I always thought he should be drinking a lot of liquids in between "episodes" to keep from getting dehydrated. From my research I found out you should only take sips or suck on ice cubes if the vomiting is still going on. I guess after it is all over is when you should start re-hydrating.
I am having him drink ginger ale...something about carbonation that always helped my stomach when I was a kid (maybe I just wanted soda). Anyway, the ginger in ginger ale does actually help nausea & vomiting. After the vomiting subsides I will be giving him drinks with electrolytes (Pedialite, Gatorade, etc.). All of these type of drinks will replace potassium & other nutrients lost in vomiting that cause dehydration.
When your child is ready to eat do it slowly. It is best to let a few hours go by to let the digestive system rest, then start with a bland diet like BRAT's....bananas, rice, apples/applesauce, toast/crackers ( I like crackers because they have salt that not only heals the stomach lining but also puts sodium back into the body which has been lost in vomiting). Other foods that can be included in this diet are nuts & broth (nothing like homemade chicken soup!)
I think it best not to give any medicine except a pain reliever/ fever reducer. I also do not give that if it is a low grade fever (100.9 or less) because the point of your body getting a fever is for it to burn out the virus or germs causing the sickness. You have to be the own judge for your child, but if they are not uncomfortable or lethargic I would let the fever do its job.
Never give antibiotics for the flu...it does not work on viruses. Also trying to give something to stop the vomiting (unless it is severe) is probably counter-productive. The whole reason your body is vomiting is to get rid of the intruder.
So let their body work its magic (fever & vomiting), treat fever & pain with Tylenol if needed, drink fluids to keep from dehydrating, & eat a bland diet that is easy on the digestion until they are back on their feet. Oh, & let them get plenty of rest!
So sorry he's feeling crummy! Lots of good tips...thanks for sharing! I don't like to medicate mine unless absolutely necessary either, mostly because it masks the symptoms and makes them feel better and then they're up and running around instead of resting ;-) I learned the hard way how crucial it is to stay hydrated when I had to be hospitalized one time for dehydration. Turns out that when you get dehydrated it lowers the fluid in your cerebrum which makes your brain sit lower...actually on top of some of the nerves in your spine...which triggers more vomiting. Thus exacerbating the problem. So if you're having trouble keeping hydrated and the vomiting doesn't stop it could be a good idea to get to the hospital so you can be hydrated via IV. The reason for not administering aspirin to anyone under 21 is because of its link to rye syndrome: http://www.reyessyndrome.org/aspirin.html
ReplyDeleteThanks for the additional information Maggie!
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