Tummy bug - what would you do?

[Pickle]

Here's the story so far...

Saturday afternoon our 3yo started being sick, continued to do so for about 12 hours (although if not eating he seemed OK). He was fine all day Sunday so we thought the rest of the family had escaped. Early hours of this morning it struck me, so I'm now laid up in bed feeling rubbish and trying to avoid the rest of the family.

My dilemma is that we are flying to NZ on Thursday afternoon. So far today I've left all the childcare to Mr Pickle (who has thankfully been able to take the day off work) and have stayed away from our daughter who so far seems fine. Should I continue to stay away from her, in the hope she doesn't get it, or should I "expose" her to it as much as possible in the hope that she gets it quickly, and it's over and done with by Thursday?

I'm just a bit worried that she may get it on the day we leave, making an already stressful plane journey a WHOLE lot worse!

What would you do? Of course there's a high risk that Mr Pickle will get it too, but he's a big boy and not as likely to throw up all over the plane!

Help!

[ryedalema]

I'd suggest you keep away if you can. We've had the bug - our 2.6 year old and i were laid low with it last weekend. Our newborn and my OH escaped unscathed. I stopped bfing for the duration too - so as to avoid cross-contamination with our newborn (on DMC nurse's advice). We also used lots and lots of hand sanitiser and dettol wipes for the same reason.

I guess it also depends on what outside activities you do with your littl'uns and whether she picks it up somewhere else - lots of kids seem to have it at the mo.

Having had galloping food poisoning (bovine salmonella)on a plane as a child - it's a seriously horrid exp for all involved.

All the best of luck with it!!

[buggie]

There is loads of this around at the mo.... typically should burn itself out within 24-48hrs... steer clear of food - try dioralyte or flat lemonade and avoid milk until 24hrs after last vomit (become a bit lactose intolerant when tummy is inflammed). And remember BRAT - bread, rice, apple (shredded) and toast to start eating again with.

So long as there's been no symptoms for 36-48hrs should think you'll be fine for the flight. Agree with Ryedalema about the hand gel/wipes.

Hope you're all feeling brighter soon

[Vangough]

Definitely avoid this bug - my little one ended up in A&E very dehydrated from vomiting and diarrhoea. I used sanitising gel religiously and managed to avoid it, even being pregnant with no immune system ! so gels do work. Also top tip from the nurse in A&E, use half a sachet of Dioryloyte each time in 100ml of water (with cordial if they hate the taste) as after a few hours it stops working so using it in half doses makes it more effective.

[lorraineliyanage]

I'd hit the probiotics to try and get your tummy back to normal. Udo's infant probiotics are very good for sorting out babies' runny bellies!

My small one refuses Dioralyte although flat lemonade is a great tip. Not sure about bread - that is quite bloating and gassy on the stomach, it's pretty hard to digest. Mash would be easier perhaps?

[buggie]

hmmm, can see that Lorraine - maybe toast would be better as bit drier...

[agathoise]

There's a nasty norovirus bug doing the rounds and it's almost impossible to avoid: it used to be thought that you'd get 18-24months immunity from re-catching it after having a bout, but recent articles I've read suggest that this is no longer the case -- so we're pretty much stuck with a winter vomiting bug *every* winter now :-(

I think having contact with daughter / Mr P once you feel better (hopefully already) is sensible: you'll be contagious while the tummy bug is active.

You should feel better within a day or so -- advice already given is good: take probiotics, lots of fluids, etc. Hygiene, particularly hand washing helps, but doesn't eradicate the chance of picking it up. I'd say travel prepared: LOTS of baby wipes, a few plastic bags (to store manky clothes if someone's ill), spare changes of clothes for children, immodium for adults, dioralyte, calpol, a small plastic jug to be sick into if need be (we've found that jugs are better than cups or bowls for this b/c of the wide top and handle).

Baby wipes are the key I think -- I've managed to make myself *look* and *smell* presentable after having been covered in baby vomit and diarrhoea (in KCH A&E no less -- a doctor looked on in horror and said "didn't you bring a change of clothes?" -- oh yeah, I usually stick a spare skirt & matching accessories into my nappy bag when I'm running out to A&E with a sick baby!). None of these things (wipes, spare clothes, etc.) are really out of the ordinary for travelling with children anyway, and hopefully you'll not need to use any of it.

Travelling with littlies is always a hassle, long-haul is worse, and having sick ones (or sick you/hubby) doesn't help -- I really hope it all goes smoothly for you and you manage to have a lovely trip despite all!

