Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
General health

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Original poster

Puking Five Year Old - When to Seek Medical Attention?

61 replies

NotQuiteCockney · 27/11/2006 12:55

DS1 is 5, generally healthy, but quite thin.

He was ok this morning, but has since been sent home from school as he was poorly. I brought calpol, gave him some, he vomited it out. He had water in the taxi, threw that up, too.

He's in bed now. He has thrown up again, from having more water. I've enouraged him to sip water, not gulp, but obviously the puking is worrying me a bit.

When do I take him to A+E?

OP posts:
ISawTortoiseKissingSantaClaus · 27/11/2006 13:03

Its probably just this bug thats going around.
Sips of water is good.I don't think A+E would be able to do anything yet and it should pass fairly quickly.

doormat · 27/11/2006 13:05

try giving him sips of diarolyte throughtout the day
try tonite with a dry toast or biscuit
loads of bugs are going round at the mo
if he doesnt get any better by tea time, i would take him up
but if you think it is not a bug i would take him up
poor little mite
hugs

Original poster
NotQuiteCockney · 27/11/2006 13:08

I think it is a bug. I don't think it's food poisoning.

He's really really poorly.

I know he's not in need of A+E now, I just want a rule saying "if he's still throwing up water by X" or "if X happens", to know when to take him in or call the docs.

I'll try dioralyte, must rush off to pick up DS2, leaving DS1 in the tender care of the mad non-English-speaking cleaner.

OP posts:
hoxtonchick · 27/11/2006 13:14

i wouldn't worry yet nqc, let him sleep if possible, & try more water when he wakes up. have you got any ice lollies he could suck?

dd is vomit queen, & as you know, she's pretty small for 17 months. i've never taken her for medical attention due to sickness. if he's got the bug that practically everyone i know has had, it's pretty short lasting, only a few hours.

good luck. hope the rest of you don't catch it....

Original poster
NotQuiteCockney · 27/11/2006 14:00

Oh, hopefully it will only be a few hours. I've just never seen him ill like this, I've realised. He just doesn't normally throw up at all (I know some kids vom whenever they get a fever). He never really gets fevers. In fact, he's never actually slept randomly since he was about 6 months. If he's ill, he'll sit on the sofa and watch telly and not do things, but he never sleeps randomly.

No wonder it's freaking me out so much.

We have some bottlegreen ice lolly things, those might cheer him up a bit, when he's feeling more solid.

DS2 is coughing up a storm, too.

I think I'll think about medical attention if he still can't keep water down by late this afternoon, I think. I can cope with him not eating for 24 hours or more, but no water worries me. He was throwing up something a bit like bile, last time.

I don't think he's had any water since about 12, when I got him home, and he had a mouthfull and then vomited more ...

OP posts:
Original poster
NotQuiteCockney · 27/11/2006 14:42

Hmmm, I checked the meningitis warning signs ... he isn't really feverish, just warm.

Then he woke up, drank water, came down demanding telly, and then threw up. Hmmm. Well, I guess he's doing better, although I'd rather he slept. He's slumped on the sofa watching fantastic four at the moment. Lying down.

OP posts:
Original poster
NotQuiteCockney · 27/11/2006 14:46

Oh, and I'm feeling a tiny bit nauseated. Ugh. I really really really hate throwing up, after having a real "exorcist" vomiting experience, before having DS1. I went from someone who really didn't mind vomiting to being really quite unhappy at the thought.

OP posts:
ProfessorGrammaticus · 27/11/2006 14:51

Lots of us on here who can't bear sick - sure I speak for all of us when I say you have our sympathy! (Anyone who can clear up sick without feeling nauseated is superhuman in my view!)

Original poster
NotQuiteCockney · 27/11/2006 14:57

I'm fine at clearing up sick. I'm fine with helping puking people. Ok, it helps that DS1 is excellent, he really almost never pukes anywhere but in an appropriate receptacle. (Ok, he almost never pukes at all, but that makes his competance at puking even more impressive imo!)

I just used to be very mellow about puking up myself, and now I'm not. Since my Alarming Puking Incident, I think I've thrown up maybe three times, in 7 or so years.

OP posts:
hoxtonchick · 27/11/2006 16:50

how's he doing nqc?

Original poster
NotQuiteCockney · 27/11/2006 16:52

Still not great. He had a mouthful of water, which I think stayed down. Actually, he hasn't thrown up since about 4? Maybe?

He's slept and woken somewhat randomly. He's definately still poorly.

I did the NHS direct self-help thing, and they said to call, but I haven't yet.

