Tell me your (kids) Rotavirus experiences please. (LONG)

[DMickey28]

Hi Everyone ... It's been a long time. It's good to be back!

So I start off on a not so good note with a request for experiences dealing with the Rotavirus in children, specifically infants, and a broad question.

My whole family came down with the Rotavirus this week. My 10 month old was the only confirmation but assuming it was the same thing.

Both my boys woke up between 10-12am on Monday night/Tuesday morning vomitting. That continued for about 5 hours with a moderate degree of frequency. My 3.5 year old was pretty much good after that ... IE. nothing going on on the other end!

My 10 month old continued spitting all day but didn't take much in so it was mostly bile. We gave him little bits of Pedialyte at a time and then a bit of formula before bed. T

uesday night he went to bed and woke every 2 hours, just "off". He would drink a little pedialyte and go to sleep. At midnight he woke up and we began a cycle of uncontrolled crying, throwing up and desperation for pedialyte. I tried to give him only an ounce or two at a time every 15-20 minutes but he was frantic so it ended up being a bit more than that. His diapers started at that time too ... everything in was out in the diaper within 15 minutes. Between 12am - 8am I went through over 11 diapers and 11 changes of clothes. He threw up once during that time ... a large amount. During this time his tears started to diminish in spite of almost continous crying.

9am Wednesday AM we went to the ER. Long story short. He came in mildly dehydrated and by 12Noon when they took blood to do the IV he was moderately dehydrated. He took 2 iv bags of fluid and then we waited to see how he did a few hours after that with oral hydration. His diapers were much better and he was much better. They also gave him Zofran for the throwing up when we first got there and we were sent home with an RX for it to take every 8-12 hours.

Took his Zofran, stayed on clears until mid-day Thursday then started 1/2 formula 1/2 pedialyte for another 24 hours. He took the Zofran every 8-12 hours with the exception of Thursday night because he was due for the dose at 9pm and finally sleeping. He woke up at 11pm and threw up everything ... got a dose hin him and he went back to sleep until 6am.

Friday we got checked out by our ped ... looking good. Keep up the Zofran as long as needed. Started increasing formula/pedialyte ration and giving dry toast and cheerios.

Saturday ... same ... stopped drinking formula much in the afternoon. Wouldn't even drink sippy with water/apple juice or pedialyte/apple juice. A little toast and cheerios for dinner. Did a mesh teether with ice a few times for fluid. Ran out of Zofran dose for the PM dose ....

Saturday night ... did not sleep well. Restless, waking up crying, arching back like when he refluxes but nothing was soothing it. Very aggitated. Would not eat anything. Did not have more than an ounce or so since mid afternoon Saturday.

Sunday .... same. Wouldn't drink anything. WOuldn't eat more than a few cheerios. Took a small family trip to Target to get out of the house and threw up all over the cart ... No more Zofran left.

So .... that brings us up to now. We got another dose of Zofran called in which he took an hour ago. He still not eat and will not drink more than a sip from his sippy. Not dehydrated, has plenty of tears. No more runny diapers but he has not had a wet diaper since a small #2 early this morning because he won't drink.

I guess I don't know what to do. He started on Monday night so we are on full day 6 of this. If he goes off the Zofran he throws up everything but at least the back end has cleared up so IF he would take liquids it would stay down. I am just worried about him getting dehydrated because it happens so fast with these guys. I have Pedialyte pops that are freezing and will break up to put in the mesh bags for him. I have offered him everything I can. I try to syringe it into his mouth but between his Reflux meds, Mylanta and the Zofran he is an expert in spitting it out if he doesn't want it. No matter how good I put it back behind his throat and pratically choke him with it.

So I am looking for experiences and maybe some suggestions on what to do in the next day or two.

What if he doesn't eat again for the night?

Obviously the minute he has no tears when crying we are heading to the ER. I will also call our ped in the morning if he hasn't eaten just to ask him. My ped is very conservative so I like to ask for other ideas and advice too.

He did not have the Rotavirus vaccine because our ped doesn't not recommened it. My 3.5 year old did (different state) and that is most likely why his case was so minor.

THANK YOU!!

