only take aspirin when I have pain or chills that I associate with being sick. Only my doctor’s office takes my tempature. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2011, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-a-fever-do-you-medicate/591326/32 "2011-08-04T02:21:40Z")
My temp got up to 102.3 the week before last, and I did medicate a little for that, but more for the severe headache and muscle aches that were other early signs of lyme disease in the three days before the rash appeared. I don’t know what I would have done at that temp if I didn’t hurt that much since every time my temp has gotten that high I’ve always had bad headaches too. ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2011, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-a-fever-do-you-medicate/591326/33 "2011-08-04T03:46:01Z")
I don’t medicate for anything unless I’m completely miserable. I drink not a little, and most medications don’t treat the liver very well. And if I’m miserable enough to medicate, I’m too miserable to drink… Joe ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2011, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-a-fever-do-you-medicate/591326/34 "2011-08-04T03:58:03Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally Posted by **Angel of the Lord** > \ For me, there’s nothing more miserable than shivering under the blankets. Especially when it’s hardcore shivering, where it’s more like firm jerking movements your muscles are doing (instead of like, a mild vibrating). I still remember staying home from school around age 11 with the flu. I had a fever around 101-102.\* and was violently shivering under the covers. I managed to sleep for a bit and when I woke up, it was the exact opposite: I literally felt like I was inside an oven, even after throwing off the blanket. I checked my temp and it was 104.5. :eek: I took some Tylenol and it went down (and be proud, **WhyNot** , because if I took an antipyretic, I’d take my temp at 5, 15, 30 minutes and at ~45 min intervals after to monitor for any spikes). Man, I was glad that worked, because otherwise our family’s non-medicinal fever treatment was a lukewarm shower. It _works_ but good god, it’s like standing under ice water when you’re already miserable! ---
**Author:** ![horsetech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dec6dc/32.png) [@horsetech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/horsetech)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2011, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-a-fever-do-you-medicate/591326/35 "2011-08-04T14:10:25Z")
I usually take something, even if the fever is not super high, but usually when I check my temperature it’s because I’m starting to feel like I’ve been used for a punching bag. > [@Bri2k](#): > > Thanks for all the great info here. You’ve taught me some new things. Now I need to go learn about the side effects of aspirin, which I always thought was fairly benign. > > Bri2k For the rest of the class, here is the Cliff Notes version of major side effects of OTC cyclooxgenase inhibitors, i.e., OTC NSAID’s including aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen (not addressing the differences seen with COX-2 inhibitors such as Celebrex). Unlike other COX inhibitors, aspirin irreversibly binds to COX-1, which means that effects such as inhibition of platelet aggregation persist for several days after aspirin is stopped. More common: - GI side effects, ranging from mild indigestion to bleeding ulcers or even perforation of the GI tract leading to peritonitis, septic shock, etc. - Inhibition of platelet aggregation, leading to increased risk of excessive bleeding - This is why low-dose aspirin is used to prevent heart attacks, (it’s not a bug, it’s a feature!) but higher or repeated doses can be problematic during surgery or in the case of serious wounds. - Somewhat decreased renal filtration rate can be expected, which isn’t a problem for most people but can change the rate of elimination of other drugs or cause problems in people with heart disease due to fluid retention and increase in blood pressure. Less common: - Acute renal failure, which is usually reversible with intensive care, or chronic, irreversible renal failure (the latter usually occurring with long-term use, not a couple days’ worth) - Asthma attacks in a subset of asthma patients who are aspirin-sensitive or NSAID-sensitive - Increased risk of heart attacks from all EXCEPT aspirin (and possibly naproxen); aspirin decreases risk of heart attacks. Peculiar to aspirin: - Reye’s syndrome in children (liver and brain swelling) Unclear: - The jury is still out on whether long-term use of NSAID’s is good or bad for your joint cartilage in the case of arthritis, although there is a slight edge to regular NSAID’s being somewhat deleterious and COX-2 inhibitors being somewhat protective. WhyNot, how’d I do? ---
