Two weeks of sickness bug

[SoleSurvivor111]

My kid is 4, and nonverbal autistic. He got a bug at preschool 27/10. He was sick once or twice every day (well, mostly night) until 1/11, and had two A&E visits plus a brief spell on the children's ward during half term week, as by that point getting dehydrated. Thought we'd got through it (though 3/11 the baby started with it, so we know it was a bug, but he was fine by next day).

Anyway Monday we went back to school, because he'd been fine, and Monday night he was sick after tea. Just the once, and then slept okay (ha! slept okay by his standards, anyway), and then was entirely fine for the remainder of the week. Back to school yesterday, still fine... Tonight, threw up in bed about 11pm, then like eight more times, and has only just stopped and finally fallen asleep.

Now, the doctors say it's 'just a bug'. And clearly it is a bug, otherwise the baby wouldn't have had it. All his preschool teachers had it over half term. But nobody except us seems concerned as to why he can't shake it off - this is his second relapse now and it's been over a fortnight since it all started. He's so fed up too. He screams a terrible sound like you've never heard when he's being sick, it's like his worst sensory nightmare, and it's unbearable to see him so distressed. But when he's not being sick, he's fine - playing, bouncing, laughing, eating. No temp. Doesn't seem to be in pain (but very possibly could be - he doesn't have typical pain responses, so for example he completely ignores quite nasty bumps, but screams like he's wounded if you touch his hair. And he can't talk.

I've called 111 AGAIN tonight and they've said they'll arrange an out of hours appointment in the morning for him. But honestly they just sound a bit fed up of us at this point, like, they've told us it's a bug and we just keep coming back to them. And it's so hard to balance wanting to have him checked over for his own safety, with not distressing him when he's so poorly - he HATES hospitals and doctors with a burning passion. But I really am becoming concerned, this just seems such a long time to still keep being sick, and the poor little mite is so done with it himself. Not really sure what we do next.

Worried bump

Did he see a doctor this morning?
it sounds like it could be rotavirus - did he have the vaccine as a baby? If not it could be. I used to be a nursery nurse and when it went around nursery it would affect some children like this. They only get it once badly though (then very very mildly if they ever have it again). But there’s been a lot less of it about since the vaccinations for it started about 10 years ago.

Also, I’m presuming that you’ve got him off all dairy produce at the moment? If not, cut it out straight away for a few weeks. Children often get temporary dairy intolerance after a stomach bug but I’m assuming that you already know that.

Yeah he's vaccinated. OOH were a bit rubbish, they've given him antibiotics which is good IF it's a UTI or something, but they didn't actually do any samples so could be entirely unnecessary. And he was alright yesterday but then first thing this morning was sick again. It's getting so frustrating for him, as he's not otherwise unwell. And now another day off school too.
Yeah we cut dairy, which is terrifying as his diet is so, so restricted, although it's not made a difference. He eats the plainest foods imaginable too, so nothing else he's having should be aggravating him. Nobody seems concerned, and I suppose on paper 'kid is sick once or twice a day and no other symptoms' should be manageable, but the doctors don't see just how horrific the experience is for him, or hear his pained, terrified screams, or sit up all night holding him because he's scared it'll happen again. Poor little sod is so fed up, and so are we, and so is my washing machine.

I could have written this a few weeks ago, my DS is still proudly telling people he threw up 34 times in two weeks. When he ended up in A&E the second time the doctor basically said that the bug and the vomiting had just inflamed his stomach so much that he just couldn't keep anything down anymore. And the vomiting was worse at night because the day's worth of acid and food had built up, and then needed to come our once he was lying down.

What helped him in the end was a daily antacid (omeprazole I think) and an antisickness medication, to give his stomach time to recover. And then the absolute plainest food we could give him. Porridge made with water, plain rice, plain pasta. No dairy, no fat, no fun. After about a week of that he was much better.

Ah yes thank you that's so helpful, I've wondered about both those things - it does seem 'acidy' because he coughs a lot before he's sick, but not like a coughing fit, more like his throat is irritated. And he did have anti-sickness at the hospital which helped for a bit. I might give the GP another bell and see if they'll consider a prescription. Thanks, good to know someone else has been the same - hope yours is well on the mend like!

@SoleSurvivor111 yes he's much better now thank you, although we can't let his stomach get too empty or he gets bad pains and nausea again. Fingers crossed something helps your little guy soon.

I wonder if some Gaviscon would do the trick?

Just wondering if there's any updates on this or other similar experience.