 

[golfgal]

Out of town, 10 mo old twins, both get it at the same time, 10 outfits and a few hours later and a desperate call to the pediatrician, long distance, before cell phones, on a Sunday afternoon because we have a 4 1/2 hour car ride to take with twins leaking constantly. He had us get some Similac DM to stop them up. They were nursing for the most part so formula was a newish thing for them and DS didn't really like to take a bottle. Ran to Walmart to buy some more clothes, bagged up all of their dirty stuff and hoped they would sleep a good portion of the way home. We got home and the ped called Monday to see how they were. Said to keep them on that formula for a couple weeks. The SMELL when I went to clean those clothes

I hope your little ones get better soon.

 

[LaraK]

No advice, just big hugs.

 

[golfgal]

I just noticed your son's birthdate and he is almost exactly the same age as our twins were, EXACTLY 15 years ago this weekend when they were sick with ROTO. Weird.

Oh, and my kids HATED pedilite anything. Try some favored water, kool-aid, anything that he will drink. Even 7 Up or Ginger Ale is better than Pedialyte.

 

[tiggger1]

DD had rotovirus at that age. the one think I tell everyone is make sure you have 2 people when you do a diaper change. One baby hand touching the butt and then the mouth starts the ENTIRE thing over again. I had someone hold her hands and then we all washed with soap and water and purell!

 

[pls5286]

If he has not had a wet diaper since early this morning, then he is most likely dehydrated. This baby is very sick. Please take him back to the ER. If he is only taking a few cherios, and I would think you mean 1 or 2 and no liquids for several days, he is dehydrated and needs IV fluids again and possible admitting untile the virus runs its course. When you say early morning are you meaning night time hours of the morning?

 

[DMickey28]

I do not believe he is dehydrated right now. His wet diaper was early this morning, around 8am.

I have also learned with my LO that while he appeared mildly dehydrated (no tears but no other signs) his blood work showed otherwise and he had very low salt levels.

By a few cheerios I mean under 10, since that's what I put on his tray and most have been ending on the floor. He did eat at a bit more before our Target run but all that came right back up.

He can't have any other formula to stop him up, he has a milk protien allergy so we are stuck with his Elecare formula.

Thanks guys ... I appreciate it. He is acting almost fine otherwise. Very tired because he isn't sleeping but he crawling around, laughing and getting into trouble. When we brought him to the ER on Wednesday he was not acting fine.

 

[golfgal]

I do not believe he is dehydrated right now. His wet diaper was early this morning, around 8am.

I have also learned with my LO that while he appeared mildly dehydrated (no tears but no other signs) his blood work showed otherwise and he had very low salt levels.

By a few cheerios I mean under 10, since that's what I put on his tray and most have been ending on the floor. He did eat at a bit more before our Target run but all that came right back up.

He can't have any other formula to stop him up, he has a milk protien allergy so we are stuck with his Elecare formula.

Thanks guys ... I appreciate it. He is acting almost fine otherwise. Very tired because he isn't sleeping but he crawling around, laughing and getting into trouble. When we brought him to the ER on Wednesday he was not acting fine.

With his reflux and all the vomiting I bet his throat is sore. Can you give him some Tylenol to see if that helps?

 

[LaraK]

How about popsicles? Sometimes when kids will not take anything else, the popsicles are soothing.

My son was a puker (he has an eosinophilic disorder)....towels are your friends...keep them close to catch the vomit.

 

[LuvOrlando]

My flashbacks are not pretty. Both kids had it at once at 2 & 3 and I was so tired I just covered the entire floor with inside out flannel backed tablecloths from the Dollar store, rolled out the sleeper sofa bed, kept a stack of sheets & comforters & clothes nearby and waited it out. My preemie DD got very sick, I think severely dehydrated and the dope ER Nurse or Dr gave her the wrong dose of Tylenol doing it by age not weight then sent us home ( I never let anyone give anything to my kids ever again without me double checking). I remember giving DD sips of Pedialyte with a medicine dropper continuously for days & don't think I slept for the entire week, DS had more fat on him so he was better able to ride it out.

I think Pedialyte now has Popsicles.

Hang in there

 

[DMickey28]

My flashbacks are not pretty. Both kids had it at once at 2 & 3 and I was so tired I just covered the entire floor with inside out flannel backed tablecloths from the Dollar store, rolled out the sleeper sofa bed, kept a stack of sheets & comforters & clothes nearby and waited it out. My preemie DD got very sick, I think severely dehydrated and the dope ER Nurse or Dr gave her the wrong dose of Tylenol doing it by age not weight then sent us home ( I never let anyone give anything to my kids ever again without me double checking). I remember giving DD sips of Pedialyte with a medicine dropper continuously for days & don't think I slept for the entire week, DS had more fat on him so he was better able to ride it out.