**Author:** ![PeskiPiksi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e495f1/32.png) [@PeskiPiksi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PeskiPiksi)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2011, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-a-fever-do-you-medicate/591326/36 "2011-08-04T14:13:00Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Thanks for understanding my buttinskiness, **PeskiPiksi**. 🙂 Not at all, thanks for letting me know! Seems these kinds of things are always changing and it’s hard to keep up sometimes. I always welcome new information, especially when it comes to the health of my kids! ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2011, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-a-fever-do-you-medicate/591326/37 "2011-08-04T17:39:28Z")
> [@horsetech](#): > > WhyNot, how’d I do? Very thorough, thanks! I’d suggest, from a one-health-care-professional-in-training-to-another, though, that you think about how you can simplify your language a bit. You’ve got the information down pat, but if you’ve got a person in with a sick kid, or a sick dog, they’re going to need more layspeak. They’re anxious, they’re tired, and they just want to know what to do. We do need to communicate side effects and possible adverse events, but we have to do it so they actually hear and understand us. For aspirin, if I was giving a thorough tutorial, I’d say, "Well, aspirin can cause stomach upset. You can take it with food to try to avoid that, but sometimes it will hurt anyway. Sometimes it can cause stomach bleeding, or bleeding in your intestines, and that could be something very bad, so if you see blood in your vomit or have black stools or a really bad stomachache, let us know right away. "Aspirin is also hard on your kidneys. That’s not usually a problem if you’re young and healthy, but it can cause kidney failure in older patients or people taking a lot of drugs, and once in a while there’s a freak case of a young healthy person who ends up with kidney failure after taking aspirin. It can also change the way some other drugs are excreted from your body, so your doctor might need to adjust your other medications if you take a lot of aspirin. "Aspirin can cause your blood not to clot as well, so if you’re injured or you have surgery, you may bleed too much. Always tell your doctor about taking aspirin, especially if you’re going to have surgery. A small group of people with asthma find that aspirin makes them have an asthma attack, so make sure you have your inhaler filled an on hand in case that happens. If it does happen, don’t take any more aspirin. “Aspirin should NEVER be given to children who have certain illnesses because it can cause Reye’s Syndrome, which can permanently damage their brain or even cause death. Those illnesses look a lot like a regular cold or flu when they start. So I’m going to make it easy on you and just suggest that you don’t give your kid aspirin, _ever_, unless her doctor has prescribed it, okay?” For a quick down and dirty, I’d probably say, “Aspirin can cause stomach upset or ulcers or excessive bleeding, it’s hard on your kidneys and may cause some people with asthma to have an asthma attacks. Aspirin is not the best choice for children, because it can sometimes cause Reye’s Syndrome, which is a very serious illness than can lead to brain damage or death.” …but there’s a fine line between effective communication and being patronizing. I’m not always sure I hit it right myself. Still working on it! ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-a-fever-do-you-medicate/591326/38 "2011-08-05T01:12:13Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I never interfere with my own fever unless it is dangerously high (\>104). +1 ---
**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-a-fever-do-you-medicate/591326/39 "2011-08-05T01:54:11Z")
I have a fever right now and, yes, I’m medicated. It’s for my own comfort - I realize that a fever is a normal part of an illness, but I’ve been having chills all day and it’s really uncomfortable and I can’t sleep while I’m sweating copiously and shaking with cold. If I don’t have chills and it’s just a slight fever, I usually wait it out. When my daughter has a fever, she’s almost always medicated. She tends to be all or nothing with illnesses: she’s either got 0 fever or her temp is 103 or above. Last time she was sick she had roseola. Her temp was almost 105 - it went up so high so fast and left her dizzy and lethargic (both of which are scarier than the fever). My son, on the other hand, almost always runs hot - his normal temp is around 99.3. Figuring out if he’s hot because he’s sick or because he’s been moving a lot can sometimes be a challenge, but he’s at least old enough to tell me now how he’s feeling, which makes things a lot easier. So he sometimes gets medicated if he tells me he’s uncomfortable; if he’s not, I usually monitor him. If his temp seems to be fluctuating a lot, he’s medicated. ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-a-fever-do-you-medicate/591326/40 "2011-08-05T02:56:07Z")
The fever itself doesn’t bother me. If I’m in paid or have that horrible achin’ all over that you get with some illnesses, yes I’ll take some paracetamol or ibuprofen. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-a-fever-do-you-medicate/591326.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-have-a-fever-do-you-medicate/591326.md?page=3)