[bluedolphin]

Hey everyone,
I have had a rough couple of days. On wednesday night I got a stomach bug. Yesterday (Friday) I was able to go to work and felt a little better even though my stomach was still uneasy. Last night I started to get sick again and today I haven't been able to eat because I can't keep it down. All I have done is sleep all day until now. I feel really weak and nauseous still. I am taking 10mg of prednisone daily and was wondering if others have had such a hard time getting over the stomach flu. I have been trying to keep myself hydrated but I am having to force myself to drink anything too.

Thanks!
Tracy

 

[sjink]

Hi Tracy
It always takes me a lot longer to recover from flu and colds and stuff than "normal" people. Doc said that was quite typical with lupus patients. I know how hard it is to keep drinking and hydrated but it is very important.
Have you checked in with your doctor about the stomach symptoms? They can give you meds to control the nausea and sickness and help you to keep medication down.
Sara
x

 

[Maia]

I've had the stomach flu 4 times in the last 3 years! Here is what I have learned...

(1) It does take me longer to recover than a generally healthy person
(2) Drink very small amounts (2oz) of water every hour while awake
(3) Rest
(4) If you get a rebound in symptoms and it lasts more than 3 days then you may want to seek urgent care. This is especially true if your heartbeat is very fast (over 100 bpm). Reason: a fast heartbeat means you are very dehydrated and you may need IV fluids. One time for me, immediately following IV fluids (3 bags) I felt MUCH better. The ER doctor said that dehydration can itself cause nausea/vomiting which then creates a viscious cycle that needs breaking.
(5) Eat the BRAT diet when feeling up to it and saltine crackers tend to taste really good too! Gatorade hits the spot too in early recovery phase.
(6) The lupus tends to flare up worse for a few weeks afterwards.

Being on prednisone may make it even harder for you to quickly recover from this bug.

I hope you're feeling better soon. Do try to eat a little something and drink a little something every hour or so. The less you drink, the less likely you are to throw it up. Take care & I hope you're posting on Monday to say you're all better!

 

[bluedolphin]

Thanks for the info. I had heard that it would take longer to recover but I did want some input from others that have been there.

I have always had a tendency to get dehydrated when I get the stomach flu so I have been pushing some liquids. I have decided that saltines and gatorade are about all I can handle right now. I hope that I will be much better tomorrow, if not then I will see the docs.

I am new to my dx of lupus so I don't really know what a flare is for me because I haven't really felt better yet. I know flares are different for everyone so I guess I will see how it goes.

Thanks,
Tracy

 

[applesauce]

Ooph I just got over a stomach bug too. Water water water!!!!

 

[annada]

stomach flu

Hi Tracy,

I'm sorry to hear about your stomach problem, I know how bad it can get. Yesterday ( Monday a.m. ) I awoke feeling very unwell. By 9:30 a.m. I was at my gp's office. I had completely thrown-up and diareahed myself in to major problems. My heart was pounding out of my chest, my blood pressure was 86/57 and I was so afraid of what was happening to me. My gp called for an ambulance and off to the ER I went. Spent 6 hrs there while they checked my blood and said it looked like gastroentritius. Sent me home with a prescription for promethazine 25mg. (generic for phenegrin (sp?) It did settle me down, suppositorys not fun, but better than what horror I had been through! Sense we have to live in this world it is nearly impossible to avoid the germs and debrea out there, I try to be as clean as possible but others aren't.
I dearly dread the bill for the ambulance, it will not be cheap as well as the E.R. stay. My insurance is high-risk and very, very high deductable!!!! As well as my husband is upset about it too. Things not very happy around here these days.

Hope you are well and fit soon. I got gator-aid to drink to help replace fluids.
Take care
Annada