My little guy had a stomach bug that started 10 days ago with vomitting and mild diarrhea. The vomitting stopped after a day, but the diarrhea continued. He would only go a few times a day, but it was the awful rotton smelling mostly liquid poops. He had no appetite for almost a week. Now, his appetite is back and he is much happier, but his stools are still really loose. Like not liquid, but not formed. Kind of like oatmeal consistency. He is still going 3-4 times a day, and that's a little more than his normal of 2 times a day. We are already giving him probiotics and more of the starchy foods. No fruit except bananas and applesauce. He is not on formula anymore (flat out refused to drink anymore about a month ago), and drinks soy milk, so dairy isn't an issue.
Our insurance is a high deductible plan, so a visit will cost over $125. The nurse said after 10 days she might suggest coming in, but also said that it could be completely normal and could take another week to normalize. So I'm hesitant to bring him in if there is nothing that can be done and this is nothing to worry about. Everyone else in the house had a very mild version, one threw up and two others had diarrhea for a couple days. The baby is the only one that seems to have the lingering runs.
Anyone else have some experience that might explain this?
Takes time. As long as he is eating and drinking enough don't worry.
I see you're already giving him a probiotic. If he had a stomach bug and was throwing up plus having diarrhea, his gut flora is almost certainly messed up. He needs more of the good bacteria put back into his gut. My guess would be to try a different brand of probiotic.
Florajen3 (both the acidophilus brand and the one with lots and lots of other strains) would be the one I would recommend--the one with lots of strains. The capsules can be opened and put/stirred directly into his food/cereal.
Also, you say he drinks soy milk. Some people are intolerant to soy. Try taking him off soy milk (either cow's milk or another alternative milk, like almond or coconut) and see if that doesn't clear up the issue. Having a stomach bug is h*** o* anyone; it sometimes takes quite a while for the intestine to clear up the inflammation and heal itself.
Make sure he is drinking plenty of liquids. That will help keep the acid down in his BMs, so hopefully his little butt doesn't get so red and irriated.
Our pediatrician told us that a gut once irritated can stay irritated for a long time after the initial source of irritation has resolved itself.
At 1 1/2 yrs, our son had diarrhea for 8 solid (pardon the pun) weeks.
The most important thing is to keep them well hydrated and their electrolytes balanced - push the Pedialyte in any/every form you can get him to take it.
The next important thing is to deal with the inevitable diaper rash.
I slathered my son's butt so thick with butt paste and A & D ointment he almost slid out of his diapers.
But it helped a lot with keeping the rash under control.
Go easy on the probiotics.
For me at least - they GIVE me diarrhea.
And you don't know if it's helping or hurting with his intestinal irritation.
Bananas, Rice, Applesauce and Toast (BRAT diet) should help firm him up sooner or later - just keep at it.
It will get better eventually.
It takes a long time to get the gut back to normal. I would keep doing what you are doing and if he isn't running fever or getting worse, just wait it out. It should be better within a few days and continue to get better. If not, I would go in---
It can take a while for the intestinal tract to heal after a stomach bug. It sounds like he's gradually getting there. My son had rotavirus at 5 months and I seem to remember that it was a couple of weeks before his stools returned to normal. Have you tried giving him some yogurt (YoBaby or another brand with live cultures)?
Mainly, I'd just keep him hydrated and keep an eye on him...if his stools continue to be loose after another week or so, a visit to the pedi might be in order. But it doesn't sound like anything to worry about at this point.
It's normal for the stools to take some time to go back to normal. Did you know that during intestinal virus like this you can become temporarily lactose intolerant? Even if he's just getting cheese it could make the issue worse. Of course if you give him real yogurt, not the processed stuff that's thickened with cornstarch, it could help his digestive flora get back on track. It would have to be the real yogurts like Chobani Champions.
Of course refrain from foods that would encourage loose stools for a while too. But it sounds like you're doing that already. Just keep with it. He'll be fine. My concern would be if he starts the cycle again and fevers.