Agathoise & co x

[The Nappy Lady]

Pickle....poor you, we had it last week too (only the girls, not adults thank goodness).

Nasty bug. I ended up getting Kaolin mixture from the chemist to give them as it coats the tummy lining and helps stop the tummy cramps and loose tummy. It seemed to get them over it very quickly.

Also did a MEGA clean of the house - anti bac sprayed the kitchen and bathroom like crazy etc. to try to make sure any loitering bugs were well and truly blitzed.

Really hope you feel better soon and that the flight to NZ goes smoothly. I know you are trying to pack up the house for the rennovation so this must be the last thing you need.

Molly

x

[agathoise]

Oh just one more thought -- I'm not sure if your daughter is still nursing or not: if she is she's much better being with you and being nursed: you'll be passing on passive immunity that will at the very least mitigate the bug if she catches it. Expressing won't have the same effect: we know very little about the mechanism by which information about which antibodies are required in the breastmilk is passed between mother and baby, but recent research suggests that the information is transmitted through lip-areola contact while nursing. So if she's breastfed your daughter will be more protected by up-close nursing contact with you than by being kept away and given expressed milk.

Apologies if this isn't relevant & she's no longer nursing.

All the best

Agathoise x

[Fuschia]

We have had it here... M vomited for exactly 12h from 11pm on fri to 11am Sat... T vomited from 2pm yesterday till 2am this morning. C who never gets ill was sick once in the early hours and once mid morning.

I seem to have escaped it so far. I'd guess the incubation is 36-48h

I'd be inclined just to get on with life as normal and hope she gets it sooner rtaher than later if she's going to...

go round and spray allthe door handles and hard surfaces with antibac spray

[pommie]

so is it normal for this bug to go within 24-48 hours because i have had it since wed evening/early thursday morning and still cant shift it. I thought it had gone but then early this morning it started up again. My daughter has had it since last week and is slowly getting better.

[Fuschia]

pommie Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> so is it normal for this bug to go within 24-48

> hours because i have had it since wed

> evening/early thursday morning and still cant

> shift it. I thought it had gone but then early

> this morning it started up again. My daughter has

> had it since last week and is slowly getting

> better.

For us it came and went very very quickly, but as a rule we don't suffer from vomiting sort of bugs.. we may have a different oen that you as this is sick only, not the runs as well

[Pickle]

Thanks all for your responses, as usual some great words of advice.

I haven't been sick all day and have managed to tentatively eat an apple and keep it down, so hopefully that's the vomitting side of it over for me. Struggling now with a terrible headache, which I know is dehydration, but finding it difficult to drink water, so Mr Pickle is downstairs now making a can of lemonade go flat (bless him!).

From the screaming/yelling and general boisterousness happening downstairs it sounds like the kids and hubby still feel fine!

Agathoise, I'm not nursing my daughter anymore, but wish I was as I'm struggling to go a day without cuddles! My son understands why Mummy is staying out of the way today, but she doesn't and keeps coming to look for me :(

[Nelson]

My son who is nearly two had it for nearly a week. I now have it mildly, being pregnant I expected to get it with a low imune system. But I would try and keep away as after doing the flight to NZ with him a couple of years ago and this year at Xmas facing the prospect of having two on the flight I wouldnt if possible want to deal with that as well.

[Gubodge]

The B for BRAT should be banana rather than bread.

I wonder if there are two different things going round. MrGubodge had something a couple of weeks ago that lasted a week and had him suffering from horrible stomach cramps. I've got something at the moment that seems to be much improved already after only 24 hours and with no cramps.

[linzkg]

Ladies .. what age group are we talking about here ..? My son is 7 months old but has vomited up his morning breast feed in bed, diarrhoea whilst having breakfast, followed by bringing his solid meal up too but he seems completely fine with it all .. NHS direct have been amazing .. its difficult when to know to start worrying hey? Its only been a few hours but he's still very little so I don't know if I should ride it out for the rest of the day ..

He had a terrible reaction to something over the weekend and we ended up at SELDOC with a red hot rash and swollen neck and vomiting - but he's better now - so thinking this is unrelated and its this tummy bug .. or not!! (just writing this is making me think i'm being stupid - calling the doc now ;-)

[Pickle]

Update from me - today I feel fine, however despite our best efforts 20 month old daughter started vomitting at 5am! Feeling surprisingly positive about it though, as at least it means we'll all be clear of it by Thursday when we leave, and after dealing with son and myself for the last few days I'm a bit of an old hand at the cleaning up part of it!

