Cimetidine, PFAPA, and the blogging gap

As someone who has blogged regularly for over four years (my other blog is writing to survive), I am not used to both leaving a blog hanging without posting as well as not answering comments or following up. Since my last post, I've taken two short and very intense psychology classes (both requirements for the counseling master's degree program I am entering in the fall) and ran out of time and concentration to do much else but study and do (most of) the other things life requires. So I apologize if you've been looking for information or if I've left you hanging. I'm thinking of you in particular, Laura. But I am back! And I promise to update this more frequently, especially when the boy develops fevers.

Because the fevers have not gone away. We were heartened when he went for an unprecedented 36 days without a fever, and also when that fever was mild and lasted only three days. Was this the slow work of the cimetidine? Was this the beginning of a trend? We still don't know, because a week ago -- 28 days after his last bout -- he became sick again, and the fever lasted for four long days.

His symptoms are definitely milder. Generally, his fever stays in the 101 - 102 degrees Fahrenheit range. His head doesn't ache as much and his throat is  dry, but he does not complain of it hurting. He still vomits at least two or three times during the bout. We saw a new rheumatologist recently who doesn't believe this is PFAPA, but given she was wrong about the expected effects of cimetidine (she confused it with prednisone, at least that's how it appeared), I am not putting too much stock into her opinion. She was pushing for familial Mediterranean fever. Doesn't seem like it to me. Still, I can't be positive that his periodic fevers can be called PFAPA, which makes me think we should try the prednisone once to see if it has an effect. I don't want to treat the fevers on a long-term basis with steroids, but I would like to see if the fever immediately goes away with one treatment, which would identify it more firmly as PFAPA.

As far as the cimetidine goes, he's been taking it since March and the fevers are still with us. I'm beginning to think his fevers are part of a chronic, perhaps not curable illness, one that is hopefully temporary.

Still sick

This is day four.

This time around has been milder in some ways than before. Slow build-up. No sore throat. His fever hasn't gotten above 103 degrees. Still has stomach issues and intermittent headaches, and the ibuprofen isn't as effective. He's also been pretty miserable, has barely any appetite, even when the ibuprofen has brought down his fever. He isn't sleeping well. Based on past cases, it wouldn't surprise me if this lasts another day, though it can disappear pretty quickly.

Since September, the boy has been sick for thirty-eight days.

Weary. Trying to feel lucky that we didn't deal with this when he was really little. And trying to remind myself that as health problems go, this could be much, much worse.

UPDATED:  This fever lasted five days.