Help! 3 Yo tummy bug and more liquid came out than went in!

[Return2thebasic]

I usually wouldn't be concerned as much. But DH has just left for a business trip this morning and won't be back till Saturday. Tummy bugs in our house usually only last one episode. So this one is new and I have nobody around to find reassurance.

3 years old DS had his first episode at lunch time. Threw up the few spoonfuls of lunch, the Calpol I gave him (because he looked awful before that moment), his morning snacks and probably some breakfast and milk from the morning.

Then he felt better but remained on the sofa pretty much the entire afternoon. I begged him to drink water, diluted juice but in the end compromised for Ribena (probably a huge mistake, but I was willing to give any fluid as long as he drank).

By around 5 o'clock, he started wanting to lie down again. I asked him if he's hungry and he said yes. So I prepared some light bland food. Two spoonful in, he threw up again. More fluid came out than he took the entire afternoon. And when I checked his nappy, it's completely dry.

I then started feeling panic a bit: couldn't give him any more food, nor juice. After one dose of Ibuprofen, I managed to find a pack of Dioralyte which expired last month! But by that time, he's so tired and only wanted to go to sleep. So he only had about 50ml after I begged him multiple times.

I haven't coped with more than one episode sickness before. So with him so young and had kept barely any water down, how soon I shall be really worried about dehydration? He's asleep now. Do I need to wake him up in the middle of the night and offer some water?

Will do the timed syringe thing tomorrow.

Been through once with DS1 many years ago in a&e with bad tummy ache and refusal of water with no urine for over 8 hours and the doctor suggested a similar way to get the water down...

@Return2thebasic yep! That's the fluid challenge for a&e.

you need to sleep very close to your child / in their room or doors open so you can hear any sick noises - to be there immediately

id put a trug / bucket with a kitchen roll in at the side of the bed. With a large bath towel under the bucket

be prepared - 2 lots of bedding , 2 sheets , 2 pillow cases, 2 pjs and towels , wipes and kitchen roll plus a black bin liner for sick stuff . Plus calpol and fresh water in a cup x 2

last thing you want to be do is have a sick child and you trying to find a fitted sheet in the middle of the night as they have vommed over the bed

keep them cool - don’t wrap them up with mega duvets too - light blanket

good luck hope your lo feels better tom and you don’t have a rough ride 🤞🤞🤞

keep an eye on the temp and keep checking it. Sleep can sometimes help but do keep checking

hope they are feeling better tom 🤞

Sadly I became a bit of an expert at this..one of mine had an episode where she vomited over 30 times poor thing. The other one vomited 10 days in a row after bronchiolitis…What I can recommend as others have done is a syringe with little and often but also to record vomits, wees and fluid intake in a diary. The only reason we didn’t end up in hospital with the 30 vomm child was the gp had my diary and was able to see I was on it. Without it she would have been in no question and even then she was probably one vomit away from a drip. She couldn’t sit up or walk at all she was so weak.

Also a washing up bowl makes a good sick bowl. It’s big enough for little ones to have a good chance of aiming. Clear the bed of any cuddly toys and put towels on the floor next to the bed. Prepare a kit now of antibac, kitchen roll and a bin liner so if he vomms everywhere during the night you’re not scrambling around and it’s easily accessible.

We have found plain pasta to be quite good on the tummy and a good first food.

He got up first thing asking for cereal. But after a few sips of water, almost three up the water again.

I now strictly give him one syringe of water every five minutes. But he still kept asking for cereal or toast.

I have only some two days old sour dough bread and some sweet waffle. (Planned to go to shop yesterday!)

I don't think he shall eat until he can manage to drink water and keep it down. But I never had this case with someone feeling sick and hungry at the same time! What shall I do?

By the way, he threw up again last nigh (in my bed) after drinking too quickly too much...

And had low degree fever.

I personally wouldn't feed him unless you are prepared for more vomit but that's up to you

If he’s hungry you could try him with some thin soup in addition to the water.

Has he had a wet nappy this morning OP? When was the last one?

If he's hungry I'd let him eat whatever he wants (within reason!). The BRAT advice is now considered outdated.

Ice lollies / ice pops are definitely the way forward and if you can sugary ones all the better as hell get some energy in.

Hope he gets better soon.

