How often do you catch a stomach bug/vomit?

[User1110]

Hi, I have emetophobia and would like to just see how common my biggest fear is!

As an emetophobe (fear of vomit) I don’t tend to let myself be ill very often. I think I had a stomach bug of some sort over last summer, but was not sick but probably needed to be as I felt really unwell.

Everyday I wake up and am paranoid that it will be the day I vomit/come down with a bug.

I am veggie (I think this means I’m lower risk of food poisoning, at least). I drink kefir everyday and am keep my house hygienic. Plus am fastidious about hand washing!

I don’t have kids (yet) so would also like to see how much more likely it is to catch bugs if you have kids bringing them home from nursery and school vs no kids.

With norovirus doing the rounds apparently, I’m getting in a bit of a flap thinking it’s everywhere and on every surface I touch. When realistically, it’s probably less than 1% of the population that get it in a year, I believe.

So basically - when did you last vomit, what was it from? And when was the last time you had a stomach bug?

Thank you!

Once in the last 15 or so years. I think some people are prone to bugs or their lifestyle makes it more likely. I don't eat meat or seafood which rules out a lot of types of food poisoning. My SIL has always got some kind of tummy bug, but she loves seafood and is more relaxed about kitchen hygiene than I am.

I was sick once when I was pregnant with dd2, I think it was horrendous heartburn tbh rather than a bug. She's 6 now and I haven't been sick since.

The dc have only been properly sick once or twice in their lives. As babies a lot of milk came back up but it's just milk, it's not got that horrible half digested appearance of adult vomit!

I can't remember the last time I had a sickness bug, more than a decade ago.

Last time I vomited was last March, but that was after a night out (very rare occurance!), but from a stomach bug it's been years, perhaps 10? Currently 35 weeks pregnant and managed to avoid sickness so far.

I have been sick three times in my nearly 60 years. DH has had a few vomiting episodes; food poisoning or booze , maybe once a year. DS has migraine so is occasionally sick. He has had two tummy bugs in 20 years.my older DC had about the same number .

Can’t remember the last time I was sick. DS, about 10 years ago.

I don't think I have had a stomach bug. I last vomited about 3 weeks ago. I was ill with a perforated eardrum and took my strong painkillers forgetting that they make me sick and I need to take my antisickness tablets with them.

I had HG with all 3 of my pregnancies so was sick multiple times a day. Other than that it's only been drunk related or medication related.

Eldest is 14. As far as I can recall I've only been sick from a bug once in that time. Have been sick in pregnancy though.

DC sick probably once every 3-5 years.

Though all 3 dc were sicky babies, they were all sick 24/7 until about 10/11 months. Most of that was milky sick thought so nothing like proper adult sick.

In terms of vomiting, I was sick for the first 17 weeks of pregnancy 3 years ago, prior to that (other than alcohol induced once ) I hadn't been physically sick for 8 years when I had noro, I'm not really a vommer.

If I do get a bug it tends to be upset the other end.

I'm not sure what you mean when you say you don't let yourself get ill, it's not really a choice is it.
I was last sick 12 years ago when I was pregnant. I'm very rarely Ill and can't remember the last time I threw up because of a stomach bug.

I can think of 3 times in my life that I've vomited (that were non-alcohol related ) and I'm 41.
Once with food poisoning abroad 25yrs ago and two stomach bugs. The last one was probably 5yrs ago.
As a family we don't seem to get stuff like that. I can count on one hand the number of times my 7yr old and 4yr old have been sick combined (other than baby sickness).
DH I can think of a couple of times in 15yrs.

Genuinely can't remember the last time I vomited. Years ago, probably from too much booze.

