3YO with Stomach Bug - Seems to get well then sick again?

[mom2daisypie]

Hi,

7 days ago my DD started being sick at 1am. She was sick every 20 minutes for the rest of the night and it finally stopped at around 8am. (there was nothing actually coming up towards the end as you can imagine! but she was still wretching).
She wasn't sick then all day but at 7pm that night it started again, every 20 mins sick. After not eating for 2 days, and not managing to keep water down we were very worried and went to the out of hours service.
We were old it was just a tummy bug doing the rounds and that she would be fine in a few days.
2 day ago she stopped being sick although was still complaining of tummy ache. She has had tummy ache off and on now for 3 days but has managed to start eating again.

Then this evening, while complaining of tummy ache she was suddenly sick for the first time in about 4 or 5 days! I can't believe it. I thought she was getting better.

Is this normal? I thought tummy bugs only lasted a few days - up to a week?

We had this once with DD. She's been sick for a few days, stopped, started eating a few bits, had the runs, then vomited again. In fact, this has happened twice - sorry, aware I sound like a nob but DD has had that many bugs it's difficult to remember!

We had something similar in February - 3yr old DS sick a couple of nights in a row and then it stopped so we thought he was over the worst of it. Then a few days later it started again and he was sick every night for another 10 days Very odd as it was only during the night he was sick. Took him to the docs a couple times and just told it was a virus. It did eventually just stop thank god. Tried to keep him drinking water in the day and bland food like toast. Avoid dairy if possible.

Hopefully it will just sort itself out asap x

Has she been eating dairy? That can make them ill after a gastro bug, even if they seem better.

I had this once with a child I was looking after and the gp said that in some children, although the original bug has cleared up, the child's ability to deal with dairy is temporarily messed up (I'm sure he used more scientific language than that!) and its best to keep them off dairy for a week or so till their digestive system sorts itself out.

My 2 and 3 year old had a bug like this in December. It lasted for 2 weeks like that. Gp said it was normal advice was plenty of fluids and bland diet with no dairy for a few weeks.

DS also had this with a viral gastro bug when he was 2.
Temporary lactose intolerance is common I think.
Sips of dioralyte worked wonders at perking him up when he was dehydrated and looking really weak and poorly. It does taste disgusting and he wouldn't entertain it when he was a bit better but when he was at his worst he seemed to know it would do him good and tolerated sips.

My son often struggles with dairy after a sickness bug and even though he's a lot better we will have random sick over a number of days.
We just cut out dairy for 24 - 48 hours and it sorts him out.
Might be worth a try to see if it works

My son also becomes intolerant of lactose after a sick bug. I keep him off dairy/ lactose for a week and it sorts itself out.

It could be rotavirus which can live on surfaces for some time, causing reinfection. If you wipe everything over with a cleaning spray containing bleach (this is the only thing that will kill it) it might help. Although if know one else in the house has it I guess it's unlikely