20 Month Old Stomach Flu for TEN DAYS??

[elvenom]

My daughter started diarrhea on 12/26. Lasted for two days. She was irritable w/ no appetite for several days. Then she seemed fine. Well fast forward 5 days later she threw up and had diarrhea again for 2 days. Then my 5 year old woke up throwing up. Took them both to the ER. Stomach flu (gastroenteritis). My son seems fine now, but the baby, who is 20 months, is still throwing up. The diarrhea has stopped and we are doing the BRAT diet but its still happening.

We thought she was getting better but she just woke up throwing up ALOT (4 times in the last hour). What do we do?! Is it normal to have the stomach virus this long? She is not dehydrated but she hasnt had a meal since Christmas! Only crackers, bread, rice cereal, and juice. And not much of that. We just moved back to NJ and we have no pediatrician yet so I will have to call around tomorrow. I guess I am just worried that she has been sick for so long.

Does anyone know if a stomach flu can last this long? This cant be normal? Im so worried about her!



Simone

[jennabean]

Something similar happened to my dd when she was @2 or so... it seemed like a never-ending stomach flu but turned out her stomach lining was so irritated it just caused her to vomit no matter what we gave her to eat or drink

With one dose of Prevacid she stopped the puking (or "pookies" as she called it)... water was the worst offender, I didn't realize at the time that water can be so harsh on recovering tummies She LOVED the fruit popsicles though and thought that was a real treat!

It does seem like your little one has been sick an awfully long time so I can understand your worry... any fever? I hope you've found a ped so you all can rest easy soon Best of luck.

[sbgrace]

We had rotavirus for 10 days at 13 months. It's horribly stinky?
I believe noravirus can hang on long like that too.

If she goes on though I'd be thinking something different than viral like parasitic...it's likely viral though.

[WuWei]

Have you tried homeopathic Arsenicum Album or Nux Vomica? Both help to address vomiting illness. Also, be sure to replace electrolytes. Coconut water is ideal and palatable.

Also, I'd add some probiotics!


Pat

[BellinghamCrunchie]

If its her first bout with a norovirus, its pretty typical for it to last this long, even up to 2 weeks. Sounds like she isn't getting any dairy right now, but when she starts to feel better, its a good idea to avoid dairy for 6 weeks - the virus causes a temporary intolerance for dairy.

[mbravebird]

When we had norvavirus it came back three times over the course of two weeks -- yucky. It survives on surfaces up to three days, which is part of the problem. Boil your toothbrushes, clean and wipe things with tea tree oil or some other germ killer.

Probiotics and fermented foods didn't get rid of the virus when we had it, but it certainly will help her repopulate and recover once the virus is through.

Hoping she'll be done with it soon!

[Llyra]

DD2 recently went through this, too. We think it was her initial encounter with rotavirus. All the worked with DD was time, and letting her lead the way on reintroducing foods.

Watch her hydration. Diarrhea in combination with vomiting is almost universally infectious, and almost always self-limiting. The pediatrician we talked to during DD's illness said she wouldn't suspect parasitic infection until more than two or three weeks had passed. The real danger is dehydration, and even mild dehydration can make a child feel worse and prolong the symptoms.

And yeah-- temporary lactose intolerance is common in children after any intestinal injury or infection. So you'll want to avoid liquid milk, soft cheeses, or ice cream for a few weeks after the symptoms are gone. Plain yogurt often contains very little to no lactose, though.