Ongoing diarrhoea in kids, no cause?

[BetsyBest]

Kids (3.5 and 1.5) both developed diarrhoea at exactly the same time, without any other symptoms. Neither are upset or unwell. But it's been going on for a MONTH! We are going through a lot of bedsheets and washing.

It must be a bug as they both got it together, but what kind of bug goes on this long with only one symptom? Nobody else in the house has it.

When would you go to the GP with this? Obviously sinister causes can be ruled out as there's two of them with it. But is a month a concern that it will never go away without some kind of treatment? Or two months? How long?

A month?? Yes, I would be seeing the GP.

When would I see the Gp? About three and a half weeks ago.

Your poor kids.

Try cutting out dairy for a week or so

Elimination diet! Gp urgently, first. Not the same, I’m aware, but I had this with puppies, changed their diet and it immediately stopped. I can’t understand why you don’t mention going to the doctor. Have you?

Honestly, I'd have called the doctor after three days. I think you should make an appointment asap and follow their advice, which may be to start an elimination diet. I think that should always be done with the doctors knowledge though.

My nearly 2yr old developed diarrhoea after an illness and we are still here 7months later - on the waiting list for the paediatrician.

The washing was driving me nuts... but I bought a nappy wrap cover - what they use with reusable nappies - and it has saved washing bedding everyday!! (Put it over the disposable nappy)

I waited 7 days when my toddler had it and then mentioned it to the pharmacist when I was in for something else. He told me off and said to ring the GP straight away. She had campylobacter and needed antibiotics.

I don’t understand why you haven’t taken them to see a doctor? The NHS guidance says to phone 111 immediately if it has been going on longer than seven days. The fact that you’ve let it go on for a whole month and you still haven’t sought medical advice is insane to me.

DD had this and it was rotavirus, found from a stool sample. It was about a month to 6 weeks I think before things returned to normal there was no treatment they could give. She was later on diagnosed coeliac and there might have been a connection to how long it took for her to recover. DD is a teenager now so was back before they introduced the rotavirus vaccine.

Yeah sorry I agree with this. After 7 days of no improvement I'd have been calling the GP for the poor bairns. Do this first thing Monday morning.

It's type 6 I would say on the stool chart, and they are completely well and unconcerned by it. Normally I would say they are type 5. So not disastrous. I'm hesitant to go to the GP because there isn't much to say really. "They are both really well and healthy but their poo is a tiny bit runnier than usual."
Obviously it is not an allergy of any variety because they both developed it on the same day.
I will phone soon and ask what they think. Thanks for your advice everyone.

I'd have gone to the doctor 3 weeks ago.

If they are always verging on diarrhoea and this is just a worse bout, then definitely go to the doctor.
It's not normal to have to poop on bedsheets or clothes.

I will phone soon and ask what they think

What they think will probably be along the lines of ‘why the fuck has she waited a month to call us?’

Type 5 is considered borderline I believe, and can be healthy in people with high veg diets (like us). I am not worried about type 5.