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
http://www.merck.com/mrkshared/mmanual_home2/sec23/ch267/ch267i.jsp

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