Son has sickness bug, can’t keep water down I’m worried about the heat!

[SoSo19]

Hi all

My 12 year old son was sick at school today and came home (his brother had a sickness bug late last week)

He’s been sick 3 times since lunchtime, even sips of water are coming back up.

I’ll give him ice cubes to suck but what else can I do? It’s 35 degrees here currently, all windows and blinds have been shut since this morning but it’s still like a furnace in my house!

Try sipping very slowly little and often. Also full fat coke is amazing for dehydration

Damp a sheet down and cover him in that. It will keep him cool as the water dries. Cold water on a flannel on his head will help him keep cool too.

I always found those flavoured ice pops work well in this situation. Especially when plain water not tolerated.

You could buy some dioralyte sachets but actually half a teaspoon of salt and half a teaspoon of sugar disolved in water will keep his electrolytes balanced.

He'll be fine so don't worry too much.

Water on a teaspoon, sips can be too much at this stage.

Are you sure it a bug and not heat stroke from school? Serious question. If it's heat stroke, he needs to see a dr immediately

Ice lollies are helpful

You need to get some rehydration salts into him as soon as he can stomach, but alternatives which he might be able to manage sooner are lucozade sports drinks and perhaps a pinch of salt in water?

Immodium can help with any diarrhoea.

In the meantime, keep cool with ice packs, cotton sheet and a fan. A damp towel/flannel/sheet on him while in the breeze of a fan will help to cool him. You could also rest his feet in a bowl of cool water or have him take a cool shower.

I'd also call your gp surgery for advice and take advantage of the fact its working hours and you don't need to go via 101.

If you or someone for can go to a pharmacy, the pharmacist will be able to advise as well.

Coconut water has all the correct electrolytes. If he can't keep it down, I'd blend some watermelon and freeze into popsicles and try those. Watermelon has lots of sugar and salt. Check he's passing urine and that it's not dark (sign of dehydration)

Also avoid immodium and other anti-diarrhoeal medications as diarrhoea is how the body gets rid of some toxins (if you're pretty sure it's an infective cause).

You have to do little and often - set a 5 min timer and give him a teaspoon a time. If over about an hour he keeps that down, reduce the gaps / up the amount each time.

Diarolyte tastes foul, my DC have always refused it although they are much younger and I don't know if an older child will force it down. Once they are keeping teaspoons of water down, what I had success with is adding in one hula hoop every 10 minutes or so.

It should be coke with added sugar, to take the fizz out of it.

I'm pregnant and the antenatal assessment unit said that 7up has the same good stuff as the IV drip that they provide at the hospital. I was told to shake it so it's flat and drink that in little sips.
I hope your son feels better soo

Hi, no definitely not - school fully air conditioned thankfully and displaying none of those symptoms but appreciate the concern x

Thank you x

Thanks all for the advice, I’ve set a timer for 5 minute intervals and he’s in (well on!) bed with the fan on, and a cold flannel. Will wet his sheet also.

Ill pop out and get some 7 up and the sugary coke too.

He loves watermelon so I’ll definitely do that thank you, and I am monitoring his wee like a mad woman!

You can alsoflatten fizzy drinks quickly in a glass by using a straw and blowing bubbles which helps entertain poorly children as well.

I too was going to suggest dioralyte. If you can't find the ice lolly versions of them, make your own or put into ice cube trays to suck on. Small sips, often.

Please DO NOT give Imodium!!! His body is trying expel whatever has caused the illness and keeping it in can make people much, much sicker!!!

Check the colour of his urine. Its a good indicator of dehydration. Once he is tolerating small amounts and can eat- following the BRAT diet.

My toddler was sick all night and then all day into Saturday past.

He couldn't keep water down. One tip I saw on Google was to wait 15-20 mins after vomiting to even have water to give the stomach a chance to rest.

I know hydration is a concern so use with caution but it definitely gave his stomach a chance to rest and gave the greatest interval between vomiting. He kept the water down longer.

Hi op. Am just recovering from a sickness bug myself. Started on Friday, last time I was sick was yesterday morning. So lasted for nearly 3 days. I couldn't keep any fluids down to begin with either but on Saturday started taking small sips of plain water roughly every 10 minutes. This was the only fluid which didn't upset my stomach further. But do make sure it is only a sip or 2 as any more than this caused it all to come back up and I was back to square one! Yesterday afternoon I was able to eat some yogurt which helped with hydration too. Not much help but obviously keeping him hydrated is really important in this weather. Maybe he could suck on ice cubes? Hopefully he'll start to improve in a day or two. He has my sympathy as I felt really rotten with it

My daughter was almost hospitalised a few years ago because she couldn't keep water down, doctor said before admitting her to take her home and try full fat flat coke and honestly I was so shocked it worked. Open the bottle, shake, open and repeat until flat. I hope he is feeling better soon.

Dd started with a migraine and then was sick loads this morning too. You couldn't bloody make it up, hottest day of the decade and she's sick. She's never poorly.

I gave her flat 7up and finally toast when she woke up. We wet a cloth and wrapped it round an ice pack for her head.

Our dd11 had a sickness bug all last week. A blanket that's out in the freezer was awesome for her. We were buying her Lucozade sport but she was guzzling it as so thirsty but obviously bringing it straight back up, so settled on a few calpol syringes every 10/15 mins. Our room was the coolest room so she stayed in our room for the week had just returned from holiday and was looking forward to my comfy bed. she's not stopped chatting since she got better on friday, kinda wish she was sick again 😂

Op it's the outside of the window you need to stop the sun hitting the glass.

Are you in a house or flat? Can you drape white sheets or bedding over the outside of the windows?

I used to get migraines and sickness and always needed something dizzy.
I remember a hostess on a flight refusing to give me coke etc and I pucked all the water up.

When my dd (only 1yo) had a horrible sickness bug we were advised to give 5ml of apple juice every 5 mins. Just used a calpol syringe.
Its such a little amount it absorbs before they even have a chance to throw it up. Gp said no need for dioralyte as apple juice will do just the same.