My little girl hasn't been sick since 6am, and has managed a bit of water, some dry shreddies (her brother was having breakfast and it felt wrong to deny her when she was asking for it) and some apple - so hopefully she'll improve gradually over the day.

Thanks all again for your advice yesterday, very much appreciated.

P x

[Smiler]

Horrible bug. My 22 month old had it - was being sick, minging nappies etc. for 6 whole days - hideous. No fever though. Then I got it, though more mildly, and had to have more time off work, urgh.

Was v.hard to get her to drink any dioralyte, mixed it with everything and she just wouldn't have it. Maybe there are other flavours (the blackcurrant isn't appetising).

Pickle, hope you are all well and that the flight goes smoothly.

[linzkg]

ah - just reading your post Pickle - My mother used to give us grated apple when we were young if we had upset tummies and even nausea .. I have absolutely no idea why grated BUT its the only thing we used to actually keep down (I still do it now if I'm ill in fact.)

[anna_r]

My 13 month old daughter has been vomiting and had a high fever since Friday. Spoke to NHS direct at the weekend and took her to the GP yesterday who said it was most likely to be one of the vomiting viruses going around. She's drinking plenty of water (although we have to do sips as she throws it up if she has a lot) and was having milk ok until last night when she decided she didn't want that anymore. She's very sleepy but not too upset in herself until she's sick. I'm hoping it will start to clear up soon as more than anything I'm worried about her not eating. I've tried offering all sorts of different things to her and she doesn't want any of it, or diaralyte or juice. The dr said she wasn't dehydrated though and luckily she's quite a chunky little thing so hopefully has some spare reserves. Its horrible seeing them so ill. My husband and I have both managed to escape so far. It sounds like the same thing is going around East Dulwich!

[Gubodge]

Some children can be fooled into consuming diaralyte if you make it into an ice lolly.

And Linzkg, I grating the apple releases the pectin, which is what helps to settle the stomach.

Pickle, Glad everyone is getting through it before your trip. It'll be a stress free flight now I'm sure!

[Fuschia]

anna after 5 says of fever, take her to a and e

could be a uti

lewisham paed a and e is great

[agathoise]

Dear Anna

I second what Fuschia said -- please take her to A&E. One of my daughters had similar symptoms in France a couple of years ago and I was fobbed off by our GP there. Eventually I marched into A&E and insisted that they look at her: she had a kidney infection, was completely colonised by eColi bacteria and was in the early stages of septicemia: another 24 hours could have been fatal. I was very glad that I trusted my intuition despite having been told by the GP that she was teething(!!) and that I was being a fretful mother!

The vomiting bug doing the rounds is a 24-48h variety, and I've not seen it involve a fever. It could be that your little one has a cold or something else straightforward on top of the bug that is causing the temperature, but please do get her checked out if her temperature is still high. UTIs and kidney infections are the highest cause of "unexplained" high (40') temperatures presenting in girls under the age of 2.

Hopefully by the time you've read this, your daughter will be back to normal. If not, please go to A&E. Kings Paed A&E are a world away from the normal adults A&E (which is dire) -- the Children's A&E is efficient and well run. You'll be well looked after there.

Good luck and best wishes

Agathoise

[Pickle]

Just wanted to add that none of us have had a fever, just the vomitting. Agree that 5 days of high temperature is something to get checked out ASAP, especially in such a young child.

Daughter seems to have got off lightly, hasn't been ill all day, and I gave in to her endless pleads for "mulk Mummy, pleeeease, mulk, pleeeease, mulk...." and gave her a bottle of (slightly diluted) milk mid afternoon and this evening - and so far so good.

[anna_r]

Thank you so much to everyone for your advice. I took her to Lewisham A&E this evening, who were great, and after a number of tests (and a lot of waiting for 2 urine samples) found that she does have a UTI. So thank you again. Have just got back from Sainsburys pharmacy armed with antibiotics so hopefully they will start to kick in soon.

To be fair, the GP yesterday sent me home with a sample pot which she said we should send off 'just to be safe' although given my past lack of success several months ago attempting to get a non contaminated urine sample from daughter (took three separate results which came back inconclusive before we were sent to Kings A&E who gave us a negative UTI result in the end), together with the time for results to come back, it could have been several more days of high fever before we found out on this occasion. I even mentioned to the doctor yesterday though about Fuschia's 'five day rule' for fever in baby (having read the Seldoc thread yesterday!) and she said that it didn't apply if you got them checked out during that time. I'm not going to accept that in future.

Thank you so much again everyone. Hope everyone else's bugs clear up quickly and that you have a good journey Pickle! Sorry for hijacking your thread :)