Hello, Friends... I have an 18 month-old son who has had quite a rough week!

On Saturday afternoon he started a vomiting marathon - puking multiple times each hour for 19 hours straight. (He didn't even wake to vomit many times throughout the night.) Then, all of a sudden, the vomiting stopped, and within minutes he developed a very runny - clear liquid - dirrehea. As suddenly as that came on, the dirrehea stopped, and a fever of 101.5 - 102.5 appeared. Now, 12 hours later, the fever is maintaining itself at 102.0 and the dirrehea has returned.

I can't figure out what's going on, because nothing seems to add up. I shared all of his meals this week, and am in great health, so that rules out food poisoning. There isn't a cough, runny nose, or any type of sinus congestion, so that pretty much rules out a cold or the flu. He does not have a rash or any other symptom other than being very clingy and tired, which is completely unlike him. (Though this is probably caused by the fever.) I fear dehydration is immenent if I can't figure out what's going on. (I've been pouring in water like crazy, but nothing is really staying in his system...)

Hopefully unrelated, two days before this sudden sickness, he dislocated his elbow when my husband picked him up by his hands ("nurse maid" dislocation) instead of under-the-arms. The ER doctor popped his little elbow back in and said that everything should be fine and to go home. Do you think he could have caught something in the ER, or is there a teeny remote chance that the two could be related? It's so unusual for him to be ill or notice pain at all... And for all this to happen in one week!

Any ideas or experience of similar symptoms would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance for any help you can offer!

-Candy

my daughter has had a stomach bug similiar to that. she is 2.5 now. they doctor prescribed a suppository to help with nausea and vomitting/diarrhea. best thing to do is to keep the child comfortable. try to keep fluids in them as much as possible!

Rehydration is the most important thing here, but is such a young child and with it seeming so severe (vomiting for 19 hours must be pretty uncomfortable!) I would consider going to the ER/A&E and having him checked out. He might need a drip or something with having lost such a large amount of fluid. Without wanting to worry you, this really could be anything. Hope he picks up soon xxx

have you taken him to the doc for some weigh ins and any type of tests?my son had the roto virus right before his very first birthday many years ago.we too had the 'marathon' despite the fact i was pumping him full of pedialyte like constantly,it would keep coming out the other end as fast as it was going in.this eventually led to a huge loss of weight during that week and daily visits to his ped doc and a trip to the ER and admit for rotovirus and dehydration.

does he still produce tears when he cries?if you take some skin on the top of his hand and pinch it together,does it temporarily stay somewhat pinched looking before it goes back down?are his diapers staying a bit too dry or are you not changing them as often?if you said yes to any of the questions,he is becomming very dehydrated and needs much more fluids than you could provide at home.the smaller the child,the much more quickly they can become dehydrated.it doesn't take much sometimes.

have you consulted his ped at all during this marathon?he really does need an evaluation soon just to see whats going on.i think you have reached the 'home' limit here and need to see his doc soon.dehydration can cause a host of issues to develop that could be rather dangerous since our body systems rely very heavily on just plain old water.the main thing i would be worried about at this point is possible effects on his kidneys.this can in some cases also affect his heart rhythems.he just really does need an evaluation today.i wouldn't wait any longer,really.good luck and please keep us posted on how he is doing,K?marcia

I agree....sounds like the Roto virus to me. Take your child to the doctor...if it is this virus, it could have the whole family on IVs!

Hello, all... Thank you so much for replying!

After 5 days of Isaiah's instant regurgitation of EVERYTHING that's put into his mouth and researching your suggestions online, I decided to take him to the ER today. His symptoms were 100% with the usual Roto Virus symptoms, of which I'd never heard of until your posts. I had done all I could do for him without medical intervention.

