Need a handhold- ill and due to fly home tomorrow

[holidaytummytrouble]

Posting here for traffic. On holiday with DH and two young DC. I started with diarrhoea at 2am. It's showing no signs of stopping, even though I've had nothing but water since last night and we're due to fly home at midday tomorrow. It's a 4 hour flight and on the way here there was a queue for the toilet pretty much the entire flight.

I don't know what to do. If I'm still like this tomorrow I can't possibly fly, can I? Presumably the insurance wouldn't pay for all of us to stay so DH would have to fly home with the DC and leave me here?

DH has taken the DC out to give me some peace but I'm just lying here panicking about tomorrow in between running to the hotel bathroom. I don't even know where to start with the practicalities if I can't fly tomorrow, would we contact the airline or the insurance company? Will they definitely pay out? If anyone has been in a similar situation and had any advice it would be very much appreciated.

where are you OP? the medication some local pharmacies have is waay stronger than UK, if you need Immodium type the pharmacist may be able to give you their "local" remedy. failing that, dont eat, use glucose tablets widley available from pharmacies, I had the same issue twice on way back from Egypt, the 2nd time i took their medication, the 1st time i was in loo pretty much all flight and landing in UK :( i hope you feel better x

It will stop it long enough for the flight time. Also buscapan.
take both as first dose before you leave hotel, and 2nd dose just before you fly. Need to check frequency you can take and hit the timings right
tbh I’m not sure insurance will pay out unless you have at least taken 1st aid measure in terms of dosing you self up with over the counter stuff first. Hav no idea why you wouldn’t have decided to do that as do 99% of other people flying with things like IBS etc.

it will only bing you up for 48 hours or so…then once home you can leave off and see what happens ..or even take a laxative if you need to get going agian

In most of Spain you can buy it over the counter. I did. Is where you are different?

If you shit your nappy, surely you'd go to the toilet to change it and put it in some kind of fragranced nappy bag?
You wouldn't just sit in it right?

Go to special assistance. Explain that you're covid free (hopefully) and ask for special assistance through airport security. It's worth an ask. You could tell them you're an ibs sufferer. Maybe just start imodium tomorrow and hope whatever is causing illness passes through your system today and tonight. Keep hydrated. I would bag a toilet after security and stay there til you're called for your flight. It will most likely calm down a fair by tomorrow. Wear a mask and wash hands frequently.

I’m not sure insurance will pay out unless you have at least taken 1st aid measure in terms of dosing you self up with over the counter stuff first. Hav no idea why you wouldn’t have decided to do that as do 99% of other people flying with things like IBS etc.

For every person on this thread saying "take imodium" there is someone saying "don't take imodium it'll make you 10 x worse". Also several posters have said to take it, but not until an hour or two before the flight.

They are in Tenerife. That is why I am surprised that they cannot get loperamide (immodium) over the counter. In mainland Spain you definitely can, and I definitely have. A few weeks ago too.

Maybe Tenerife is different and has some rules of it's own, but that one would surprise me.

Try asking for SALvACOLINA at the chemists, OP.

Salvacolina

@Topseyt123 the first chemist told him it was prescription only, so he went to another down the street and they sold him a pack of 12 no questions asked.

Might have missed this so sorry if I have but isn't getting on a flight with a bug (I know could be food poisoning) abit (ahem) shit because of the other passengers?

That is what I get when in Spain. I got it just a couple of weeks ago. No prescription needed. Salvacolina is loperamide, and therefore exactly the same as immodium. Loperamide (loperamida in Spanish) is the active ingredient in both. I looked on the salvacolina packet.

You should be able to get it, OP.

Ah good. Take some then. Hope it works well for you. 😎

Anyway good luck with it all. Hope you feel better soon

Well yes, but she might have to if she's kicked out of her hotel room in the morning.

I have had IBS all of my teenage and adult life. Diarrhoea is a pretty regular occurrence for me and doesn't necessarily mean I have a bug. I just take loperamide to control it and have done for years.

If I couldn't travel every time I had a bout of the squits then I could never go anywhere.

Id take it OP, though you will feel rotten afterwards, hopefully it will get you through the flight home.
I had this coming back from Croatia, terrible diarrhea started up about 2am and we wee flying at 2pm. I was up alllll night. Didn't eat anything and just sipped at water, went to the toilet as many times as I could before we left the hotel and then endured a 40minute drove to the airport. Used every toilet I could between check in and the gate! It finally got me over my fear of using public loos for #2s haha! I took immodium about an hour before the flight if I remember correctly. I managed the whole flight home, security and baggage with no issues, but spent the next day at home doubled over...but just filled with relief I'd made it home!

Also, it is peak holiday season. Hotels may not have the availability to just extend the stay, and getting onto a later flight could also be problematic.

I hope you feel better soon
Anxiety can make you have an upset stomach
I would risk it if I’m honest

How do you feel in yourself? If you feel ok apart from the diarrhoea then the anxiety won't be helping.
If you're not actually feeling poorly then Imodium will help- but don't start taking it until tomorrow morning.
Diarrhoea doesn't usually last very long once whatever caused it is out of you. Try not to panic just yet.

Immodium is 2 caps initially then 1 after every loose stool, get some Dioralyte for rehydration, take the Immodium regularly until.you get home then organise stool testing with GP, Immodium is safe short term

I agree Alexdgr8
I can't believe the amount of people here giving the advice of using imodim, a pad or antibiotics or whatever to try not to miss a flight. When you go on a holiday you have to take in account stuff like this might happen.

Norovirus is a virus typically found in shelfish and also contaminated water. It's highly contagious. Antibiotics will only work if the cause is a bacterial infection. Its not OK to put your health at risk, and also others.

Diarrhea is the way your body protects itself from an infection. Go to the doctor and also ring the insurance company. Stay in bed until this is over.

I presume Tenerife is the same as other Canary Islands - they have proper pharmacies, and also para pharmacies that sell everything but medication, maybe just some herbal crap. Possibly he went to one of them first?

I don't feel sick or have a temperature or anything. The stomach cramps aren't even constant, they just happen before each trip to the loo and then seem to ease off once I've been. I'm really hungry now to be honest but daren't risk it! I'm sure you're right that my stress levels won't be helping the situation.

No advice, but this is my worst nightmare op. You have my absolute sympathy. I hope it's a quick 24hr thing and you feel better tomorrow and can get home without any issues. Throwing small kids into the mix, not easy!

Whenever I've had an upset stomach flat coke has always worked well, just small.sips for energy. If insurance doesn't come through take the immodium and get some incontinence pants

Did your travel with jet2 or Tui or similar? Call your rep they will be able to help sort things out, that's why they are there.