He's not wildly feverish, probably just warm. He's awake, some of the time, and coherent. I might try to get another mouthful of water down him ...

OP posts:
hoxtonchick · 27/11/2006 17:27

more water, & maybe some calpol?

Original poster
NotQuiteCockney · 27/11/2006 17:30

I think we're just sticking to water for a bit. He's thrown up so much ... lots of dry heaves, the poor thing. I'm just releaved that fluids are going in and staying in.

OP posts:
dabihp · 27/11/2006 17:54

i think u shoudl try nothign for an hour after he last threw up.

then cooled bioled water, one tsp every 15 mintues.

if keeps down, increase to two teaspoon

then increase to every 10 minutes
etc..

Original poster
NotQuiteCockney · 27/11/2006 18:40

It's a bit hard to ration things so strictly with a 5-year-old.

He's had a few mouthfuls of water, and is now having an ice lolly (Bottlegreen sorbet thingy - just water, sugar and a bit of juice). He last threw up around 4. I'll encourage him to have more water.

I'm desperately hoping he'll sleep a lot of the night, and worrying DS2 is about to start doing the same, as he wasn't interested in food, just boob, for a bit there. He's eating two eggs now, though, so maybe we're in the clear.

OP posts:
dabihp · 27/11/2006 19:22

good luck!

Original poster
NotQuiteCockney · 27/11/2006 19:38

He seems to think he threw up because of the water. Which was a useful thing for him to think when he couldn't keep anything down, but less useful now! He had an ice lolly and went to bed. He apparently was having some gagging/dry retching after the lolly, but did keep it down.

OP posts:
Original poster
NotQuiteCockney · 28/11/2006 07:37

Oh. My. God.

No vomiting in the night.

But DS1 woke up twice saying he was hungry, DH brought him downstairs, made toast, only to find DS1 wasn't up for eating it, and just had water instead.

DS2 kept grumbling in the night, and I went in to him a couple of times. I should have just maxdosed the Medised, but I always forget to use drugs. (He had about a 1/4 dose at bedtime, and a 1/2 dose at 5am. What am I like?!?!)

So I feel like unmitigated shit, I doubt either child is going to school today, which is at least easy, I don't have to leave an ill DS1 at home on his own, or drag an ill DS2 to DS1's school. Blah.

OP posts:
Original poster
NotQuiteCockney · 28/11/2006 07:39

And after only being up for grapes in the night, I decided to eat a normal breakfast this morning, and I'm starting to regret it ... ugh ...

OP posts:
FrannyandZooey · 28/11/2006 08:59

big big sympathy coming your way

it is very easy to start feeling nauseous and gripy yourself when you are expecting to come down with something

I hope it is a false alarm

BudaBeast · 28/11/2006 09:03

Hope you are all OK and DS is on the mend.

For future ref our GP always recommended 7-up when ill. Put a little bit of sugar in it to take out the fizz and let him sip that. For some reason it helps settle the stomach.

Even now I tend to have 7-up if feeling queasy.

(And it is a great hang-over cure!)

Original poster
NotQuiteCockney · 28/11/2006 09:05

I think it is. I don't think I'm going to get what DS1 had yesterday. He was really sick.

Entertainingly, though, he's feeling a bit better today (but still not eating, so I'm absolutely not regretting my decision to keep him home). DS2 seems to be fine, well, slightly sniffly, but fine. And wants to go to the co-op.

I can't put DS1 on the back of the bike, in his state, so I think I am leaving him at home alone. It'll only be 15 minutes, and he's a sensible five-year-old ...

OP posts:
FrannyandZooey · 28/11/2006 09:09

I wouldn't personally leave a vomiting 5 year old NQC

is there no-one who can keep an eye on him for 15 mins? or take ds2 to the co-op?

Original poster
NotQuiteCockney · 28/11/2006 09:25

DS1 hasn't vomited for 18 hours or something. He's sitting and playing Lego Starwars.

But anyway, the decision was taken out of my hands. DS2 wants to go to the co-op, but refuses to go on the bike, holds on and screams when I put him on the seat. Maybe his inner ear is shot? Whatever, he's staying home.

The only person who could "watch" DS1 is our Peter Pan neighbour. Who is ok, I guess, but not much use.

OP posts:
Original poster
NotQuiteCockney · 28/11/2006 09:26

I'm glad to not be taking DS2 in, I do think he's pretty ill, he's clingy and weird. Better to have him home.

He's doing a weird thing with his mouth that has reawakened my fears of hand, foot and mouth, tbh.

OP posts:
Swipe left for the next trending thread