4 day fever! help

[cookienkikin]

I'm a 25 yr old male in good health, last sunday night I started having really bad aches and running a mild fever, 100.0, I went to sleep that night and woke up with the chills and shakes with a fever of 103.8, I keep alternating tylenol and ibuprofen to try and break it, the next day all day long it was at 101.0, and then later on in the evening it got to 104.0, I had the chills and shakes real bad and started to sweat for about an hour and it came down to 99.0, went to bed and woke up in the middle of the night again, sweating REALLY BAD, I was soaking wet from sweat, and I checked my temp bc I felt good after I woke up from sweating and it was at 98.0, so i thought it was over, went back to sleep and woke up in the morning with a fever of 102.7, and its been between 101 and 102.8 all day.  Does this sound like the flu?  Why does it keep coming back after I sweat and break it? How long does this last? Can I alternate Ibuprofen and tylenol every 4 hours without damaging my kidneys, liver, or heart? I dont know how else to keep the fever down.  It seems to get worse in the evenings, and REALLY bad at night time.  Please help

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Welcome to the MedHelp forum!
It is difficult to diagnose and treat a fever on net. Yes, it could be viral flu as you are developing a cough now. However, in flu, the fever should break by 5th-6th day. It can also be due to pneumonia. Apart from viral fever, chills are also seen in malaria.
You can take an OTC nimesulide preparation with acetaminophen as this keeps the fever down for a longer time. If you are allergic to nimesulide then you can continue ibuprofen and acetaminophen. Take a warm water bath as this helps bring down the fever. Sip plenty of fluids. Take a OTC decongestant for cough. If fever does not break in another day, consult your PCP. Yes, flu can affect the baby too. Though not dangerous, a more careful monitoring is required in babies. Wash your hands and face well before handling the baby.
Hope this helps. It is difficult to comment beyond this at this stage. Do consult your doctor. Take care!

[cookienkikin]

and Im just now starting to develop a cough today

[cookienkikin]

i also have a 4month old baby in the house, and Im soooooo scared of getting him sick, that would be horrible but i dont know if its to late, he is acting fussy (he does that though at times could be normal), and my fiance is saying that she is starting to feel a little bad.  could they get it and i get better and then i get it again and they get better and they get it again.....etc.?  How dangerous is it for a 4 month old to contract this type of illness?