vomiting for a week

[ilikesummer]

Would be really grateful for any advice.

My 4 year old has had an awful been vomiting on an off for the last week (since last Sunday). For the last few days she vomited just once during the night but is scarcely eating.

She's really lethargic - just wants to sleep all the time. It's 10am on Sunday (a week later) and, having woken at 6, she went back to bed and has been asleep since. She has hardly eaten anything since Wednesday though obviously we're trying to keep the fluids up.

We've seen the GP a few times (last time yesterday morning) and they are saying that it's probably just a virus, keep giving her water etc etc. PLus try to get a urine sample (not easy in an ill 4 year old). We're doing all they say...

But does anyone know how long these things last? A week seems a long time to me (not just because I'm a working parent). Is there a bug around that is lasting this length of time?

If she's not better MOnday morning I am taking her back to GP again even if I do seem like a neurotic parent.

You might want to try on a dairy free diet for a few days.

Apparently the gut can become temporarily lactose intolerant following a bug and this can prolong the symptoms.

My DD had a similar bug a few years ago which lasted for ages. The second GP we saw suggested the dairy intolerance and it worked a treat.

my dd2 has just had this - it lasted 3 weeks - she survived on rehydration fluid for 2 of those weeks as no solids stayed down. She is only 11mo - so couldn't regulate what she was eating herself which made it harder (would scream for food then throw it up).

Would agree with BBK - go dairy free for a day - then do the BRAT diet - bananas, apples, rice, toast.

We got to the stage where the hospital told us that as the fluid were staying in, we juit had to give her solids - if it stays in for half an hour they get some goodness out of it.

Do keep taking her to the GP - ask them to test her blood sugar (if it is low - may explain the lethargy - or she is just doing what her body needs to do and sleeping off the virus). THe hospital doctor we saw was lamenting the fact that GP's never test for blood sugar (my dd1 needed fluids and glucose which really helped). If GP is not helping much, do you have a children's hospital near by?

Hope your dd feels better soon - it is a horrible bug.

I'd go back to the GP if it's no better tomorrow - or call them out rather than risk infecting waiting patients, of course. You're not being neurotic.... a week is a very long time for a virus to last (food poisoning is usually more instantaneous and less long-lived) and children don't usually have the spare body-fat to cushion the effects.

You know your child better than anyone. If you don't make a fuss they'll just assume she's OK.

Thanks so much for all that really helpful advice. It's really helped with the worrying.

She's still pretty out of it, though she has had some dry crackers, but I'm taking her down to the GPs tomorrow morning. Probably more about me than her, but I just want to know she's OK. I'll try the dairy free and BRAT diet too. Thanks so much.