# Vomiting...



## Kei (Nov 19, 2009)

Help!

Another first in our house.  F just got out of bed and threw up.  Looks like all her dinner and supper came up!  

Now what?  I'm thinking that I test her blood sugars a few times in the night, and if they're going low I feed her something (milk, juice ...?) to bring it back up.

Any been-there-done-that parents have any great advice?

Kei
xx


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## bev (Nov 19, 2009)

Just make sure she has lots of sweet drinks - i know she wont feel like them - but keep getting her to sip it. I wouldnt give milk as it may irritate any bacteria in her tummy - so keep to sugary drinks. Even lolli-ices will do if she can stomach them! Hope she feels better soon. Also - check for ketones and if she has any - lots of water - and make sure you still give insulin - dont stop it as she still needs it - probably even more than normal if her bg's are high. And check check check through the night - sorry!Bev


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## Kei (Nov 19, 2009)

Thanks Bev!  Lemonade and/or orange juice and lots of testing it is, then!  I wouldn't give her milk when sick, except that Diabetes UK recommends it.  I know it would make me feel worse!

I suppose it was inevitable that she'd come down with something soon.  Everyone at school seems to be going down with bugs, I'm on antibiotics for a virus that I can't get rid of, and the baby has the most awful cough...  :-(


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## Kei (Nov 19, 2009)

Just been up to her.  Easy doing the BMs, but not so simple to wake her enough for the drink!  She was surprisingly OK with it though and has sipped about half a mug of orange juice, and a bit of water too.

BMs were 4.0 and ketones 0.1.  I'll be checking on her when I go up, and setting an alarm to wake me in the night.


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## Northerner (Nov 19, 2009)

Hope all goes well Kei


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## bev (Nov 19, 2009)

I hope the levels increase so you can get a little sleep.Bev


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## Carynb (Nov 20, 2009)

How is she this morning? You must all be exhausted x


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## Copepod (Nov 20, 2009)

When most people are really ill - eg electrolytes unbalanced due to vomiting, if you offer them food or drink, they will generally only take something they can tolerate. So, if a child thinks they can stomach milk, then try a little - always best to give small amounts and not gulp it down, but if a bit hasn't been vomited back up within 30 mins, say, then try a bit more. People still need to be hydrated, so water will help there, although that won't increase their salt levels if they are low. I have found that I sometimes crave things like tomato juice, bananas, frozen fromage frais tubes etc when unwell, and they seem to help me feel better. I also like them when not unwell, though. Oral rehydration drinks (made up with sachets of sugars & salts eg Dioralyte) tend to taste disgusting unless you actually need them. If someone is really dehydrated due to damaged intestines, they need both glucose and sodium ions to get fluid into the body cells, so although blood sugars will rise, it's more important to keep hydrated, and keep an eye on blood glucose levels and correct with insulin if needed.


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## Kei (Nov 20, 2009)

Thanks Copepod!

I went in every 2 hours (between poorly-baby feeds and little-boy toilet breaks!).  Her levels were low for the first couple of visits, so I gave her orange juice followed by some sips of water.  Ketones were 0.1.

This morning F woke up 5.3 and feeling normal, so it was all worth it.  

She's eating and drinking normally again today.  

NOW can I sleep?!


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## Copepod (Nov 20, 2009)

Hi Kei
Hope you had some sleep today - and tonight, too. It's difficult to deal with kids when they're ill, but over the years, I've found, despite being a qualified nurse with quite a but of paediatric experience, when looking after my sister's or friends' children, I often end up trusting my instincts - if they or I think something is seriously wrong, it usually is and we get further help from NSH Direct / GP / A&E as appropriate, but if we all think it's OK, we trust our instincts and feed / wash /(un)dress / give medicine etc to the child, and it turns out OK.


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## Kei (Nov 20, 2009)

LOL - No sleep for me yet!  F has been OK all day, but Baby isn't well (cough + high temp), so I'm still busy.


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