You have a fever of 104 degrees fahrenheit. Do you go to the doctor?

OH YES!

Of course not. I live in America. The doctors would have to get permission from some butt-hole insurance guy who knows jack crap about medicine to treat me. The butt-hole will then complain about "government control."

Is this a trick question? (yes?) Or, maybe I'm already dead or something like that.

I would go to a doctor if I couldn't bring it down with willow bark, ginger and golden seal and other herbs. Usually though, the herbs work pretty well.

Not if I'm able to breathe fairly normally and ibuprofen gets the fever down....

I made this survey because a week or so ago I had a 104 fever for a couple of days. My wife was trying to convince me to go to the doctor. I said, "I'm not going to pay some hack to tell me to stay home and drink a lot of water." So she called a friend that is a Nurse Practitioner, who also said I had to go to the doctor, that 104 is not something to mess with. Nope. Staying on the couch man. Then she called Aunt Shirley who lives about 3 hours from here. SHE says go to the doctor. Nope. Aunt Shirley tells Jodi that if I don't lose the fever in the next day she was going to call the police and have THEM take me to the doctor. Fortunately my fever broke, and didn't have to go to the doctor.

If you haven't gathered already, I can't freakin' stand doctors. I think they're salesmen. But that's another story.

So, dear SC friends, do you think I was nuts for not going to the doctor with a 104 fever?

> Of course not. I live in America. The doctors
> would have to get permission from some butt-hole
> insurance guy who knows jack crap about medicine
> to treat me. The butt-hole will then complain about
> "government control."

Ya know - can ya believe it? We actually agree on something.

Or the ER. That's a pretty serious fever.

I might not be able to get to the doctor with a fever that high, but I would definitely call and see if they could visit me if not take myself off to hospital.

A fever that high is life threatening - surely you'd get at least basic treatment regardless of your insurance?

> A fever that high is life threatening - surely
> you'd get at least basic treatment regardless
> of your insurance?

At an ER sure, they can't turn anyone away. But if it's something that requires more long term care, then you and your doctor will have to jump some a nightmare series of hoops, because thanks to the Republican model of health care, it's far more important that the insurance company save money than save your life. You know, that thing that they claim would happen under a single-payer system, but in fact is happening right now?

If accompanied by other symptoms, probably. But, if it's just a fever, I'd just live through it. I would be reluctant to see a doctor, for anything less than life-threatening.

That high - definitely.

How long have I had the fever?

Have I tried things to break it yet? What are my other symptoms? Am I dehydrated?

I sleep until it's below 100.

Not necessarily.

my family doctor or the ER depending what other symptoms I have.

depends, i usually don't take my temp so i would probably be feeling horrible for me to have taken it, then yes i would. if i was feeling well otherwise then no i would not.

Uh..yeah I would.

It would most likely depend on my other symptoms. Am I miserably sick? (Although, for adults, a fever this high is pretty tough too handle.) It would also depend on what else was happening at the time. (I'm thinking back to SARS in Hong Kong, avian flu, H1N1, etc.)

When my son is sick, he typically gets high fevers but he's perfectly happy (and fairly active) during them. I don't take him to the doctor unless he's also acting sick.

Yes, actually I had pneumonia... the doc gave me 4 bags of fluid intravenously since I was so dehydrated. I could actually feel the fluid running through my veins.

I had walking pneumonia once with no health insurance. Others were going to the hosp. and I stayed home in my mountains and took mullein, horehound that I gathered myself the season before, ate raw garlic (it burns!), did towel over head with onions in boiling water, then put those on my chest, drank a TON of water, then when the phlem was loose I beat myself with a rubber mallet on the chest and back and hung upside down and out it came. Graphic, I know. Before the treatment I was sitting up in bed because laying down caused such a heaviness in my chest that it truly scared me. I had a temp. of about 103. Smart?,... don't know. But it worked and saved me deca-thousands of dollars. I still don't have insurance, which I would LOVE to have.

nope. doctors bow to the a.m.a. and just push drugs. I have no respect for drug dealers.

I would try the recommended remedies first and only after that would I go to the doctor. I avoid medical facilities unless absolutely necessary.

When I was a child I thought doctors knew something, then I grew up. And don't get me started on drugs and the companies that make them, whores!!! Let's hear it from the hypochondriacs

no

no

although 3 days of that temp would indicate something serious. Not going to the doctor is one thing they wuold have to drag me off in cuffs also), but not doing something natural like some of the aformentioned remedies is another.

I drank a lot of water and iced tea. A LOT. And unfortunately, no beer during that time either. Jodi took good care of me.

I always assume the body is doing what it is supposed to do, but knowing when to intervene with something and which something is the trick.

wouldn't it be great if doctors knew what was really good for the body.
having someone taking good care is the most important thing of all. When I was very ill, my dogs and cats took care of me. And I had a friend that took me shopping. having a fever is hard!