three kids throwing up

[jasper]

My 3 kids (5,3,2) have all been throwing up for about 24 hours (the eldest for 4 days with some apparent periods of recovery in between).
They also have diarrhoea.
I have not let them eat in 24hrs and they immediately throw up any water or lemonade I give them.
We have gone through about 15 sets of pyjamas!

Is there anything I can do or do we just have to sit it out? How long a period of not being sick has to pass before they eat again? What is the best sort of food to give at first?

They are rarely ill , and never all at once.
Thanks in advance.

Have you tried giving them flat coke instead jasper? An ex landlord of mine, who was a doctor, said it is better than lemonade, as it contains phosphorus. I would give them at least 24 hours of starving, but keep trying to push the fluids. If they are bringing it back up, check for dehydration by pinching the back of their hand, the skin should ping back staright away if they are still ok. If it is loose then they are getting dehydrated, and I would take them en masse to the doc.

Also another doc said rice was v good to start back on, plain boiled. And if they can bear it, get them to drink the water it is boiled in, something to do with the startch in it. Not sure I could bring myself to do that tho!

How horrible for you , having them all sick at once. I hope it gets better soon.

God, jasper, you poor thing - it's bad enough when one is like this, let alone 3.

I'm sure this is teaching grandma to suck eggs but are you wiping loo seat and handle down with dettoxy stuff every time someone goes, either end - and tap handles too after washing hands?

The best type of food, apart from being digestible, must be something you can stand to clean up if it comes back up - was going to suggest banana because it's easily digested and a bit binding (?) but then if they vomit it you'll get yellow slime with black bits. What about Ready Brek?

Just got this from medinfo.co.uk:

Do
Only drink clear fluids eg purpose-made electrolyte solutions, or "pop", such as lemonade.
Start by just taking sips of fluid, and when the sickness subsides slowly build up the quantity.
You may take anti-diarrhoea medications which can help the symptoms, but they do not cure you any quicker.

Do not
Do not eat until at least 24 hours after the last sickness or diarrhoea subsides.
Do not drink milk, or drinks containing particles, as these take more digestion, and irritate the bowel.
Do not take any tablets for headache or fever until the vomiting subsides.

HTH. Hope you don't get it too!

Hiya Jasper

My eldest is prone to this sort of illness and gets it about once or twice a year.

Once when we took her to hospital to be monitored for the day, a doctor told me the best thing to give when they are vomiting all the time is room temperature isotonic lucozade (the flat one) get them to sip it, I find it works brilliant and swear by it.

Hope they all start to feel better soon.

No advice but it sounds like hell. Hope they're all better soon Jasper.

Oh you poor thing - I hope they are better this morning. Flat coke and rehydration sachet drinks (only v. small sips - not v. pleasant when a whole cup of blackcurrent rehydration drink was vomited onto me by ds1 when I let him gulp the whole lot down!).

I've been told Kaolin (I'm sure it's called that) is good for slowing down diarrhoea in children - check with a pharmacist.

Good luck.