I think Pedialyte now has Popsicles.

Hang in there

Aww Man. Ouch. We had the couch bed pulled out Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. My mom came to help me on Tuesday and then she got sick by Wednesday night so the couch was out for Thursday and Friday too. Like the idea about the tablecloth though. I'll have to keep that in mind.

I gave him Tylenol overnight, along with Mylanta and Mylicon (not all at once) and none of them seemed to change anything. Poor baby. His cheeks are starting to get more red now ...

 

[The Mystery Machine]

My youngest dd got it when she was probably 1ish. She was hospitalized for a couple of days as she was very sick.

If you feel that something is going south go back to the ER otherwise just keep a diligent eye on them and make sure you do not get it yourself.

My oldest was a puker, like up until elementary school. I would sleep in the living room with her. I laid out a blanket on the floor etc. and got very good at waking up and catching puke in the "barf bowl". We still have that thing.

I hope your little ones get better soon.

 

[DMickey28]

I already had it .... !!

I think my DH brought it home last week when he came home on Thursday. He came down with it on Saturday Night. The Boys Monday Night, my mom Wednesday night and I came down on Thursday night. Fun times ... it was very mild in me but I "prepped" all week by eating very light and bland from the time the boys got sick, knowing it would hit me eventually. I also felt off for a day or so before I actually got sick.

 

[Mkrop]

When my kids had the virus, they also suggested giving them the liquid out of canned peaches or pears. Only a teaspoon at a time. This was if my kids would not take the pedialyte. The key is to give them any liquids in small doses, like a tsp full every 20 minutes. It gives the belly time to rest.

good luck

 

[mrsg00fy]

It sounds like my son's case was even worse than it seemed at the time! He was 20 months old and was hospitalized for 9 days with rotavirus. DH and I took turns staying with him around the clock, changing shifts to go home, get some rest and tend to our other son, get him to school, etc.

My son lost 20% of his body weight in the first two days. We had gone to the pediatrician first. They sent us home. The diaharrea continued and we called back the next day and he said to get the baby to the ER.

They ran tons of tests, but all they could really do for the little guy was keep him hydrated.

By the day he was released, my son had a hard time even walking because he was so weak.

I hope your little one is better really soon!

 

[Pembo]

DD had it then DS started a week later. Both kids were in the hospital for IV fluids. They stopped their vomiting.

If he is not eating or wetting, I'd take him to the ER. It sounds to me like he needs to be admitted for fluids. My kids were both on IV's for over 48 hours. Dehydration is scary especially in little ones.

 

[ols386]

I had never heard of this virus until I read here. Then I went and googled it. It certainly sounds like it can be very dangerous, from a dehydration standpoint.

 

[DMickey28]

He just drank 3 oz of formula/pedialyte combo. His diaper change was damp so that's good. Not enough for the few hours he had it on but something. I'll keep an eye on him and call the ped in the AM just to run it by him that he hasn't eaten much.

He did have a few more Cheerios (less than 10) but spit up shortly after so I am not sure how much got through.

The poor guy. He got sick in his crib a few times this week, I think it woke him up and now he FREAKS out when you go in his room. My poor sweet baby.

This is my precious angel:

 

[golfgal]

Don't worry about the food so much, just keep pumping the liquids. Think about how you feel when you have the stomach flu and what food does to you. If he is taking and keeping down formula, even mixed with pedialyte, he will be fine not eating solids.

 

[mjkacmom]

My twins had the dreaded rotavirus when they were not much older than that, AT THE SAME TIME! My doctor did not give any medication. They went completely without formula and food for 10 days straight. They got no more than 1 tbsp of liquid, every 15 minutes. This helped prevent dehydration, and out of the ER. Sure, by the end, they were no longer sitting unassisted, but my pediatrician assured me that I'd be weak, too, without any nurishment for almost 2 weeks. However, we got through it without IV's.

Vomiting is how the body rids itself of the virus - as long as you can keep them hydrated , it's okay. I would stop solid food, and let the stomach rest. This is a LONG virus - we spent every day in the living room, on a big blanket, with plenty of towels that were washed over and over.

The only childhood "thing" worse than rotavirus is lice!