DS (7) has had a similar thing.
Day 1: sick at school
Day 2: sick 24 hours later
Day 3: fine
Day 4: sick again, just over 48 hours from the last
Day 5: sick 24 hours after previous (today).

He's largely fine in between.

This is really starting to impact work for both of us.

That sounds bad! Because he's pretty much fine in between, it's frustrating for us to be home missing school & work.

Yep so ours has been back at school two days and seemed fine, then tonight spectacularly sick everywhere again so that's two days off again. He's absolutely fine in between these episodes but it's like, every 2-3 days. Going back to the doctor's tomorrow (if I win the appointment lottery at 8am that is) and I'm gonna get my stern mum face on and insist they actually try and figure this out instead of fobbing us off with 'its a bug'.

Not bad at all, completely understand what you mean. Mine's far from at death's door, he's his usual bouncy annoying self whenever he's not throwing up. Thankfully I'm a SAHM but my other half has still missed work ferrying him to and from hospital and appointments, because we've got a baby too. Since October 26th he's done four days of school. He's frustrated, we're frustrated, everyone's knackered and grumpy.

No answers BUT I'll update here when I've spoken to the doctor again tomorrow. I've asked his disability social worker to contact the doctor herself as well, and insist that they run some tests or give some medicine or something, in case they take her more seriously than me. We shall see, watch this space.

We actually managed to get in to see a nurse practitioner this evening (I think we must have the best GP service in the country).

She said she didn't think he had anything contagious, but it was "gastroenteritis", which as far as I can tell is just inflammation/irritation of his digestive tract. Which doesn't really explain why this is happening or suggest how we might improve it.

She said to give it till Friday and then come back if he hasn't improved.

It's so frustrating. 23 out of 24 hours he's absolutely fine.

She did say it could be a new food allergy - though if that's the case I've no idea what it could be to. He's been on a deliberately bland diet the whole time.

We're going to pick up some probiotics (gummies, not dairy yogurt things) tomorrow too to see if they help.

I hope you make some progress with this too, @SoleSurvivor111

Update, he hasn't been to the doctor's because after I secured an appointment this morning, my other half started with it, and without transport we can't get there (kid needs a special harness and stuff so taxi etc is out). So I had to cancel and will run the 8am lottery again tomoz. The doc I spoke to on the phone agrees that reflux could be part of it, and maybe temporary allergies.

But it's defs a bug at least! Doesn't explain why this kid has had it for three solid weeks, or why it has had such an insanely long incubation period, but it's weirdly reassuring nonetheless. Waiting for my turn to strike now. If the baby gets it again, I'll have to assume it's a new bug, back to back with the first. What a hellish month it's been, swear I'm losing my mind at this point.

😩 you poor thing.

Interestingly, I've just had an email from school saying they've had a confirmed case of cryptosporidium. Which has remarkably similar symptoms to these.

Obviously I'm hoping it's not that. The case is in a different class, but I know they've had a lot of vomiting bugs recently.

We've gone beyond 24 hours again. Fingers crossed he can get through tomorrow and go back to school on Friday. He was bouncing off the walls today. 🤞

The baby has it. I feel ropey as hell. I think what we have here is a back-to-back bug. Bloody hell.

Have you got anywhere with this? My 2YO daughter is now on day 16 with vomiting and runs. Very intermittent vomiting, there’s been 6 days between episodes but the runs are consistent. Awaiting stool sample but the GP says it’s normal, doesn’t feel normal whatsoever. Where in the UK are you?

So, everyone turned a corner. Cutting dairy helped eventually, just took a while to kick in. Big one is now five days clear of sick. But he's got a hideous cough instead. Baby threw up last night though so no, weren't not entirely through it. Praying for relief - this is Day 25 I think...

Honestly I really feel your pain. Just seems whatever type of bug this is my toddler just cannot fight it off whatsoever. Did you have stool samples done atall?

Nope, even in hospital nobody took bloods or urine or anything at all. I mean, he's not an easy kid to assess, I get that, but I still thought they'd find a way to investigate properly.

Sympathy for you @SoleSurvivor111

DS eventually managed to go 48 hours clear and was back at school on Friday (-'d we got the attendance letter the same day 🙄)

We had cut out dairy and basically had him on various bland dry breakfast cereal for a day, and then branched out into mashed potato and a tiny bit of veg/sausage.

We also got him some probiotic chewy tablets which seemed to help. Needed to stay away from the dairy based yoghurt probiotics.

And he's eaten normally over the weekend and so far so good.

Fingers crossed that's our penance done for a year now!