Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

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

,,, aren't tummy bugs supposed to only last 48 hours? ...

63 replies

imaginaryfriend · 15/05/2008 16:52

Dd (5 1/2) and I went off our food on Saturday evening and have felt lousy ever since, really nauseous, some diarrhea but no major vomiting. Dd's had a fever although I haven't. But we're totally washed out. I'd hoped today would be better but we've been in all day and dd's currently asleep on a cushion on the floor.

Has anyone else had a bug that's lasted this long?

OP posts:
suedonim · 15/05/2008 18:01

It's ok to take Immodium to stop the diarhoea, I've been told. I get a lot of tropical bugs and now I just swallow immodium whenever I get the skitters! Hope everyone feels better soon.

Original poster
imaginaryfriend · 15/05/2008 18:03

how can you stop the other generally horrible feelings though? yucky taste in mouth, constant nausea, exhaustion?

OP posts:
suedonim · 15/05/2008 18:48

You can try Buccastem tablets for the nausea. They dissolve in the mouth so you don't need to actually swallow them. Same goes for Immodium, come to that, there are soluble versions of that as well.

I'm not sure you can do much about the tiredness, unfortunately, although I do find that making up a rehydration solution helps. I forget the proportions of sugar/salt but they're on the internet. Sipping it via a straw in small but regular quantities is best.

suedonim · 15/05/2008 19:04

ORT recipes

Original poster
imaginaryfriend · 15/05/2008 23:03

Thanks suedonim. I don't think I can bear another day of feeling like this. I'm so hoping we're feeling better tomorrow.

I managed to get dd to eat a piece of toast this evening but I still haven't had anything. I feel totally spaced out and so sick.

OP posts:
Original poster
imaginaryfriend · 15/05/2008 23:39

last bump before I head to bed.

OP posts:
Doodle2U · 16/05/2008 08:58

How are you both this morning IF?

I still feel sick, heavy legs and lethargic. Looked up Buccastem, as suggested by Sue. It's prescription only but you can buy it on line? Wondering about ordering some because can't go through another week feeling this rough.

Hope you two are doing better than me!

gjhchat · 16/05/2008 12:33

Hi there!

First posting on mumsnet. Hope you don't mind me jumping in!

My dd is 8 mths old, and has had D & V on and off for 6-8 weeks. Just as I think she is improving, she wakes up and is sick EVERYWHERE in her cot, poor little girlie. Followed by 4-5 days of diarrhoea.

Very sleepy and lethargic today having been sick last night again. Have been to dr who has suggested samples to check for infection. (prev done this with negative results)

Also feeling sick but think this might just be as I am anxious about her. Also returned to work pt 2 weeks ago and having to have lots of time off as nursery won't have dd. Very stressful!

Is it normal for these bugs to keep reappearing? Am getting paranoid its something I am doing - or feeding her.

Original poster
imaginaryfriend · 16/05/2008 13:19

gjhchat, I wish I had advice for you, that sounds dreadful. I don't know if you can keep being re-infected. Are you able to clean everything completely thoroughly after she's been sick? I think the bugs can lurk around on surfaces for a long while.

Doodle, sympathy to you too. We're still pretty dreadful today. I think dd's made a small improvement, i.e. she's walking around rather than me having to carry her. I feel terribly sick and like you very heavy-limbed.

When did all this start with you? Have you had sickness and diarrhea? Compare notes?

Dd and I both started to feel unwell on Saturday teatime, both felt sick on Sunday and didn't eat, same Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday but I think yesterday was the all time low for us, dd didn't move from the sofa - I had to bring her potty in for her to wee into as she couldn't make it to the toilet. She's had mild diarrhea but hasn't been sick, probably largely because she's eaten absolutely nothing since Sunday when she had maybe two spoonfulls of spaghetti hoops at teatime. I felt very sick yesterday and retched a few times without bringing anything up probably because I haven't eaten a thing since Saturday. and I've had lousy diarrhea.

OP posts:
Original poster
imaginaryfriend · 16/05/2008 13:22

By the way, Doodle, you can buy a drug called Motillium over the counter which is either the same as or similar to Buscapan (that's only available on prescription) which helps with nausea. I've got some and I have been taking it but to be honest it hasn't made a huge difference where this bug is concerned.

OP posts:
gjhchat · 16/05/2008 14:11

yes have been cleaning so much starting to feel I have OCD.

Doodle2U · 16/05/2008 16:10

Started for me on Sunday tea time - just went freezing cold and felt terrible. Dragged arse into bed. Alternate freezing/boiling but paracetamol seemed to balance that out. Had diaharrea a couple of times - took imodium.

The nausea & feeling heavy - like trying to wade through treacle, just hasn't abated since Sunday. Everything is 100 x more hard work and I'm barely functioning.

Tried eating - bleugh. Very unlike me as I love my food.

DS just came out of school, white as a sheet and complaining of similar symptoms

Will send DH out for Motillium. Am desperate and will try anything.

gjhchat - with little ones, you gotta be really on the ball with this stuff. Fluids are the main thing. If she stops drinking, go straight to your GP. Don't dither about thinking "I don't want to mither the doctor..." etc - JUST GO!

suedonim · 16/05/2008 17:14

I wonder if the Buccastem class has changed as it used to be available OTC. Better not self-medicate with it, if that's the case. It sounds like a horrible bug. Has anyone seen the Dr?

Doodle2U · 16/05/2008 19:51

7.45pm - have just taken Pepto-Bisol (vile beyond belief but I AM desperate) and Motillium. Will report back later.

