stomach flu/virus and questions - help

Something knocked out my entire family off their feet. I have been feeling dizzy and feverish all week but pushed through work until Friday morning when I woke and had constant vomiting all morning. My mother in law (who lives with us) started throwing up Thursday night and was up all night vomiting into friday. The baby vomited once Thursday, Friday, and Saturday but mostly held down all bottles and refused most food. He is 11 months. My father in law too vomited and had upset stomach but not as severe as me and mil. my mom left work Friday to help take care of us and the baby and now as of last night she has been vomiting all night into the afternoon. my dad was here Friday too helping and not sick yet. my husband threw up once last night and been sleeping all day. I have never seen this before. something so contagious. why doesn't the baby get it? immunity? and adult-only kinda bug? Is it from day care or from my job or what? I guess maybe its not that uncommon but I am flawed by it. I cannot remember the last time i was that sick and I can never remember a time where my entire family got the same thing. i am still in pain and exhaustion from it now but a big improvement. the whole house is 'sanitized' more than once. everything is washed. hoping the baby doesn't get it.

is this the flu? a virus? are we still contagious?

also i feel incredibly guilty. mom left work to care for us on Friday she has not more time off so went unpaid and now she is so sick i am not sure she can go back until Tuesday or Wednesday ... how can i make this up to her?

Re: stomach flu/virus and questions - help

If the baby hasn't gotten it makes me wonder if you all ate something that was spoiled? Did you all eat the same thing or could that not be it? Make sure you are ALL washing your hands good after using the toilet and after vomiting, etc, to prevent the baby from getting it.

Re: stomach flu/virus and questions - help

Message edited 9/1/2013 8:58:45 AM.

Re: stomach flu/virus and questions - help

Stomach viruses are really contagious! So if you are sharing bathrooms or kids are puking it's really really difficult to avoid. My guess is either the baby got a milder version of it or hasn't yet gotten the worst of it. The only thing that kills the stomach virus is bleach! You have to use a bleach mixture in all of your bathrooms to kill it completely, it can stay in feces for up to 2 weeks after you stop having symptoms. This is why it spreads in schools daycares so much because kids are feeling better, but the virus is still in their diapers or on their hands when they wipe. Feel better!

Re: stomach flu/virus and questions - help

did your baby get the rotavirus vaccine (the oral one)? If you are all suffering from rota, that could be why the baby was mildly affected.

Keep sanitizing everything. Don't forget doorknobs, remotes phone, etc. Eventually it will make its way out of the house.

I hope you all feel better soon.

Re: stomach flu/virus and questions - help

Sounds like norwalk or other stomach virus. Wait you said the baby didn't get it but said the baby was throwing up on and off so sounds like that was it. Those bugs are highly contaigious and very common. It sounds similar to what goes around on cruise ships, daycare, schools etc. If you are not using clorox/bleach to clean it might not be getting rid of all the germs. Are you washing bedding, towels etc in hot water. You need hot water to kill that stuff. Make sure you clorox things like door knobs, light switches anything any sick person tpuches. As far as why one person is sicker than another. Like a cold or other virus one person gets a light case anothers gets horribly sick. Depends on each person. Just remember to constantly wash hands, wash everything as much as you can. Good luck. Those bugs are misery.

Re: stomach flu/virus and questions - help

hmmm...I'm hearing ALOT of people complaining of stomach virus within the past week

Re: stomach flu/virus and questions - help

The stomach virus hit our house too. It started my neices were sick end of last week, then my youngest woke up vomitting fri into sat, within a few hours my older DD was vomitting. Still aren't 100%

Re: stomach flu/virus and questions - help

we all got it too, but here the kids got it much worse than the adults.

Re: stomach flu/virus and questions - help

The flu is a respiratory virus- not stomach related.
A lot of people say "stomach flu" but that is just a stomach virus.
The flu is caused by some strain of the influenza virus- and it is not related to your stomach symptoms.

Sounds like you all got a bad stomach virus.
One year I had it four different times.
The upside- it usually leaves pretty quick
And there is sometimes no rhyme or reason as to who gets it and who doesn't
I have had it sooo bad- while my dd was an infant- I was caring for her, feeding her, all over her and she never got sick
And recently she had a bad stomach virus and DH and I didn't catch it.
Or I will get a milder form while DH gets a worse attack- it really all depends on your immune system at the time, etc
Feel better!

Message edited 12/2/2012 7:55:26 PM.

Re: stomach flu/virus and questions - help

Re: stomach flu/virus and questions - help

thank you everyone for your feedback - all starting to feel more normal today

stomach flu/virus and questions - help

Defiantely a virus going around and it is very contagious. My MIL is a school nurse and she sent home 12 kids with it last week alone. 2 families we know also had it in their homes this past weekend.

I PRAY we don't get it in my home because I am down to 0 sick days until January...this would NOT be good right now.