When we arrived at the ER and I explained the situation, they acted like I was over-exaggerating the frequency of his vomitting and symptoms. I guess they thought that I was making everything up and that he was fine and didn't need to be there. I said he's been vomitting hourly for nearly five days. They said "Oh, he's just having a little tummy problem?" I said he was lethargic and not himself - They said, "Look mommy, he's ok, he's flipping the pages of a book." I said that he's barely wetting 2-3 diapers a day instead of the normal 7-10. Then the nurse goes to get a rectal temp and announces, "Look mommy: He's still making wet diapers." Do people really think that I have nothing better to do than pretend my child is sick? Argh! If anyone is still in disbelief, I'd love to invite them to check out the nasty pile of vomit-ridden blankets & clothing in my laundry room! Ha! :dizzy: )

Anyway, to make a short story long, when the labwork returned, the doctor looked at me and said, "You were right, mommy. He is severely dehydrated and has an unusually low sugar level." He said that receiving fluid orally is much more beneficial than intravaneously, so he prescribed anti-vomitting suppositories and instructed me to give him another type of electrolyte solution orally with a syringe overnight, to see if that would make him turn the corner. If not, he'll need to be admitted on Friday. (Side Note - He's already lost 2 pounds in less than 5 days. That's the equivalent of me losing 18 pounds in the same amount of time!)

So far, he's only puked twice since we've returned home, however, a LOT came out and it was very violent. I hope that things will be better by morning. I don't like seeing my baby in pain.

Thanks again for all the advice and comments. Nothing's better than the advice of someone who's already been through a similar situation. I truly appreciate it!

Warm regards,

Candy

what in the heck is wrong with these people?geez,talk about patronizingly nauseous.wow.you were very right in bringing him in when you did.i cannot believe the doc said that tho,IV infusion is by far the best rehydration tool available.honestly,within only one hour with a large bore IV into my sons head(they said the foot would take too long the head i guess was better)he was like a totally different kid,it was amazing how the lethargy just went away like magic.he was perky happy and just had much better color after only anhour with that IV.i would really watch him very very closely at this point,really,they should have kept him IMO,anyway.that doc was wrong about oral fluids when a child is actually vomiting.what a stupid thing to say,really.was this a childrens hospital or a regular hospital,i am just wondering as a childrens hospital tends to take the roto virus a bit more seriously than other ones.and they dont patronize "mommy'.geez.i don't blame you one bit for the way they treated this whole situation.

just watch his intake and out put closely,you may even want to wrte down just what he has taken in,and put out and any vomiting or diarrhea episodes,all of this will tell them just how depleted he is.just as a precaution.i really wouldd just take him back up there tomorrow,(or later today if he vomits even one more time or has another really loose diaper)espescially if nothing has changed.he is STILL more than likely very dehydrated.if he was never actually 'rehydrated' at the hospital in any real effective way,nothing is really going to change that since things are still coming up,you know what i mean?

seriously,if his dehydration was already enough to actually affect his blood glucose level,his body systems ARE being affected in some way already.i just wouldn't take any chances with this,really.that doc actually stated to you that your child was SEVERELY dehydrated at that point,this would(in almost any case) require him,honestly,to have actually started an IV,not send you home knowing that the child is still actively vomiting.at the very LEAST,they should have rehydrated him with an IV before ever actually letting you be discharged to take him home.i was a medic for fourteen years before my spinalcord injury left me pretty useless,honestly,this situation really is making ME feel uncomfortable.have you actually called your childs ped doc at all and filled them in on just what you were told at the ER about the severe dehydration and that they did not rehydrate before letting you go?i would call the ped and ask to speak directly to him or her and at least get their opinion on this.they can also call the hospital and access his ER records.

i really DO hope that things get better for your son,honestly,i do know what its like to have a very sick child.i am just a bit,okay,alot concerned about the treatment he was NOT given at an ER where they told you he was already SEVERELY dehydrated and didn't do squat to remedy it.that blood glucose needs to be monitored as well.please call your childs doc and at least get their opinion on this.this just doesn't sound right to me at all.good luck,and please keep us posted,K?marcia

REALLY wondering just how your little guy is doing??????i am hoping things are okay and that he is in the hospital getting some badly needed fluids.please give an update when you can.take care Candy,Marcia

I was just reading these posts, and wanted to say good luck in full recovery. Im glad things turned out better for you. Some doctors really make me wonder. If they are not a parent themselves, they just dont get it sometimes.(my baby sister now has no immune system after getting sick and having a fever of 106 off and on for about a month, and after being to 2 hospitals and the doctor)

GOOD LUCK!!!

Hi candy.just REALLY wondering how things are going.i said a prayer for you this morning,hope things are still okay?update when you can.Marcia

just bumpin it up,marcia