Flu What to Do?

Cinnamon, real cinnamon. Try a peice of cinnamon toast with a cup of chamomile or chamomile/mint tea (just use 2 tea bags).
Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal or Cinnamon Grahms will also work.

Or you can make a small pot of oarmeal and add cinnamon and raisins or applesauce.

I don't know why it works but it works.

No suggestions, but the "stomach virus" is usually Norovirus (that's what's going around right now), which is NOT treatable with "flu" (as in *influenza* yes, which is also going around right now) medications like Tamiflu.

If it IS Noro, the best (really the only) thing you can do is CLEAN, CLEAN, CLEAN! Noro is very stable in the environment and very easily passed around a household (fecal-oral route = poop, to hands, to surfaces/food, to next person)!!!

Right now she needs Lots of fluids (especially things like gatorade, powerade, things that replenish what's lost with the runs)! Usually Noro runs its course in 2-4 days, so she's probably just about over it! It's awful, so just be super careful to keep things clean (and kids away from mama's bathroom)!
Good luck!

Like M not M said, she doesn't have the flu. She has a stomach virus. Tamiflu will not work for her.

That said, it might take a couple of days for the virus to run its course and her body get back to normal. I hear there is a particularly bad strain of norovirus running around.

Make sure she is resting and drinking plenty of fluids. This is the most important thing. I'd get her something like ginger ale or gatorade. When she's ready for foods, you might want to try the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast) if she's willing to eat those foods. Yogurt would be another good idea.
Two days isn't that long. Give her time.

ETA: my response is a good reason to read other responses first. My suggestions pretty much mirror Wild One's.

Pedialyte. It works just as well for adults as it does for kids. It tastes nasty, but it works better than Gatorade because it's made specifically for vomiting and diarrhea. Fun fact...It's also great for a hangover :) Hope she feels better soon.

Like others have already said, lots of fluids. Gatorade is good. When she does feel like eating, BRAT diet. Also, pretzels and soda crackers are good on a weak stomach. You don't want to stop the runs, unless she has to leave the house. It's best to get it all out. She'll need lots of sleep.

She wants to have the runs. It's her bodies way of getting rid of the virus. And regaining strength is a matter of time so that the body can stop fighting the virus and rebuild its self.

She can take an anti-diarrheal medication such as Immodium. Many people do. I just think that it's best for the body to take care of its self. I save the medications for more serious cases.

As an RN I hate to say it, but you just have to let virus run its course. And i agree with the previous responder about the diarrhea...her body is doing what it needs to get rid of anything bad in her system. The biggest thing, especially if she's having diarrhea and vomiting, is for her to stay hydrated. Drink plenty of H20 and eat soup, pop-sicles, to maintain hydration. As far as weakness, if she does have the flu, there's nothing to do but use heating pads and rest, rest, rest! Your job as the hubbie is to be at her beck and call! lol. Do all you can to make her feel better! And just being by her side and cuddling with her will probably make her feel better ;)

Hope she feels better soon. If it's that new strain of norovirus going around, all she can do is stay hydrated and let it run its course. As others have said, when she can keep things down, the BRAT diet will slow things down a bit. Avoid things like Imodium - the body needs to purge the virus and things like Imodium can cause the intestines to bind up and do weird things.

SANITIZE EVERYTHING!! We had norovirus rip through our house a few years ago and 5 of us were sick at once. It was horrible.

Lots of rest and liquids. It will just need to work its way out of her system. Or, ask the doctor that gave you the meds. Good luck and I hope she feels better.

oooh yuck!! What a great husband you are to ask!!

BRAT diet - Banana's Rice Apples and Toast

I would also do small amounts of yogurt to get the good bacteria back in her belly and intestines...

also Gatorade to help keep her hydrated...the runs are horrible - taking everything out of our bodies!!

I am sorry for your wife! Having the stomach flu is TERRIBLE!

I have no real answer other than to eat nothing and wait it out! That is what I had to do. I was afraid to eat anything b/c everything that goes in has to come out, ya know? It doesn't help with the weakness but it helps to stay off the toilet.

When she thinks she is done with the worst of it GatorAid is her friend! Since she is on day 2, I am thinking that *hopefully* by Friday she should be feeling up to eating and drinking a little?

Hope you are taking good care of her and are keeping the kids away from her the best you can.

~TMI: I have only had the real Stomach Flu once in my life and it swept through our whole house in the matter of hours! We all got it! The first Night was the WORST...the chills and body aches were TERRIBLE and the vomiting and the runs were no joke, it's so not fun having things coming out of both ends at the same time! The 2nd day we were all still feeling *really* funky and had NO energy but by Day 3 we were starting to feel a tad bit better and absolutely on the mend!

I was actually placed on Tamiflu. It has to be caught early though. You might want to run it by the doctor, I don't know if it's too late.

I had a terrible case of the flew and took the medicine for 10 days. I have to say it helped with the vomitting, but still had other symptoms. I'm sure they were less than if I hadn't taken the meds. I was pretty sick.

Ask the doctor.
Keep her hydrated as much as possible. Frozen juice bars really helped me.
A little oatmeal or cream of wheat, chicken broth, some vanilla pudding...whatever you can get in her.

Best wishes.

I think it just has to run it's course. Sorry...

Go to the store and get her some Florastor. It is a probiotic and OTC, but most pharmacists keep it behind the counter because it is pricy (~$30/bottle). I suggest calling first to make sure they have it since the flu is so rampant right now.

I swear this stuff is magic - it will slow things down in the first day and stop it in two most of the time. 1 pill twice a day.

Just in case your kids get it too, you might also want to pick up Florastor for Kids. For kids, it is little packets of crystals. It's sweet so you should mix it with something sweet - I usually dissolve it in a small plastic container with a shot glass's worth of juice and let her drink it. It doesn't taste bad so it isn't a battle and well worth it!

Good luck and hope she is feeling better soon.