6 year old with D&V bug, started again after 24 hours clear! WTF?

[neverbeenskiing]

My 6 year old DS started with vomiting and diarrhoea at about 4.30am on Wednesday. He was very sick (both ends) for a couple of hours. Then he had another bout of vomiting at around 9am, then nothing at all until just before bedtime that evening when he had another loose poo but not very much.

He slept all through Wednesday night and has been fine all day today (Thursday), playing normally, not lethargic at all, and constantly asking for food. We assumed it was all over but he's woken up just before midnight and vomited again. A lot. Also had another loose poo although not much this time.

Is it usual for a child to start being sick again after being clear for over 24 hours?? I've not known this before. Usually after this long I'd assume we were safe 🙁

I'm now wondering if it's my own fault for reintroducing food too soon. He ate very little on Wednesday, just picked at stuff like breadsticks and crackers. But he was starving and asking for food all day today so I did gave him dry cereal and a banana for breakfast, toast with a bit of peanut butter and a few crisps for lunch and then for tea he had the same pesto pasta as his Dsis but a smaller portion.

We are going on holiday (long haul) next Friday and I know that's ages away but I have anxiety and do tend to get triggered by anything around the children's health so am already fretting about whether he'll recover in time or will this just run on and on! Not helpful I know.

Has anyone else's DC had a bug that went and came back again, or have I just overloaded his tummy with too much/the wrong food too soon? NHS website I looked at says feed them their normal diet as soon as they fancy it basically but maybe that doesn't work for some kids.

Mine came back after 48 hours clear he had just returned to school he did say he felt unwell but he gets anxious and feels ill so the teacher and I were happy to let him continue until he vomited the apocalypse at 9.30am

Not that unusual IMO - I remember the same happening with one of mine, thought we were clear and then it all started up again.

Stick with bland food and fluids for a bit longer, hopefully it will clear itself out soon.

Oh God, the poor thing.

Thank you. I didn't realise that could happen but I guess it's a thing..makes it very difficult to know when they're better and safe to go out, eat normally etc.

Thanks. I suppose it's reassuring to know it's not that unusual. Back to dry toast and breadsticks then I suppose. DS will not be impressed but needs must.

Yep quite common occurrence, has happened to my DS twice over the years.

It's fairly common, that's why it's a 48 hour rule not 24.

I always thought it was because you can still be contagious for a couple of days after you're no longer symptomatic, but that makes sense.

Thanks all. After his big sick at midnight last night he slept through the rest of the night and (touch wood) has been ok since. He's "starving" and pestering me for "normal" foods but I've limited him to dry toast and fluids so far today.

The last two times my 6yo has had a vomiting bug this happened with them. Clear for a while and then vomited again. Not unusual I think.

So DS was fine all day yesterday, slept through the night then came into our room at 7am looking very pale and clutching a sick bowl. He hasn't actually been sick yet but is just lolloping on the sofa, very quiet and definitely not himself. This is such a weird bug, he was full of beans yesterday!

How is he now op?

Yes used to happen to my son when he was younger. He is 8 now and more resilient so it tends to be more short lived and tends to leave his system quicker without coming back.

Oh, poor lamb. A friend of mine seems to have the same bug - horrible d&v for two days, completely fine for two days, then horrible d&v again. She's had a sample sent off for testing in case it's something like campylobacter.