Stomach VIRUS!!!

Updated on November 02, 2007
S.N. asks from Little River, SC
23 answers

My 6 month old has had a terrible stomach virus...( i guess that's what it is for over a week now. It started out with vomiting and Diarrhea then the vomiting stopped and she has had the diarrhea for going on a week now. Well tonight she started back with the vomiting. She's not really eating and she won't drink any pedialite. I took her to the doctor one day last week and he told me that it was a stomach bug and it would pass... well when is my question and should I take her back to the doctor? If anyone can help me with this it would be great. Thanks

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So What Happened?

Well, I called the doctors office today and told them about the diarrhea and they said that it could last up to two weeks. As long as there is no blood in the stool then she would be fine. Im still not convinced, she had stopped the vomiting last night but it started back up again tonight. She doesnt seem to be dehydrated; her mouth is wet and she seems really alert, but i can tell she is loosing alot of weight. Instead of drinking 7, 6 ounce bottles a day of formula shes down to 3, 4 ounce bottles if that a day for the last week or so, and usually she doesnt even finish them. I just feel so bad for her and not sure what to do if the doctor thinks nothings wrong, when i feel like there is something else going on. Any suggestions??

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R.A.

answers from Charlotte on

Be careful, my daughter had the same symptoms, but had the ROTO VIRUS!! Even with medications, she was sick for a little over a week. They can get very dehydrated, so keep a close eye on them.

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K.S.

answers from Raleigh on

I would call the doc right away and tell him what you have told us. Babies can dehydrate very easily and their electrolytes get out of whack. Call first- taking her to an ER will be a very long wait. Poor baby and poor mama.

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K.F.

answers from Greenville on

Take her to the hospital right away! She may be dehydrated and may need to have an IV put in! This kind of thing is really serious in infants!

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S.H.

answers from Charlotte on

S.,
I would take her back to the doctor immediately, she can dehydrate very quickly, what can it hurt? The doctor tell you she is ok, I always lean toward peace of mind. My son is 1 today and back in July he dehydrated and had pneumonia, he was hospitalized for 3 days. We had him at the doctor the day before he was hospitalized and he was diagnosed with bronchitis but was ok, that is how quickly it can happen. Don't wait!!
S.

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N.P.

answers from Raleigh on

my whole family had the rotovirus earlier this year and it hit HARD! we had all the same symptoms as your daughter. both myself and my 2 yr old had to go to urgent care and get re-hydrated. not only is she not eating but even worse, she's not able to drink anything especially pedialyte. i would take her back to the doctor as soon as possible. get well soon!! :)

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D.C.

answers from Goldsboro on

I'm not going to give any advice since you've been told everything I would have told you, but since it's been a week I was wondering how your baby is doing?

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C.L.

answers from Fayetteville on

My daughter had almost the same thing! I would trust your instincts and go back if you feel like she is getting dehydrated. I took mine three times and got the same answers, but at least I knew that she wasn't in danger of getting dehydrated. I think they told me to bring her back if it continued for more than four days (I think) I hope she feels better.

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S.M.

answers from Raleigh on

Yes. Take her back to the Doctor. They may not be able to do anything about the symptoms, but they need to know that she is still sick. They need to make sure she is not getting dehydrated.
Take Care,
Steph

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J.H.

answers from Charlotte on

Make sure you watch carefully for dehydration especially since your daughter won't drink pedialyte. Here are the signs from the BabyCenter website:

How can I tell if my toddler is dehydrated?
Any of these signs could indicate that your toddler is dehydrated or is becoming dehydrated:

• Goes more than six hours without a wet diaper

• Has dark yellow, strong-smelling urine

• Is lethargic

• Has a dry, parched mouth and lips

• Isn't shedding any tears while crying

Signs that a toddler may be seriously dehydrated:

• Sunken eyes

• Hands and feet that feel cold and look splotchy

• Lightheadedness, dizziness, or delirium

• Excessive sleepiness or fussiness

Take her to the doctor or emergency room ASAP! My son had diarrhea a few weeks ago, and it lasted about 10 days. But he was eating normally and drinking fluids including pedialyte. It sounds like she might have Rotavirus. The doctor can always test for that if you want with a stool sample. But, there isn't any medication your daughter can take for it; only time will help.

Take care!

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K.A.

answers from Asheville on

Hey S.!!
I would take her back to the doctor or at least call a nurse. They will know what to tell you to do. Have you tried the Gerber Liquilytes? My daughter wouldn't drink the Pedialyte but she would drink the apple flavored liquilyte. It tastes just like apple juice. Just don't dilute it. You could try and see if that works. She definitely needs more fluids while she is having diarrhea. Hope she feels better soon!! It is really hard when they are sick so young. Hang in there!!!

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L.H.

answers from Greensboro on

It sounds like to me that you need to get another doctor. My sister had both of her children doing the same thing and their doctor told her the same thing. A neighbor called her childrens doctor and when he seen them he immediately sent them to the hospital. They both had dehydrated and the nurse told her that if she had waited another day, she would have lost them both. I would take my baby to the hospital asap
good luck, shopaholic ____@____.com

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M.E.

answers from Rocky Mount on

S., You really need to call your doctor ASAP and let them know what is going on with the baby. It is so easy for her to get dehydrated. On top of everything else with the virus, you don't want to end up in the hospital with your little one. Let us know what happens with your little one, God Bless!

