Toddler vomiting at night for 6 nights in a row

[TBC45678]

My 2 year old picked up a bug from another child at childcare last week (I already posted initially as he's had lots of tummy bugs this winter) anyway - he started vomiting on Thursday afternoon and for the first two days was sick 2/3 times a day, though able to keep some food and water down. Since Saturday he has been sick every night after going to bed, always between 10-11pm. In the day he's pretty much his usual self, obviously quite picky with eating but not lethargic or poorly-seeming. I've been giving him toast, porridge and cereal through the day, only when he says he's hungry.

Had a phone GP consultation, he said he wasn't worried as he's not lethargic or dehydrated and to call back if it goes on longer than 2 weeks. He said it sounds like his stomach lining is irritated.

But it just doesn't feel right - he's only a skinny little thing anyway but after 6 days of being sick he looks like he's wasting away. I know the fact that he's still running around happily means he must be getting something from the food before he's sick, but it's quite a big quantity of vomit which comes up so surely he's not getting many calories.

I'm feeling so worried about him - has anyone had anything similar? I thought norovirus only lasted 2 days... The boy he caught it off had diarrhea for a week, so maybe it's just a bug which sticks around for longer.

Any tips for helping small tummies recover? Thanks x

We’ve had a sickness bug and I’m still poorly 6/7 days in (I’ve lost track) but Dd was fine after one bad night. My friends Dd is 10 months and she was sick for over a week but my friend was only sick for a day. It’s really weird!

Does he like ice lollies? Not much nutrition but they’ll help keep him hydrated

Thanks so much for the reply @Wobblysausage - it seems like there's some nasty strains of norovirus around. Strange of it affects people differently - another child got the same bug and couldn't keep anything down for 2 days. Whereas my son seems sort of fine during the day... I keep thinking it's over, then he's sick again each night. The amount of laundry we're getting through is unreal!

I hope you're feeling better soon!! And I'm glad your daughter didn't get it too badly.

The doc prescribed some diarolyte so I'm going to try that as an ice lolly...

My friends Dd was fine during the day and her usual self but the vomiting started at night! It’s strange. Perhaps it’s because we’ve all been inside away from each other and the viruses have had time to mutate.

Yes the laundry is unreal. I’m on my third load just today. I usually only do laundry twice a week!

Thank you, I hope your little one is better soon! It’s not nice to see them sick

We had this exact same thing with DD a few months ago - sick during the day a few times, then only at night for over a week. Must be a strange bug. She stopped vomiting around day 8/9 I think.

Just wanted to say - my eldest when he was about 2.5 went through a phase just before his younger sibling was born of throwing up about 11 or so for about 5 days on the trot but fine in the day- no other symptoms, in hindsight maybe he was sending change! Any change / stressors that could be affecting him?

Thanks @Cheekypeach, it's really reassuring to know he's not the only one. Did you find anything in particular which helped, or did it just go away on its own?

Ooh @Chezrone he has just had a baby brother a few months ago... But then again I know it started with a bug as the other children at childcare were sick too. I do feel as if it may have become almost a habit, obviously unconsciously.

Does he have milk before bed? Milk made my daughter sick for ages after a bug.

Yes @Eddmr, he does usually and has still been asking for milk, but I did read today that sometimes they can become lactose intolerant (temporarily) after a tummy bug. Thanks, I'll cut it out for now and see if it helps. Maybe I could do oat milk if he's desperate. Or breast milk actually, I could always pump a bit extra as I'm breastfeeding my 15 week old at the moment. I guess breast milk would be good for his tummy?

My 8 ywar old is the same. Since Friday. We actually thought he was getting better because he hadn't been sick Sunday night but then he was against night. Absolutely fine during the day. Him, my eldest and youngest all have diarrhea, but my eldest hasn't been sick, the baby has been sick once but that was because she gagged on her food.

We had this with my 1 year old over Christmas week. Sick during the night for about a week. Started with day time vomiting and then just became a night thing.
Hope your little one improves soon!