@QuidditchThroughtheAges , I too think so. But he kept asking for food.

Can I wait one hour and then try some toast ?

@ZealAndArdour , he had wet nappy last night and it looked a good size (a bit of relief).

I had noro a few years ago. Vomited 20ish times overnight and would throw up immediately after sipping water.

It was flat lemonade, ice lollies and Quavers that I was first able to stomach. Was bemused by dp buying the latter, but as he pointed out, they're mainly air. Have never managed to eat them since, though!

Hope your wee one is feeling better soon.

How is he now OP? I gave mine half a rice cake or a tiny bit of bread stick when they were begging for food but struggling to keep fluids down. I’d let him have a very small bit of sweet waffle if you can cope with the vomit better than the begging! It feels terrible to refuse them food doesn’t it. Also if he doesn’t get very upset at being sick.
Wet nappy is really good sign. I’d carry on the dioralyte anyway though, dilute it more if you need to if he’s refusing it. One of mine wouldn’t take it at full strength.

@WhatNowwwww , thank you for thinking about us! He seems just have gotten better in the last half an hour. I gave him some toast I the end (no butter) and he asked for a few servings over the course of two hours. In between, he had most of the Dioralyte solution bit by bit, before refusing to have anymore. I then just offer plain water for now and might switch to diluted juice later. He then got tired of toast and asked for strawberry! I didn't think the acidity of strawberry would do good and offered apple instead...And he refused... (What a negotiation!) We then settled with the plain digestive biscuits (which was bought for the builder who did our patio last week and only had 5 pieces left in the pack...😑We usually don't have this type of snacks at home...)

He got really warm about an hour ago and wanted lying down before a light snooze for ten minutes ish (refused to go to his room for a proper sleep). I was really starting to worry again, as he looked rather weak and occasionally had labouring breath. Gave him ibuprofen and now he started walking around a bit. I just hope we've been through the worst part of this bug (and I'm not catching it!)

Will pop to the shop with him later on to stock up more food/snacks.

Aw glad you are hanging in there. I know the fear is there about whether you will get it too…everything crossed for you that you won’t. Last time my kids were vomity, I was queasy for a few days but never vommed. Good luck!

Giving them plain water when they’re vomiting isn’t as good as giving fluids with some sugar in it, such as squash, apple juice, ribena, full sugar ice lollies, etc. The rehydration sachets are good, but so is the sugary stuff mentioned above, they’re no more or less likely to vomit from a sugary drink than they are plain water, but with sugary drinks they are also getting some energy in addition.

I also wouldn’t withhold anything food or drink wise (unless it was particularly spicy or acidic), if they’re asking to eat and drink then I’d let them, the worst that will happen is that they’ll vomit again, but they’ll probably do that whether they eat or not if they’ve got a viral vomiting bug.

The goal isn’t to stop them vomiting, it’s to keep them hydrated while their body fights the virus and the vomiting naturally self limits.

@Barrawarra , you are probably right. I did feel slightly weird today, especially my appetite. But I think I'm probably over it more or less by now. I did realise DS2 had shared his banana with his daddy Saturday... It's hard to imagine if he catches it and bring it with him to a country 10,000 miles away...

@ZealAndArdour , it does sound make sense. I do think our natural instincts guide us really well in this sort of situation. Usually our body tells us what it can cope. If he wants chicken, it means his body could cope already...

I managed to go to shop with him and stocked up some appropriate snacks and bread/eggs. He happily had quite some rice broth that I made with lean chicken. Started feeling cold again before bedtime though. So it isn't over yet...

I’m glad he’s managed some food & I hope you both get some proper sleep.

Wouldn't worry about the temperature unless it's dangerously high. It's serving a purpose so I tend to let it rise and don't normally attempt to lower it unless it goes above 40 but then I do tend to spike a high fever when ill.

If kids have a bug I usually just let them sleep as much as possible, encourage tiny sips of squash every 15 minutes, starve them for 12 hours then offer something very dry and salty. Cheese twists or ready salted crisps usually go down well. If it stays down, I offer some more after 2 to 4 hours.

Strictly no dairy or fruit. If their temperature rises above 40 or they're in pain I give calpol but never ibuprofen as, with tummy bugs, that's just asking for it.