Sickness bug probably not for around 20 years. I have however had food poisoning twice from eating a Chinese takeout and probably had my fair share of alcohol induced sickness. Being sick doesn't bother me. It's the fear of choking that does. For me the worst time for being sick was after my lumbar puncture. For 7 days I couldn't move head at all without violently vomiting everywhere. The first morning it was so bad I ended up semi conscious facedown in the sick bowl and severely dehydrated. The drip they'd taken out the morning before was swiftly put back in once they'd located a vein and I was pumped with an anti sickness which made no difference whatsoever and fluids. After that because I was deemed able to walk and wasn't allowed the commode or a bed pan I'd literally stagger from the pain into the toilet, grab a cardboard bowl and sit and hold that on my knee whilst having a piss. I felt more sorry for my 3 bed neighbours because I'd be vomming as they were eating. The last time I was sick was when I was Pregnant. I was nauseous right from the start but mostly dry heaved. Then one night I got the tell tale watering in my mouth and was sick a couple of times. Thought I'd be ok to eat some peanut butter on toast and suddenly went really cold and clammy and couldn't stop shaking then out of no where I was sick everywhere all over my bed and all over the floor. I was desperately trying to reach for the towel that was there but couldn't get it in time. Actually I've just remembered the last time I was sick was doing my weekly Covid tests for work. My own fault though because I'd eaten about an hour before. Think it was worse though because I was looking in the mirror at the same time so of course that made me throw up even more

For those asking what I mean about not letting myself be sick - it’s sort of a thing when you have emetophobia.

When I was at uni and we used to go out drinking, my friends would sometimes drink too much on a night out and feel unwell. They’d tactically vomit and come back to the dance floor and enjoy the rest of the night. I could never ever make myself vomit and would put it off for as long as possible, even if I felt like I needed to and it would make me feel better.

I know it’s a bit different to an aggressive stomach bug or pregnancy etc - I agree you can’t always help that.

I also am armed with anti-emetic medication constantly, so as soon as I start to feel unwell (I get horrible migraines too) I take some of those and just am on high alert until the nausea passes. If I let myself relax or sleep, I get scared I’ll wake myself up being sick or something.

Thank you for your responses so far! It’s all reassuring really. It’s proving not to be as common as I believed

I think there are some children who pick up sickness bugs and some who don’t. Same as adults. I’m in my 50s and can only remember having 1 sickness bug ever in my life - when I was a child. And then I was only sick once. Both the dc are very similar. They have both been sick about 3 times and they are now teens. But they only do it the once, none of this multiple times business. I think one time it was a sickness bug that we all caught. Dh was also sick. I just had the runs.

Wow can't believe the answers on here. I've been sick loads of times as an adult. Several times from alcohol as I have a low tolerance. Once from sea sickness going over Irish Sea, once from vertigo. Maybe 2 times from norovirus - last one about 5 years ago. There's probably a few more that I've forgotten.

Last time I was sick was last spring. It was COVID that caused it. But I am pretty prone to norovirus. If it's going around, you can guarantee it will find me. I'm also afraid of throwing up but what I've found is that when it happens, it's over so quickly and you're so ill that you just don’t care anymore. I still do everything I can to prevent it, but I've learned to accept that it happens. Still hate it though.

I’m always surprised OP when I read about illnesses on here - some people seem to be ill so much. I haven’t had a sick day in 20 years!

Just read PP and wow, some of you never get sick? I'm baffled. I get at least one stomach bug a year lol. Maybe it's just me 😂

Rarely. I dodge norovirus when it does the rounds. If I do vomit, it's migraine related, though I've sussed my triggers, now 🤞

Unfortunately, I end up with the shits several times a month. Last time was after not realising some chorizo I used had skimmed milk powder in. I'm lactose intolerant and that is the worst ingredient for me because it's so concentrated.

Very, very rarely. I don't think I've vomited from a bug since I was a teen? Get the odd dodgy tummy that involves a dash to the loo, more from overindulging though

My children had a few bouts as young kids, but not had anything for a few years.

I think I've only had two major stomach bugs in my adult life - one was when norovirus was doing the rounds but that was more diarrhoea than vomiting!

Hardly ever
I can count on one hand the amount of times I've been non-drink related sick as an adult . Twice was after tacos and I still can't work out why. I bloody love them too but daren't eat them again now

Amazed at this, I have a stomach bug at least once a year and often a dodgy tummy.
I do eat out a lot and I have a sensitive stomach. When pregnant I was sick at least 5 times a day (twins though). I also caught typhoid abroad once about 10 years ago and my stomach has been more sensitive ever since.

Oh and have been sick from alcohol many many times but absolutely not in the last 10 years or so!