@Thatsplentyjack it's so horrible isn't it! We were the same, he had 24 hours with no sick and we thought it was over, but then again last night. It seems endless! He doesn't have diarrhea though. I guess it's just a waiting game until they get over it... It's interesting that it does seem to be particularly nasty bug going round.

Was reading that they're trialling norovirus vaccines (like the rotavirus one they get) and I would 100% take that up for my kids if it was available!!

My sons had the same thing, the only being sick on a nighttime made me think it's not a bug. Otherwise totally fine in himself.

Turned out to be a UTI. I would ask GP to do a urine test as the longer it's left the more damage it can cause

Just had another vomit 😞 it's just so upsetting and worrying. Each day I think 'hes over it', he eats well, seems happy, then bam, he goes to bed and a few hours later does a giant sick...

The stories of people whose kids have had something similar and got over it have really helped though, so thanks!

My 2 year old had this last autumn. He had a bad stomach bug for say 12 hours, appeared to be over the worst but vomited after going to bed every night for about 8 nights. Was at my wits end, could never relax at night listening out for him. Spoke to GP a couple of times who wasn’t concerned. They said that his gag reflex was probably still easily triggered when he was lying down plus it takes time for digestive tract to return to normal. It did pass though. Mine is easily sick - we have a permanent basin handy in the bedroom because he has phases of this when he has a cold too. Hope it passes soon for you. It’s awful when it’s night after night. It helped being prepared, I raised his head up with extra blankets under the top of the mattress then had layers over his pillow, likes towels, old blankets etc so no bed changes during the night. Always a basin handy too.

@TBC45678

Just had another vomit 😞 it's just so upsetting and worrying. Each day I think 'hes over it', he eats well, seems happy, then bam, he goes to bed and a few hours later does a giant sick...

The stories of people whose kids have had something similar and got over it have really helped though, so thanks!

Poor poppet. I think it’s the lying down that does it, a bit like with refluxy babies. Yes it was very odd at the time and I remember it dragged on a while, hang in there.

My 4yo had similar before Christmas, it went on for 5 weeks! Sick a few times for 2 days, then every few nights at 4am almost exactly! GP did urine, stool and blood samples which all came back fine, so was thinking about Cyclical Vomiting Syndrome but he's now only had one episode in the last 5 weeks so we're hoping it's finally over! After his initial episodes I was also very sick for 1 day and then again same time the following week! I think there have been some really strange bugs going around!

Yes, my 2 yo had this before Christmas. I think it was 7 nights in the end of vomiting once a night (after a day of proper sick bug sicking)

GP prescribed omeprazole for him, as we wondered if it was a post bug reflux thing, he'd cough wake and vomit despite not coughing at all the rest of the time.

We are in the middle of this, but on week three of vomiting. We've been seen at urgent care three times. My son has lost a kilogram in weight and is scarily thin. It has been a horrendous virus. Just thought I'd let you know that doctors each time said they couldn't do anything other than push fluids with him.

Thanks so much for the messages, it helps to know he's not the only one! He seemed better yesterday and then last night wasn't sick, so I'm hoping things are looking up. Though I'm still fully expecting another sick soon!!
@QuietBatperson15 that sounds so similar to my son, he's very easily sick even when he's just got a cough/runny nose.

@Lostlostlost3 I'm so sorry, that sounds awful. There's nothing worse than watching them lose weight. I haven't weighed him as I don't want to know to be honest... Over Christmas he had covid and lost half a kilo in a week. However I think once they're better they do pile the weight back on, it only took another week after covid to get back to where he was. I really hope your son gets better soon.

I completely feel for you OP. We're just coming out of this with our DD (4). She's also a skinny wee thing abs wasn't even keeping water down for a good few days. GP thought Norovirus or similar and said basically to ride it out and watch for signs of dehydration. After a week she just suddenly stopped, like a tap had been turned off and had bounced back to her old self in 24 hours. Hope your wee boy is on the mend soon.