How Much Vomiting is Too Much?

[Indianamom2]

DD woke up sick this morning. In about an hour's time (maybe 1.5 hours) she's vomited at least 4 times...maybe 5 now.)

She's not had anything to eat since dinner last night, so it's all mainly stomach acid coming up. She's thirsty, but with that much vomiting in such a short time, I don't think she should be drinking anything yet, right? I've been trying to wait until she didn't have any vomiting for about an hour.

And at what point is it too much? We spent hours at the doctor yesterday with her inconsolable and lethargic little brother...and then 5 hours at the ER last night after the doctor had us head there. Ds was technically dehydrated, but willing to drink once we got a room, so they didn't do an I.V. He also had low blood sugar from not eating all day, but was willing to eat and kept it down, so we got to go home.

DD is vomiting a lot more than he ever did. When does it become too much?

(okay, this is round 6....)

[boltfam]

:hug:Oh, how horrible for your DD and for you. It sounds like it's been a tough couple of days at your house. I had this last year when I was preggo (not being able to keep water down), so I didn't want to take any chances. Is your pedi's office open? I would give them a call.

Otherwise, I would wait maybe an hour or so and see if she starts vomiting less frequently. If she doesn't, I would take her in. Hang in there, and I hope both your DC feel better soon. :hug:

[Indianamom2]

Thanks. I'm certain it's just a virus, and I'm definitely going to see how things go in the next hour....but that's a lot of vomiting in a short time.

I'm also waiting to call the pedi until Ds wakes up so that I can see how he's acting, since I'm supposed to follow up with her about him today.

It's a fun day!

[o_mom]

I honestly never follow the 'don't let them drink while vomiting' advice. I have had dry heaves and they suck far worse than vomiting. There is no evidence that withholding fluids has any effect (I dont' have the article handy, but found it while researching this once). I let them drink small amounts frequently and avoid dairy. I find that a cup filled with ice, then a small amount of whatever they want to drink works best for getting them to drink slowly and not guzzle a bunch down.

At 6.5 yrs, I would not be concerned at this point - it's only been a couple hours, right? Hopefully it is a short-lived bug!

[AngelaS]

I would give her tiny little sips of water, about a teaspoon, every 10 to 15 minutes and see if she can keep that down.

[Indianamom2]

I honestly never follow the 'don't let them drink while vomiting' advice. I have had dry heaves and they suck far worse than vomiting. There is no evidence that withholding fluids has any effect (I dont' have the article handy, but found it while researching this once). I let them drink small amounts frequently and avoid dairy. I find that a cup filled with ice, then a small amount of whatever they want to drink works best for getting them to drink slowly and not guzzle a bunch down.

At 6.5 yrs, I would not be concerned at this point - it's only been a couple hours, right? Hopefully it is a short-lived bug!

I am letting her sip a little water now...I just don't want to make the vomiting worse because I know when I was sick while pregnant, even sipping water made me sicker.

Hopefully the vomiting won't last much longer. She can't have much left in her tummy.

[bubbaray]

I would let her have pedialyte or pedialye pops (frozen), Gatorade.

Hope she's better soon!

[BarbieSmith]

My mama gut instinct says to give tiny amounts of water, whether vomiting or not. My Ava vomited overnight, last night. I do not feel as though giving water makes them vomit *more*, just different. But at least they keep their hydration level from plummeting so far...

[Green_Tea]

Another vote for letting them drink if they're thirsty. If they're going to vomit anyway, it's much more comfortable to throw up water than just stomach acid.
Sucking on ice cubes is a good way to quench thirst and prevent gulping.

[Indianamom2]

Thanks all. DD is doing better now. This stomach flu was wretched...we've all had it now (I'm sort of on the tail end of it now, I hope).

[calv]

too much is when the child has no tears, isn't peeing for 8+ hours, sunken eyes have set in. lifeless, and when the child vomits what the docs called coffee grinds. its the bottom fo the stomach and there is nothing left.

hen to Call the Doctor
The greatest risk of vomiting due to gastroenteritis (the "stomach flu") is dehydration. Call your doctor if your child refuses fluids or if the vomiting continues after using the suggestions above. Call the doctor for any of the signs of dehydration listed below.

Mild to moderate dehydration:
•dry mouth
•few or no tears when crying
•fussy behavior in infants
•fewer than four wet diapers per day in an infant (more than 4 to 6 hours without a wet diaper in a younger infant under 6 months of age)
•no urination for 6 to 8 hours in children
•soft spot on an infant's head that looks flatter than usual or somewhat sunken
Severe dehydration:
•very dry mouth (looks "sticky" inside)
•dry, wrinkled, or doughy skin (especially on the belly and upper arms and legs)
•inactivity or decreased alertness
•appears weak or limp
•sunken eyes
•sunken soft spot in an infant
•excessive sleepiness or disorientation
•deep, rapid breathing
•no urination for more than 6 to 8 hours in infants
•no urination for more than 8 to 10 hours in children
•fast or weakened pulse
The following symptoms may indicate a condition more serious than gastroenteritis; contact your doctor right away if your infant has any of these:

•projectile or forceful vomiting in an infant, particularly a baby who's less than 3 months old
•vomiting in an infant after the infant has taken an oral electrolyte solution for close to 24 hours
•vomiting starts again as soon as you try to resume the child's normal diet
•vomiting starts after a head injury
•vomiting is accompanied by fever (100.4° Fahrenheit/38° Celsius rectally in an infant under 6 months of age or more than 101-102°F/38.3-38.9°C in an older child)
•vomiting of bright green or yellow-green fluid
•your child's belly feels hard, bloated, and painful between vomiting episodes
•vomiting is accompanied by severe stomach pain
•vomit resembles coffee grounds (blood that mixes with stomach acid will be brownish in color and look like coffee grounds)
•vomiting blood