17 Month Old Fever and Lethargic, Getting More Worried, Any Ideas?

103 is quite high for cutting a tooth, I'd think it more likely that he has a bug. You can alternate Motrin and Tylenol to get that fever down and provide him some relief. I'm glad you have a call into the dr as I think it's a bit more serious than just teeth.

Lethargic is never a good sign and 103 is too high for cutting teeth. There is a "fever virus" going around that lasts for up to 5-7 days with up and down fevers. Things to keep an eye on:
(1) make sure he is still urinating
(2) make sure that the inside of his mough is still moist
(3) make sure there are still tears when he crys
If any of those things stop... go to your doctor or Acute Kids... they are staffed with pediatricians and have after clinic hours, located in McKinney, Frisco, and Plano. If any one of those 3 stop then your little one is dehydrated. Keep your little one dressed down to just a diaper and/or shirt, keep him as cool as you can, don't overdress. Good luck tonight!

Hi L.,

My 15 month old just started cutting his molars and had a fever for 2 days. It was accompanied by drooling and mood swings but he was not really lethargic. Are his cheeks red? Is he more upset at meal times? If so, teething is probably the culprit. If not, I would schedule an appt. with his pediatrician asap. God Bless~

If your son's pedi can't see him today, I would ask where the nearest doc-in-a-box is. (24hr medical center) My son got a lot of ear infections at that age and if he has one, you will want to treat it asap. Hope he is feeling better soon. Put cool damp washcloths on his forhead and dress him in cotton.

He could just be lethargic from the fever. The fever is probaby helping his body fight off something so it is wearing him down. Alot of fluids should help him. My guess would be an ear infection maybe. I would give him some motrin for the fever and any pain he might not be able to tell you about. Since you have a call into the doctor than I wouldn't worry. If you don't hear from the doctor by the end of the day and you are still worried call them back and get an answer.

Hi L.,

I have twin boys that are two and they just went through what you are describing two weeks ago. One was worse than the other with his fever lasting seven days. I took him in to the doctor on the seventh day and they swabbed for flu, strep and checked the ears. There seemed to be no obvious sign of what was causing it. It did finally pass on the 8th day but during that week, he had plenty of Tylenol and Motrin. He had periods where he was very lethargic as well especially when the fever was at its highest. A visit to the doctor certainly doesn't hurt but it sounds like something that's going around (infact, my nine year old daughter just missed the last day and a half of school with it, too, but she's better today).

I would suggest tylenol and motrin (alternating every 3 hours). Get him to the Dr asap! Is he wetting diapers, drinking and eating? Awfully high fever for cutting teeth, but it could be. I would to go dr just to make sure...you never know! Hope he starts feeling better soon!

My daughter had the same symptoms when she was about 17 months as well. She had a couple of things together: ear infection, hand foot & mouth disease. The poor child was miserable! Our doctor told us to give her Pedialyte. The same night we saw her doctor, her fever shot up to 104. We freaked and took her to the ER only to sit and wait in the waiting room for about 1 hour and left because she started playing with other people in the waiting room! We did give her a cool bath before we left for the ER. I think that might have helped. After that she was fine, just regaining strength and eating ALOT! She was worn out! I hope he gets to feeling better!

What did the doctor say? My daughter did the same and she had a virus. Is he still drinking and peeing? Is he responsive when awake? Hope he feels better soon. If you are really worried go ahead and take him to urgent care.