Ugghh! The diarrhea

[RiverandJulie]

So my little guy (13 months) came down with a virus on Monday night.  Vomited Monday night.  Since then, it is diarrhea.  Gross, stinky, out the diaper diarrhea, every couple of hours.  I am not worried....he is drinking milk and pedialyte and having plenty of wet diapers. 

But, uggg I am tired of it.  I am changing excessive amounts of stinky diapers, changing nasty diapers in the middle of the night. Getting diarrhea on me, towels, sheets, clothes. Washing, washing,washing. And I still feel like I smell it everywhere....

DS gets stomach cramps and is upset at night, then we have to change diapers and occasionally get him into the tub to clean it up-so nights are rough on all of us.

So....when is it going away, anything I can do to speed it up, or keep it in the  diaper, or help his tummy?  Am I missing anything?

It seems that it doesnt matter what I feed him, so I am just going for what he wants that I feel will be okay coming out undigested. (so far, oatmeal, rice, bananas, yogurt-for probiotics)

[Courtney-Ostaff]

Have you seen a doctor?  I think that should have cleared up by now. Perhaps rotavirus? Rotavirus can cause severe diarrhea in infants and young children; vomiting and fever often also occur during the illness. 

Diarrhea doesn't allow for adequate nutrition. When children and adolescents don't get adequate nutrition for as little as a week, growth slows in the long bones in their arms and legs. 

Clear liquids only until his digestive tract stabilizes. Solids can actually be prolonging the problem by contributing to the irritation of the GI tract.  

Zolfran is an Rx that little ones can have to stop the issue.  

My pediatrician recommended this:

http://www.amazon.com/Enfamil-Poly-Vi-Sol-Multivitamin-Supplement-1-67-Ounce/dp/B001F0RA20

Oddly enough, my daughter never minds the taste.

[RiverandJulie]

We talked to the ped and they said (plus all the books Ive read)  it can last up to 2 weeks with a virus.

I doubt it is rota-this is just something going around, he doesnt have the rota symptoms.

There is no way to keep him on a liquids only diet.  he is way to young to understand-"dont eat, it will make you feel better".  Our house would have no peace and no sleep if we did not let him eat and we would all be miserable.  It is bad enough witholding milk (which is his comfort food) when he is feeling sick.  The first couple of days, he didnt eat, but since he is feeling good now-he is hungry.  So, I am sticking with bland and as little dairy as we can get away with and still sleep.

The ped also said they would not recommend any meds to stop it because his body is trying to expel something and it is best to let it naturally do that..

Thanks for the vitamin tip-I may start him on some to keep his nutrients up.

The good news is he has not pooped since about 5am (knocking on wood!)

[Asiago]

This link may be helpful: http://www.askdrsears.com/html/11/T081500.asp 

It should cover most of the details. Hope your baby is on the mend soon

[Pookietooth]

Is he not breastfeeding? That would be the best thing for him. If he is not, could you try to get ahold of some donor milk?

[Llyra]

The most common cause of "stomach bug" in children under 2 is indeed rotavirus. Rotavirus has all the same symptoms of what we sometimes call "24 hour bugs," but mostly in older kids and adults those are caused by noroviruses, and less frequently by other viruses. Rotavirus has those same symptoms-- vomiting, followed by diarrhea-- but it hangs on for longer. The diarrhea can last up to 14 days. Diarrhea that lasts more than 2 weeks should be investigated. The only real risk of rotavirus is dehydration (and of course, going stark raving mad from all the laundry ) so you watch for dehydration, and otherwise cope.
Sometimes these GI bugs leave kids temporarily lactose-intolerant, which can exacerbate the diarrhea. If baby is on cow's milk, you might think about switching to a lactose-reduced milk for several days, just to give the intestine a rest. Breastmilk does contain considerable lactose, but because it is otherwise such the perfect food for a sick baby, breastfeeding should be continued.

[RiverandJulie]

DS is adopted and EFF, in fact we just transitioned from formula to cow's milk over the past month or so.  The milk did really seem to aggravate the diarrhea, so we were able to keep him content with pediatlyte bottles until nighttime, then there was no quiet until he got milk...which led to difficult nights.  The last 2 nights, we offered watered down formula instead of milk. 

We went 24 hours with no poop-then a slightly lumpy poop this morning.  Still diarrhea, but much better, nothing since about 8 am.  So, I think he is getting better. 

We also switched diapers the other day, and they seem to be keeping everything in a little better.

DH gave him rice milk in a bottle today to get him to nap and he took it .  I am a little worried about the sugar in that, but nothing yet. 

Thanks for the advice.  We are really keeping an eye on dehydration, and he is still peeing alot (drinking lots of pedialyte).  So, hope we are on the mend.

[~Charlie's~Angel~]

B.R.A.T diet.  Bananas, rice, apples (with the skin) and dry toast.  And try to avoid the milk as much as possible.  My little guy cuaght this bug a week after his frist birthday, and it was a month of hell.  YEA, a month!  And I took him to the doc. 

And to boot, he wasnt a crawler, but a BUTT SCOOTER.  ugh, it was messy.  Also, try adding a cup of yogurt to his diet.  It has worked wonders for our kids.  My little guy is allergic to milk, but silk makes 4 different kinds of yogurts.  they each get one every single morning. 

Good luck mama, I soooo feel your pain.