Advice for dealing with ds 12 who has been very sick

[FluffySlipperSocks]

I have more than one child and have dealt with their bugs etc before but now doubting myself.

Ds has been very sick on average every hour since this afternoon. He's begging me for food but not keeping water down so I'm not feeling it's right to give him anything.

Any general advice please? Seems to be differing advice on when to give them fluids and solids etc...

I’d say plenty of fluids (sipped slowly to increase likelihood of them staying down) but no food for at least 12 hours to give stomach a rest. 24 if you can take it. Then start with something plain like toast.

If he's genuinely really hungry I'd go for half a round of dry toast then another half perhaps an hour later.

However, if he's not keeping water down he's not likely to keep the toast down, so I think in your immediate case I'd refuse to feed him til he could keep down water for more than 30 minutes. Make him take small, frequent sips rather than big gulps.

He might be getting dehydrated, and need sugar/salt.
Personally I’d let him have whatever he wanted. He might absorb a bit before he throws it up, and his bodies telling him to eat.

Lemonade with a pinch of salt is a good drink to have when dehydrated

Get him to suck ice. It's a good way of getting liquids slowly. His hunger could be dehydration.

icepops, or weak cordial with glucose in?

I wouldn't give food.

Ice lollies are good. Sweet for energy and equivalent to small sips.

Fluids.
Ice lollies are great.
See how he goes with these.
If keeps down, try toast in an hour or two.
Dioralyte is good for rehydrating.

Have you got any dioralyte. That will help replace any lost salts.

For,food, I would,go with dry toast or crackers, or plain biscuits such as digestives. Ginger nuts are a good choice also, as ginger can calm nauseous,

Ice pops

Have you any rehydrate? It tastes strange but is very effective. He may feel that you are giving him more than plain water and help him to cope. My sympathies.

Sorry, should read Rehydrat.

Definitely give him something with sugar and electrolytes in - lucozade or something. If he's throwing up constantly he'll have lost salts and sugars as well as fluid, like others have said.

For a few years now, advice has been to eat if hungry and while plain food might be better tolerated, there's no reason to restrict your diet. It won't shorten the illness or decrease chances of vomiting in any significant way.

Fluids are the priority, v small amounts and often. Some will stay down. But if he's hungry, I'd let him eat. Within reason, what he fancies is probably best. I know when I've been ill, I crave salty food because of the dehydration.

When I was like this and my stomach in spasm so I couldn't keep water down the dr said to have a paracetamol and a yoghurt - it worked for me

Definitely give him food if he wants it. It's a bit cruel not to if he's begging for it and there's no medical reason not to. The advice is to eat if hungry and keep drinking because you will absorb some even if you vomit again.
Witholding food won't shorten illness and giving it won't do harm.

Cup of vegetable or chicken stock is what I give the DC in a mug.

The salt in it perks them up a bit, and helps with nauseous feeling too

Yes give him food. And also being sick when you’re empty is very painful. Plain food, but give him something to eat!

The advice varies but usually it's fine to give food if they're hungry. I'd try to stick to BRAT (bananas, rice, apple sauce, toast) in small quantities.

I would give mine toast if hungry but nothing more. Flat coke is good as it has sugars and salts in if he can keep small amounts down. Its hugely unpleasant but can help

Sloppy jelly is a good option. Slips down and full of water.

I would just give him what he wants. I always want a rasin danish first after a bug and it’s always helped perk me up!

Try dioralyte. Whenever I can't keep anything down something about it relieves my nausea

I'd give 1/2 slice toast then another 1/2 30mins later

Thanks so much for all advice! He's managed an ice lolly. Next time he asks for food I'll try dry toast

Poor soul. There’s a nasty stomach flu going. I just recovered from it.
Flat coke/pepsi watered down is my ‘medicine of choice’. And it’s awful to admit but when I’m sick, it doesn’t taste as foul if I’ve had a bit of a flat ‘coke/water mix’ to drink.

I wouldn’t advise eating yet because the virus very cleverly slows digestion waaay down so that there is more to vomit up. Gross but smart! Dry toast in a push. But if he can hold off, that would be wiser.

I too found myself oddly hungry not long after I was fully done being sick. Usually I don’t eat for a good 48 hours after a stomach flu. But not this time.

Personally I'd try something like a banana or soup rather than toast. I have a horrid vivid memory of being sick after eating toast and it was awful due to the texture of the toast coming back up (sorry if tmi).

I know it's recommended but dioralyte is absolutely foul and I've never managed to drink, or keep down, more than a sip when I've had a sick bug.

Ice cold Lucozade sport has always been my go to with sick bugs as it replaces some of the lost electrolytes and fluids and isn't too horrid if it makes you sick again.