2.5 ds woke up screaming hysterically

amother

Tue, Jul 05 2011, 5:57 pm

2.5 year old ds just woke up hysterically screaming and shaking. His hair was all sweaty. But his fever that he had for 24 hours was down (although I had just given him medicine to lower the fever an hour before).

I was scared to even hold him! And I am the holding cuddly type! It took me a minute before I dared to pick him up I was terrified of his reaction since he didn't seem to be awake. B"H when I picked him up he didn't react badly but when dh came close to him he was still screaming, a couple minutes later he calmed down and now he is sleeping in dh's arms on the couch.

He is going to the doctor first thing in the morning.

But since I am still shaken up I was wondering if anyone else had a similar experience. He stopped shaking and crying and became really calm and a complete chatterbox, did not stop talking for a good five minutes before becoming quite and gradually falling asleep. (and he is speech delayed, hardly talking much at all - I have never heard him ramble on and on like this before - it was also unintelligible for the most part)

He has a rash on his legs and arms that looks like a bunch of minor bug bites.

It was so terrifying to see my precious baby like this! I can't tell if the fever broke or it was just lowered from the medication. I also wonder if the hysterical screaming was a terrible nightmare or brought on by the fever. I never want to experience this again!

Mimisinger

Tue, Jul 05 2011, 8:25 pm

It could be night terrors or a part of his fever. I would esp. be concerned in conjunction with his rash.

As for night terrors, my ds had them every night for less than a week and then they stopped but they were terrifying! Some have night terrors for years.

Get him checked out, but the nightmare as horrible as I know it was, isn't the impt. part. But it is when also having a fever and rash.

amother

Tue, Jul 05 2011, 10:53 pm

I wouldn't be too concerned.
Regarding the rash/temperature: It sounds like he has a virus (often comes out in the form of a rash as you described).
Regarding the sudden screaming/rambling: definitely a night terror. It usually occurs about an hour after the child has gone to sleep. Simple google search will describe all the that you mentioned. It is really disturbing to us as parents but the kid will not recall any of it in the morning.
Hatzlacha at the doctor tomorrow and I hope he feels better soon!

Mommeeeeeeee!

Wed, Jul 06 2011, 9:42 am

yaeli83 wrote:

Also, I don't know if you have experienced this, but often times when we are sick, or have a fever, we have weird/scary/bad dreams. (at least thats been my experience.) So it could have been connected in that way.

This happens to me! I would still mention the episode to the doctor, though it does sound like a night terror. Do be on the lookout for anything else unusual in his behavior when awake.

How high was your son's temperature?

In the kitchen

Wed, Jul 06 2011, 9:53 am

At the time of the terror his fever was down because I had just given him fever reducing medicine an hour before! He didn't feel hot at the time but was really sweaty. He is in the hospital now.
Apparently he has a rare disease that is non-contagious and you get from ticks that is most prevalent in our area.

DH just told me all the doctors came in to see and learn from his case.
I listed his name on the tehillim thread but in case you haven't seen it please daven for Moshe Yaakov ben Roza Esther.

Thank you!

acccdac

Wed, Jul 06 2011, 9:59 am

for a good year maybe 2 my son had night terrors

people probably thought we were the worst parents because at least 3 times a week he would start crying and screaming in his sleep and we would just turn over and go back to sleep.

we knew it was his terrors and there wasnt anything we could do to stop it (you're not suppose to wake them, kind of like with a bad dream)

the one thing we did learn towards the end was if you take him to the bathroom that forced him to wake up and ended the night terror.

abound

Wed, Jul 06 2011, 10:30 am

A night terror is different than a night-mare. It comes usually from a physical discomfort or need that a child has. Most often it is needing the bathroom, but it can be anything from needing a drink to being hurt.
The best thing to do is get the child to the toilet etc. Sometimes the child is so wild with fright and screaming it cannot be done. You may have to shake the child awake. The interesting thing is that the child looks awake. His/her eyes are wide open and can being running around, but they are in some sort of trance. It looks very scary but it is not. THe child will not remember a thing in the morning.
I know this because I looked into it when my child did this for awhile 3 years ago.

In the kitchen

Wed, Jul 06 2011, 10:55 am

Exactly his eyes were wide open and vacant it was very scary to see him like that!
I would be surprised if it were because he needed the bathroom because he is still in diapers. But he may have been thirsty, he stopped rambling and went back to sleep after I gave him a bottle.