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R.T.

answers from Rocky Mount on

If she's not taking in any fluids I would take the baby back to the doctor because she could get dehydrated and that won't be good. I remember my son having a virus and he had gotten dehydrated and he ended up in the hospital and almost had to get a blood tranfunsion but he recovered and didn't have to get one but nine yrs later because of that virus it settled in his hip and he walks with a limp they say he has junior rheum. arthritis.

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R.W.

answers from Raleigh on

I can tell you that if she is NOT keeping anything down or in CALL the doctor back and ask them what they want you to do. 1 week is a long time at 6 months old. I have a 4 year old and a 6 month old and I can tell you...only you and your husband have your childrens best interest at heart. Just remember -Doctor's don't call it a "practice" for no reason.

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C.

answers from Asheville on

Hi S.,

I agree, you need to take her back to the doctor. My son is 3 and I have learned over the past three years that you (sometimes) have to be firm about your request for an appointment. You are the Mommy and you know when something is not quite right.

A week seems like an awfully long time to have this. Mine had the 'stomach bug' last winter. Now, keep in mind, he was 2, but he got to the point of almost having to have an IV. He wouldn't eat, wouldn't drink...anything. He was a very sick little boy. AND... we had 2 office visits and an ER visit within 2 days.

To avoid the IV trauma, my sister and I took turns using a syringe to give him 1 teaspoon of Gatorade every 5 minutes. After we did this for about 2 hours he seemed to perk up. NOW, he didn't really want to eat for a few days, but the danger of dehydration was not as great.

As far as Pedialyte... have ya'll tasted that stuff? Yuk! It's not so much the taste as the weird feeling in your mouth afterwards. It's like a furry feeling, if that makes sense. Go for diluted Gatorade, better taste.

Good luck, let us know what happens!
C.

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K.C.

answers from Charlotte on

Hi! I would certainly take her back to the doctor. It's been a week, that should have passed by now. My doctor also has a nurse that I can call to ask questions like that. I'm sure your doctor has something like that, so you shouldn't hesitate to use her! Hope she feels better soon! K.

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S.J.

answers from Greensboro on

S.,
Viruses basically have to run their course. They can be longer lasting. The best thing to do is bland, starchy foods and clear liquids. Rice, bananas, apple juice are all good things as they will also help with the diarrhea. My heart goes out to you because I think that the hardest thing to deal with as a mom is when your lill one is sick and you feel helpless. Just holding her will be more of a helper than you'll ever know!

S. L J
www.ShazzArtisticVisions.com

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A.W.

answers from Charlotte on

My daughter had that virus and I had to take her to the hospital to get IV fluids. The doctor's office couldn't help they just kept giving the same advice as you. It WILL pass but I was told by a nurse of 45 years to NOT feed her anything for 24 hours and only give her small amounts of fluids every 15 minutes to keep her hydrated. The food only upsets her system and after 7 solids days of vomiting she finally stopped when I didn't feed her. Just make sure she drinks something. I mixed pedialite with kool aid to taste better and gatorade too. She seemed to like those the best.......also ginger ale or sprite. Also if she's on formula, use the soy kind that isn't milk. That helped alot too...........Good Luck.

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C.S.

answers from Charlotte on

Hey S.,
Have you given your baby yogurt and/or a banana? They will naturally help with the diarrhea. Try to stay away from the yogurt with added sugar like all the kid yogurts have. Stoneyfarm has a great organic yogurt with the active bacteria that is good for digestive systems. I also give my girls Juice Plus ever since they were 11 months old and they are 5 and 2 now. It is 17 fruits and veggies in a gummy, chewable, capsule form, not a vitamin, but is a whole food. I believe that is why they are so healthy. Let me know if you are interested in Juice Plus because you can't buy it in a store.
Best of Health,
C. Schilling

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K.P.

answers from Fayetteville on

If she is eating some, you can give her clear liquids. I had read in "What to Expect the First Year," that white grape juice is better to give a baby with diarrhea than apple juice (which can make it worse). I would dilute it with water. If you had morning sickness, you may remember the BRAT diet--bananas, rice, applesauce and toast. This should be easy on her tummy. My son had a rotavirus at age 10 months and was sick for about 8 days..with having diarrhea the last 3 days or so. It will pass. Take her to the hospital if she seems lethargic/dehydrated.

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M.B.

answers from Charlotte on

i'd say that if she won't eat/drink anything you probably should take her back in to make sure they don't need to treat her for dehydration.

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A.B.

answers from Raleigh on

Hi, my little girl had the same thing 2 months ago. it did pass after 2 horrible weeks. try to give her Gerber Liquilytes instead of pedialyte, it's not nearly as salty and has a better taste. i also cut out all fruits, juices and veggies-i hated doing that-but it helped to solidify her poo. cheese, pasta, and potatoes(starch) seemed to do the trick for her. i hope this can help you!

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S.F.

answers from Charlotte on

I don't really have advice on the virus itself, although I've known tummy virus's to last 7-10 days lingering before... I do suggest if she doesn't like pedialite (my son couldn't stand it, and after tasting it myself, I can't blame him!) then use diluted white grape juice; it's easier on the tummy then apple juice - it's what our pediatrician recommended. That and the BRATY diet - B=banana, R=rice (cereal), A=applesauce, T=toast, Y= yogurt (plain/vanilla)... if she's eating any solids, then I only suggest those - they're bland, and more likely to stay on the tummy - banana's imparticular are known to bind the stool, causing less diarrhea. Good luck.

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