Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Anyone up? DH is ill and I'm not sure what I should do

95 replies

Minimalme · 25/12/2022 04:06

We've all been ill for the last week but he just hasn't got better. Even our T1 Diabetic son has bounced back.

Since Monday dh has been in bed with a cough, temperature, vomiting and diarrhoea. He just went to the toilet and fainted and fell off it.

I am waiting on for 111 but he is adamant he will be fine.

I am worried that he needs antibiotics. I did try to get him to call our GP one day this week and now wish I'd just done it for him.

I wondered about dropping him into A&E but I would need to leave him there as we have kids at home.

Please tell me to stop worrying and go back to bed or to get firm and drive him in.

OP posts:
ivykaty44 · 25/12/2022 04:11

I’d wait for 111 to call back and see what they suggest

why do you think for vomiting and diarrhoea your dh would need antibiotics? Why does it worry you he would need antibiotics?

lifeinthehills · 25/12/2022 04:14

He lost consciousness. I would be phoning an ambulance.

Hoardasurass · 25/12/2022 04:15

Antibiotics won't help with a virus (cold, flu or most tummy bugs) they only work on bacterial infections. He most likely fainted due to dehydration and or lack of food, what he needs is some dioralite (sp), fluid, sleep and sugar not a&e

Cw112 · 25/12/2022 04:18

Yeah I'd be inclined to wait for 111 to call back and try to get some fluids into him in the meantime incase he's got dehydrated. He'd probably sit for a long time at a and e so best comfy in bed where he can rest until you get clearer advice?

WeAreAllSpecksOnARock · 25/12/2022 04:19

I would worry about his temperature. Is it coming down with paracetamol?
Ive almost fainted in that situation - where my eyes started getting black dots in front of them and everything started going dark, but I didn’t actually faint. It was in the middle of the night too. I assumed it was a combination of dehydration and low blood pressure from standing up too quickly.
I would wait on 111.

Delorestormborn · 25/12/2022 04:20

It sounds like flu. Proper flu.
I’ve only had in once and I was very ill for two weeks. Not doing anything just laying in bed ill - asleep a lot of the time. Only after about 10 days could I lay on the sofa for a few hours and watch to. So many people say they have flu but they don’t. It’s properly nasty. He just needs to rest and he needs fluids and any food he can keep down.

beveroni · 25/12/2022 04:20

I wouldn't suggest A&E - Having V&D in a waiting room for hours is a horrible experience. 111 might send him to the Out of Hours Doctors which is a better bet.

He may be dehydrated. Do you have any sports drinks in the house? He's probably lost a lot of salts as well which can lower your blood pressure and make you dizzy.

LazyCrazyAndStupid · 25/12/2022 04:20

I'm sorry op. That sounds rough. I assume he's conscious now? How high is his temperature and does it come down with meds? I'd probably wait for the 111 call back but if he deteriorates or faints again go to A n E. If you have kids it's fine to leave him there. It won't be fun to spend Christmas day in A n E but at least he'll get help there. Hope it's nothing serious.

If he's delirious or in and out of consciousness then I'm afraid you can't sleep and it would probably be better to go to a n E but if he seems stable them yes, try and get some sleep.

lifeinthehills · 25/12/2022 04:20

We are always told that if someone loses consciousness, we should phone an ambulance. Probably your husband is dehydrated and some fluids might make the world of difference.

Itsokay2020 · 25/12/2022 04:23

Op, what is his current temperature? If your DH hasn’t eaten much in the past few days, it’s likely that his blood sugar levels have dropped. Try to get him comfortable in bed and wait for the call back. If his temp is very high, try to reduce this. Do you have any Dioralyte?

LazyCrazyAndStupid · 25/12/2022 04:24

Hoardasurass · 25/12/2022 04:15

Antibiotics won't help with a virus (cold, flu or most tummy bugs) they only work on bacterial infections. He most likely fainted due to dehydration and or lack of food, what he needs is some dioralite (sp), fluid, sleep and sugar not a&e

None of us know what he needs and when in doubt it's better to be safe and go to a n E.

I second what someone else said above. The flu is really nasty and can knock you out. I've only had it a couple of times and the last time I did faint. I felt miraculously better after starting antibiotics though that time so maybe it wasn't the flu at all or there was a secondary bacterial infection.

