Food poisoning or tummy bug - what can I do to be right for work?

[DanglyEarOrnaments]

Hi, I have been throwing up violently all night and had shocking diarrhoea so without wanting to sound all mardy it wasn't fun and I feel like crap today

It's not often I'm ill but I need to do a lot of work next week, how can I make myself better for work tomorrow any specific food or drink or meds I should be having? I've put my bedding in hot wash.

I'm keeping soda water down now so am hoping to advance further in a bit. Is soda water ok? I always have soda water for hangovers so thought it would help and i haven't been sick since the early hours?

Shall I eat anything or not today?

Activated charcoal usually sorts me out hun. Good luck

Oh thank you maybe DH can get some for me

Flat coke, peptil bismol works well

My mum always says flat (full fat) lemonade works well at keeping up sugar levels and salt that you might have lost because of dehydration. I feel your pain too, been vomming all night

Sleep, rest. Sip water if you can. My dsis swears by not eating or drinking for four hours, it had worked for us. Stay in bed, keep warm, sleep, watch rubbish tv, sleep more.

You can't and shouldn't go to work tomorrow. You need to be 48hours clear of symptoms before you go back otherwise the bug, which is what it is likely to be, will probably spread like wildfire.

I hope you feel better soon.

Advice from the professionals here

Please don't go in to work as you will still be infectious!

Thank you so much everyone, I may have to be off tomorrow then but if I can get right for Tuesday all will not be lost, sounds like I can.

Sorry you are the same KB2651 I wish you a speedy recovery too! You forget how bad these things can make you feel don't you?

Definitely no work tomorrow, you must be 48hrs with no symptoms before you're no longer contagious.

Simple carbs are your friend, if you can face eating. Toast, raisins, banana, that sort of thing.

Plenty of fluids, if you get dehydrated you'll feel even worse.

I'm not sure whether the 48 hour 'rule' is evidence based. Certainly my employer (NHS) just expects us to be symptom-free.

Nothing to eat just as much fluid as you can manage.
Dioralyte sachets work wonders, but taste awful.

Don't do anything strenuous, just lounge about for the day.

Don't go to work! No one will thank you for it if they all end up shitting their guts out for two weeks. I recently got crippling gastroenteritis and had to miss 2 weeks of work, it drove me mad and I went back in even though I was still pretty sick and I seriously regretted it.

Health food shop well sell charcoal, it really helps if its food Posen

Plain boiled rice with a sprinkling of cinnamon and banana are good for binding you up a bit (as it were) and get some fizzy drink and put a teaspoon of salt in: much more palatable than the rehydration sachets, and cheaper too.

But if it's food poisoning, rather than just a tummy bug, you may need to see the doctor.

I hogugt the 48 hour rule just applied to schools and food preparation

Err thought. Don't know what happened there

Is likely to be a tummy bug at this time of year

Brat diet bananas rice apples toast. Cool boiled water to start, flat Coke or lemonade full fat, then dry toast and see how that settles.

Aloe vera gunk gel is good when trying to get over a stomach bug. Pop it in with some flat lemonade.

No food for 4-6 hours after vomiting.
Then follow the BRAT diet.
Keep hydrated (water, sweet tea, flat coke or flat ginger ale work for me and are easy to keep down)
Lots of rest. Sleep or rest on the sofa/in bed if possible.

You need to be off for 48 hours after the last episode. I know it's not what you want to hear but all you'll do is spread it round everyone else if you go back any sooner.

Thank you all so much, I don't know if it's a bug or food poisoning but I've been sleeping and I have shooting pains in my legs.

I think I will be off tomorrow and aim for Tuesday in better health. I'm going to try a bit of toast soon,

Swallowing a clove of raw garlic is a popular treatment against infections, but it might not be so popular with your colleagues, so best do that Monday morning.

I worked for the NHS, I left last year, and in our Trust the 48hr rule was definitely advocated/enforced. There would be frequent email reminders to staff about it and there were boards up to remind outpatients and visitors that they should stay away if they'd had D&V within the last 48hrs.

Probiotics like Yakult can really help IME.