Sue, I haven't been to the GP and I don't think IF has from what she's said in her posts. It's just one of those bloody awful viral things that do the rounds periodically. I suspect I've copped for a right dose of it because my diet has been particularly shoddy recently (substituting fags for meals etc ) and we've been manically busy.

My DS is soldiering on - see how he is tomorrow. He is just 7. IF's little one is only 5....poor little mite. I wouldn't wish this on me worst enemy, let alone a 5 year old.

gjhchat · 16/05/2008 21:45

thanks for advice have already been to GP a couple of times now.

Thankfully she is still drinking water well, some milk and is on/off food.

Bet this is a viral thing too, but wanted to rule out any underlying bacterial infection which is why I went to GP today.

Really pulls at your heart to see them unwell!

Original poster
imaginaryfriend · 16/05/2008 23:19

Doodle are you managing to eat anything at all?

Actually I did take dd to the GP this week, on Wednesday, as I was concerned about her having a high fever for so many days in a row. I think the GP was concerned too as she rang me today (she never does that) to see how dd was and said I should take her for blood tests over the weekend if there's no improvement.

I've been drinking coke all day, almost 2 litres of the stuff. Dd's had a good amount to drink and eaten 2 choc chip cookies, 2 pieces of baby corn and an ice lolly only. She was very very pale I noticed this morning and she had no energy. She got feverish twice but recovered well after Nurofen.

Can it be right for her to be having such long-term fevers? She's not actually being sick and hasn't been sick, just a bit of diarrhea. It's the fevers, lethargy and general aches and pains that she's suffering from.

Is it a tummy bug or what? I'm assuming it is because I'm feeling so nauseous. But it feels so protracted...

OP posts:
Doodle2U · 17/05/2008 12:02

Yes to food - making myself eat but can only face toast & apple.

The combo of Pepto & Motillium seems to help.

With a 5 year old, I really would leap at the blood tests etc. Little ones are generally much better at coping & getting over stuff like this and your poor, wee mite has had to endure this for a long time for a child.

My feeling (for myself) is this is a nasty virus that takes some shaking off. Spoken to a few folk this morning who've had it recently - described exactly my symptoms.

Need to go and crash out again. Back in a bit.

Original poster
imaginaryfriend · 17/05/2008 12:10

Doodle, dd is a lot better this morning. She's still very pale but drank two cups of milk and ate some strawberries and has gone out with her dad so her energy levels are definitely up.

But I'm worse! Worse even than yesterday. I'm so depressed with it. I haven't eaten a thing now for a week, I can't face anything as I feel like I need to retch all the time and I've got constant diarrhea. If I'm not improved by Monday morning I'm going to go to A&E myself and get some blood tests done as this can't be right, to keep getting worse each day rather than better... I feel like screaming only I don't have the energy.

OP posts:
Original poster
imaginaryfriend · 18/05/2008 17:42

If anyone's around who could face responding to this depressing thread ... could you tell me if you think that after nearly 10 days of diarrhea and vomiting I should suspect something other than a virus? I'm seriously thinking of going to A&E tomorrow and getting blood tests done.

OP posts:
suedonim · 18/05/2008 17:49

You know, I totally understand the viral aspect and that the Dr can't do anything much but when it's gone on and on, you'd think the Dr would start thinking 'What's going on here?'

Apart from cost, the reluctance to test always irks me.(Blood samples aren't nice but stool tests are simple to obtain) Why do tests have to take so long in the UK? Here in Lagos they can make a preliminary diagnosis in two hours with the modern technology available. Whereas ime,in the UK it has to be taken to the Dr, who packs it in a brown envelope with a zillion forms, which is then ferried to the hospital, who then take forever to test and longer than forever to write a letter (who writes letters nowadays???) back to the surgery. By which time you're either better or dead.

Anyway, that little rant won't have helped you one bit, but I do sympathise with you.

suedonim · 18/05/2008 17:57

I'd go to A&E, after ten days. Most upsets are viral but that doesn't mean you can't get something more serious. My dh was taken very poorly one time. Initial diagnosis was that it was a virus but because he'd been in a malarial area the dr ran some tests. We had a phone call to say that he didn't have malaria but he did have campylobacter, a nasty form of food poisoning!! Even more astonishing, he was the only case they had in the NE of Scotland at that time and they had no idea where he could have picked it up. He was a mystery patient!

Original poster
imaginaryfriend · 18/05/2008 18:41

I totally agree re. GPs and tests.

Was your dh ill for a long time before he was tested?

Dd's a lot better but still mostly refusing to eat and very pale and tired. I can't shift it, in fact I feel worse every day which is really beginning to depress me. I'm not used to these things going on like this.

OP posts:
emma1977 · 18/05/2008 18:59

D&V lasting over 1 week should always have a stool sample sent off to exclude salmonlla/campylobacter/shigella/etc.

The reason why test results take longer is that they are cultured for bacteria (which takes a couple of days to grow) as opposed to looking under a microscope for parasites. Its all to do with what is the most likely cause for the infection. Malaria and parasites being far more common in tropical areas. The cost of a stool culture is bugger all.

Psychomum5 · 18/05/2008 19:01

oh god....in me and mine, tis normally a week!

suedonim · 18/05/2008 20:11

No, he'd only been ill for about 48hrs but because of the malaria aspect and the fact he was ill and delirious (He took the GB plate off our car in case spies saw it and realised we'd been abroad! ) they tested asap.

Emma, we live in the tropics so have had our fair share of parasites etc. I'm getting quite good at recognising types and patterns of diarrhoea. (Am sure you all wanted to know that!! ) But if we can get a result in Africa in 48hrs, why does it take so long in the UK?