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

[Minimalme]

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.

I have high blood pressure and tend to faint if I am nauseous. First time I had Norovirus I was throwing up down the pan and suddenly everything went black.

There are so many viruses around at the moment. Hope he is ok very soon.

He’s got the flu

I hate when people on mumsnet tell you not to seek medical advice! When I had covid in 2020, I was the same, after a week or so I was fainting and dizzy, I was told to go to a and e and ended up being admitted. I had no white blood cells left and was told I was at real risk of sepsis. If you are concerned call a doctor or go to a and e!

The likeliest is that he needed fluids, rehydration and paracetamol. But it's really important to rule out the less likely but very serious things as well - try 111 online as you couldn't get through on the phone

Nearly a whole week of this and he will be very dehydrated. He may need an IV drip to get the fluids in quicker.

Has he had dioralyte yet?

I don't agree, OP had rung 111 (and should follow this up if she hasn't heard back from them)

But there is massive jump from calling 111 to waiting in A&E.

Hope he starts to feel a better op, I agree with the rehydration, and especially on waiting to hear back from 111.

I don’t want to panic you but…..

DH had this cold/flu bug a few weeks ago. He was ill for a week or so. Then on Saturday morning he was complaining of feeling faint etc. I brushed it off as being melodramatic. But then his watch beeped with an alert that his heart rate was all over the shop and a resting heart rate of 180.
We went to A&E where this was taken seriously. They put him on an ECG and on seeing the results he was rushed into resus and pumped full of drugs.

He’s been back for various tests etc and seems to be fine. But it might have been a different story had the watch not told us about his heart.

I would think twice before taking someone with possible 'flu into a crowded A&E where potentially there are very vulnerable people. If he's not still passing out, his temperature remains under 40, and his breathing is OK, I would keep him at home and give him lots of fluids and rest.

If he gets any worse though, then phone 999 as he may eg. have a secondary bacterial infection requiring treatment.

@Minimalme
Happy Christmas!
I have been ill with heavy fluey cold for 2 weeks
HOWEVER
on Weds had the most severe vomiting and appalling dizziness ever
The severity of it ( 13.5 h) of dry heaving til whole body convulsed and terrible headspins ( I don’t drink) made me consider calling a GP but was too dizzy

I just rode the blighter out
Phoned GP on Friday- she thinks inner ear condition- and no antibiotics needed

I craved salt and lucozade when vomiting eventually calmed , but stomach muscles hurt from retching.

Your poor husband!
I empathise x

@Minimalme ps still really dizzy on posture changes!
room just span.
but mercifully not sick.

Thank you for sharing this - I have a lingering feeling of worry. I am quite calm about illness (dh says dismissive and uncaring ) but I can't shake the lingering worry, I think because - since Monday - he is getting worse.

I am going to sit and listen to the crackly 111 music again...

THIS!!
They absolutely don’t.
With my inner ear condition after heavy fluey cold GP said antibiotics won’t work.
Adults very different to babies and young children
adult ear issues often viral.😵‍💫

They do work for secondary bacterial infections though.

www.biomerieux.com/corp/en/blog/sepsis/the-link-between-the-flu--secondary-infections--and-sepsis-.html

This why you need to speak to a doctor if someone is getting worse after a viral illness

It does sound like the lurgy
I too have flu jab annually, after being really ill with it ( Brisbane flu) paying until this year got it free!

However
there is a fluey bug that isn’t covid doing rounds.
It lingers, and some mention dizziness and vomiting ( Anecdotal- I’m not a medic)
Rehydration salts are wonderful

If you haven’t any Dioralyte, rehydration fluid is makeable at home with salt, sugar , water
( Google exact ratios)

To save you waiting you can fill out an online form for 111. I always end up logging my call then have to wait for a triage nurse to ring back. But doing the online form just puts you in the queue for the triage person to call back. You basically just go through the questions they'd ask you on the phone.

I am looking for it now-the 111 phone system has developed an error roughly 3,5mins into the introduction.

I think it is probably overloaded and broken.

I find registering on 111 online for a call back is better than waiting on the phone line.

111 has been extremely busy the last few weeks. He may not get a call back until several hours later

GP’s are very reluctant to prescribe antibiotics these days
Antibiotic resistance is a huge problem
They ( GP’s) are pretty good at assessing- even over phone- if a condition is viral or not judging by a patient’s responses.
I had non medics say “ You need antibiotics!”
but GP said “ Not indicated in this instance “.

Yup! I work in infectious diseases and can confirm resistance is a big problem.

Listen to what your doctor says (but also remember they're not infallible so if you think things are getting worse, try again).

If you have no dirolyte, try heating up fizzy and sipping it when cooled down or full fat flat coke.

Yes stick with trying to get through to 111. He might just be dehydrated but even so he might be at the point of needing help.

Get fluids in him in the meantime - I used to do a teaspoon of salt and sugar mixed if I had No dioralyte (or maybe put a plea on Facebook)

can you take his pulse? Smart watch or google how to do yourself with your fingers (not your thumb) on his wrist or jugular. If it’s very fast I’d call 999 - watch for signs of sepsis, or delirium. If he faints again personally I’d call 999.

www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/accidents-first-aid-and-treatments/how-do-i-check-someones-pulse/

I’m not a medical professional, but my dad was and he would always check like this when we were ill.