Milk Allergy or Stomach Bug?

Updated on February 18, 2011
S.D. asks from Boston, MA
8 answers

Ok.here goes... My 21 month old has had a runny nose for a week and woke up Sunday morning, had his morning milk, played as usual and then started vomiting on and off all day. He had a slight fever (101-102) and would not eat or drink and was very sleepy. I thought stomach bug. He woke up Monday, drank some milk but would not eat anything. He did not really eat or drink anything else on Monday and started to have diarrhea but no vomiting. Tuesday he still wasn’t himself and he would gag up almost everything and continued to have diarrhea all day. I tried to give him a yogurt and he ate it but then threw it all up. Wednesday, the diarrhea was still present and worse than Tuesday and he did drink milk and had some snacks but no vomiting. Today it was morning milk & breakfast, 2 extremely messy diapers, and the milk with a snack and then he vomited. I guess my question is can a stomach bug play out like this or I am dealing with an allergy. Any advice…

What can I do next?

  • Add yourAnswer own comment
  • Ask your own question Add Question
  • Join the Mamapedia community Mamapedia
  • as inappropriate
  • this with your friends

So What Happened?

Thanks you Mamas!!! All your advice and tips has been really helpful. I had been in contact with the pedi and they had told me if all he would drink was milk than to give him milk in order to stay hydrated....now I know to stay away from milk with a stomach bug. He is feeling a little better every day!! Thanks again!

Featured Answers

A.W.

answers from Kalamazoo on

Well, if he does have a bug then dairy in general can definetly make it worse. If my kids have an upset stomach or fever we avoid dairy - especially milk. I would limit dairy for now and then reintroduce once he is feeling back to normal. If symptoms start back up, then you might reconsider it being related to a milk allergy???

2 moms found this helpful

More Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

P.N.

answers from Boston on

If he's been having dairy and being fine, I'd say it's likely a bug. If you just introduced dairy and got that reaction then that may be an allergy/intolerance. But either way, stop giving him dairy until you are sure he is well. Dairy is the worst thing you can give a kid with an upset tummy. I'd avoid giving all dairy and give BRAT diet foods probably, or just all bland stuff. Dairy is hard to digest. I'd avoid dairy for a couple days after any gi upset.

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

E.M.

answers from Boston on

upset tummies don't do well with milk - don't offer any dairy with a tummy bug - just lots of toast, rice, bananas, applesauce, things that are light and easy to digest. Crackers, dry ceral (like cheerios - low sugar, again, easy to digest). Give him a few days, and once his tummy seems a little better, start easy - some chicken soup, some small pieces of boiled chicken, cooked carrots, etc. Lots of tummy bugs going around. Make sure he stays hydrated...just a few sips of water at a time, or offer a pedialyte.
If you are worried, call the Dr.
Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.H.

answers from Honolulu on

He is sick.

In my city, there is a bug like that going around. Both among kids and adults.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

T.G.

answers from New York on

my 2 yr old son has a milk allergy so he isn't on milk and is having the same symptoms. The dr said the stomach bug is going around. After 2 weeks I took him again and he has an ear infection which can cause all the symptoms as well. good luck. I hope you are getting more sleep than I am :-)

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

T.R.

answers from San Francisco on

What about eliminating all dairy from his diet for a week or 10 days to see if the vomiting and messy diapers stop?

When my daughter was about 13 months old, she had a continual runny nose. Never yellow, just clear but the child care that we visited everyday at the gym was rude about the runny nose. We stopped liquid milk for a week and VOILA no more runny nose. The pediatrician was not happy that we diagnosed it ourselves, but it would have taken forever to get them to consider it an "intolerance or allergy".

Just be sure to offer lots of clear fluids, bananas and rice right now to help your son if he is recovering from the flu.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

V.A.

answers from Miami on

Sounds like you should take him off regular milk and use Lactaid which is what I gave my son who was lactose intolerant. The fever sounds like a bug. I would take him to the doctor.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

B.W.

answers from Boston on

There is a stomach bug going around my town of Belmont. My child is currently sick. We thought that she must have caught a stomach bug in school that the school authorities have been warning us about. But she didnt, she has sore throat, cough and fever. If your son has been vomiting, does he get water back in his body. My child has something completely different from yours but I had to take her to the ER last monday. She was drinking constantly but she was also throwing up and I didnt put that two together. The nurse told me that it is bad if my child hasn't peed in 8 hours. She hasn't for more than 10 and that is why her fever wasnt going down at all. Make sure to check in with your pediatrician

1 mom found this helpful
For Updates and Special Promotions
Follow Us

Related Questions