Crimsonripple · 25/12/2022 04:24

The doctors are so reluctant to prescribe antibiotics at the moment. He sounds dehydrated and likely plain exhausted. I would try and get his fluid in take up and on to the pain meds.

mighteeaphroditee · 25/12/2022 04:32

Have you tested for Covid ? I had those symptoms - it was the vomiting that made me test for something other than flu. Gastro upsets are less common than other Covid symptoms but can show before the more obvious ones.

shouldawooda · 25/12/2022 04:37

Do they not swab for flu and give Tamiflu in the UK? It seems a bit brutal that he’s suffering like this, even if it is “only” seasonal flu.

lurkinglittleladybug · 25/12/2022 04:37

Is he keeping down any fluids? If not he might be dehydrated and that might be why he fainted.

try and get him to sip on water whenever he’s awake, if he’s not keeping any water down or losing more water than he’s taking in through loose stools I would take him in. He might need an IV drip to rehydrate him. But see what 111 say. If you think he’s dehydrated tell the person on 111 that. People underestimate how dangerous dehydration can be.

Hope he’s feeling better soon 💐

Nat6999 · 25/12/2022 04:40

I had the runs with covid, my first symptom was toothache & just when I was at the point of ringing the dentist I tested positive, then I started running to the toilet, feeling sick, hacking cough & streaming nose. I didn't eat properly for over a week. Can you try to get fluids other than plain water down him, preferably with sugar in them as the sugar will help him absorb the fluids, he may be sick but some of it will be absorbed, low blood sugar may make him feel sick & faint.

Mummyoflittledragon · 25/12/2022 04:56

If 111 tell you to stay, home, I would prepare your dh some rehydrating salts. Actually even if they say A&E I would make this to take and sip every 10 mins or whatever he can stomach.

One litre of water
6 level teaspoons sugar
1/2 level teaspoon salt

Get him to sip this liquid.

Flat full sugar coke / lemonade is also good. Not the ones with artificial sweeteners. Open, pour, leave for a couple of hours plus. Sip slowly.

babyyodaxmas · 25/12/2022 05:12

lifeinthehills · 25/12/2022 04:20

We are always told that if someone loses consciousness, we should phone an ambulance. Probably your husband is dehydrated and some fluids might make the world of difference.

Medic here. Fainting isn't the same as losing consciousness. I am assuming he is now fully awake and oriented (knows where he is what just happened etc) and didn't bang his head too hard ? If so just keep up with the fluids as other's have said and the paracemol. I wouldn't go to A&E (although it might be quiet this am). Please don't call an ambulance for this, if the story is " man with flu faints". If he is unconscious or confused then rat's different. Good luck and Happy Xmas OP.

JobSeekingMissile · 25/12/2022 05:16

Check his temperature @Minimalme. For all the people here saying it's not an a&e issue, seriously shut up. If I had followed this advice my DH would be dead.
in our case we had called 111 who sent us to a&e and we thought it was very dramatic as had expected out of hours doctor appointment.
Long story short, he had sepsis and his organs were failing. He had tami flu to ward off the original flu and intravenous antibiotics for sepsis. It was touch and go for a few days.
so much dangerous advice here lately.

superorganisms · 25/12/2022 05:21

shouldawooda · 25/12/2022 04:37

Do they not swab for flu and give Tamiflu in the UK? It seems a bit brutal that he’s suffering like this, even if it is “only” seasonal flu.

Following a review led by the BMJ, which campaigned for transparency around clinical trials run by pharmaceutical companies, Tamiflu was shown to be ineffective, which is why UK and European healthcare providers don't recommend it.

"The reviewers concluded that there was no convincing trial evidence that Tamiflu affected influenza complications (in treatment) or influenza infections (in prophylaxis), and raised new questions about the drug’s harms profile."

I'm not s medical professional, but it sounds viral to me, @Minimalme. Passing out likely due to dehydration and getting up too quickly. If keep up fluids and keep monitoring. Flu like viruses can lay you low for s good couple of weeks.

HangingOver · 25/12/2022 05:26

Fainting on the loo is a thing, isn't it? Just googled it and seems to be quite common...

workiskillingme · 25/12/2022 06:08

Tamiflu is notorious for causing gastro so that wouldn't help at all

SchrodingersKettle · 25/12/2022 06:20

Fainting is ok. If he’s unconscious for over two minutes it’s more an issue. My mum did this one Christmas and the issue was her oxygen saturation had dropped as her flu had taken hold, so when she was upright she got diZzy.

bedrest, rehydration salts, keep an eye on him

Virginiaplain · 25/12/2022 06:24

is He dehydrated - they used to say drink flat Coca-Cola for D&V, I take black tea with sugar.

ArcticSkewer · 25/12/2022 06:28

shouldawooda · 25/12/2022 04:37

Do they not swab for flu and give Tamiflu in the UK? It seems a bit brutal that he’s suffering like this, even if it is “only” seasonal flu.

No, as tamiflu is a massive con by big pharma and mostly only used in places where they can rip off people via health insurance schemes.

Hope you are doing okay there op. Did 111 call back?