My Sister has a toddler who has had severe diarrhea for over 2 weeks now. She has been to the pediatrician two times and both times was told that he has rotavirus. All the infomation we find on the internet says that the rotavirus generally lasts about a week. Her son has had explosive diarrhea for two weeks. He is drinking a lot and having plenty of wet diapers, but his appetite is decreased and he is lethargic. He has been off dairy and fruit [including fruit juice] for 10 days. Beyond treating his diaper rash the MD doesn't have much more to offer. We've come across some advice on the web about using acidophilus and lactose free milk--doesn anyone have any experience with this? The MD told us to call back in 10 days if he isn't any better, but that seems like such a long time. We'd appreciate any advice or insight anyone has to offer on the rotavirus or infants/toddlers with diarrhea for extended periods of time. Thanks!
Thanks for all the great advice everyone. It always helps to hear opinions from people who have dealt with this first hand. We are going to try some acidophilus and see if that helps him. We are pretty sure that it is rotovirus because of the odor, but my sister did take in a stool sample to her last appointment. She is just waiting for the results. Thanks again! Just a FYI--Triple Cream diaper ointment is the best! It is quite expensive but it cleared up my nephews [terrible] diaper rash it one day. It's definitely worth the extra money.
10/10/06 The babe has finally recovered. Yes, we sent a stool sample, and yes it was rotovirus. Thanks to all who provided advice and reassurance during a time of stress.
http://www.cdc.gov/nip/diseases/rota/rotavirus.htm#1
This may be helpful, dehydration seems to be t he biggest problem, Pediolyte might be helpful in keeping the electrolytes up. You might of seen this web site already
My 2.5 year old and 11 month old both had it. The explosive diapers lasted for over two weeks with the 2 year old. We took him off ALL dairy and juice - he drank only pedialyte, gatorade (watered down) or Propel w/vit c....and that finally did the trick. I would tell her just to hang in there - there is nothing the Dr. can give for that type of virus - it just has to work it's way out...good luck!!
Rotavirus is so icky. Poor boy and poor mom. Unfortunately if it is indeed rotovirus, then he could have diarrhea for up to 3 weeks and loose stools for even longer, however decreasing in frequency. The biggest concerns with rotovirus are dehydration and diaper rash. It sounds as if you are aware of both of those. Wet diapers and drinking well are key to determining if he is dehydrated or not. Because rotovirus is a virus, there is not much to do but, wait the course.
I will ask this. Does he have bloody or tar colored stools? Did the doctor run a test to determine if this is indeed rotovirus or is he/she diagnosing on symptoms alone? There is a test available to determine if this is rotovirus. It involves collecting a stool sample to be sent to a lab. If there is blood in his stool or he is showing signs of dehydration (ie very little or no urine output, no tears, sunken eyes, dry sticky mouth, or serious lethargy<not playing at all>) then he needs to see the doctor again or another doctor for a second opinion.
You can certainly try yogurt with active cultures to see if it will help. I have read studies that say it does and studies that say it doesn't, but ultimately it doesn't hurt to try it. Plain water, or oatmeal baths and followed by air drying the bottom, then aquaphor as a barrier ointment does wonders for the diaper burn this type of diarrhea causes.
I wish your sister and her toddler good luck and recovery soon.
Hi! My son had Rotavirus at 8 months old. He had the diarhea for a couple days, and the vomiting everything up, and then when I thought it was getting better (turned out he was just dehydrated and had nothing more to come out, but was drinking pedialyte at the amounts they told me to feed), he got a fever of 106 on christmas eve morning. I woke up at 5 am and noticed, so of course we went straight to the ER. They thought it was rotavirus, but weren't going to test his stool. They did take blood and urine samples... and didn't listen to me when I told them that holding his legs up for the urine sample was dangerous with his diarhea, and they should have the diaper cover at least that area... they didn't listen... and were given a pretty good stool sample all over both nurses. They decided as long as they had it, they would keep it to test, and called a few days later and said it was positive for rotaviurs. Ask your dr if you can bring in a sample from the next diaper and have the lab test it. I was told it would last about 10 days, sometimes longer. It was over 2 weeks with Connor. I had him on just pedialyte for a day... then added some breastmilk for about a week, before I finally gave him small amounts of rice cereal again. If you feed any cereal, rice is the best because it helps to bind them up.
There is also a new formula out for diarhea(http://welcomeaddition.com/product5.aspx)... my son got bad diarhea on the 4th of july that lasted a month, they did tests and everything and couldn't find anything wrong with him. The dr said that after a week the intestines and everything get damaged and can't digest regular milk, so this is a soy formula that is meant to help bind it up so it becomes solid. It was Similac Isomil DF, you might want to ask your dr if you could try feeding that. They gave me 2 8 oz cans at the dr, and the only place I know of that sells it is Walgreens, and it is only available in a 32 oz bottle. It helped a lot. Within a week he was pretty solid again, after a month of diarrhea. Rotavirus is not fun, but there is not much you can do to get rid of it! The best advice they would give me is to keep him eating, everytime he poops some of the virus is coming out, so the more food that goes through him, the sooner he would get better.
I also noticed that some people claimed they got it from their kids. That was not rotavirus then. It is very contagious, but only to children under 5 years, and only if you don't wash your hands after changing diapers. It only spreads through the stool. My son was around my cousins daugter the day after being in the ER (we talked to the dr and called a nurse line for 2 opinions on what to do for christmas) and that was what we were told. My cousins daugter (my sons age) never got it, noone else in the family ever got it, and he was in a daycare center in a room with 12 infants, where not one other child got it. It was a really daycare that was good about washing hands and stuff, the only way it can spread is if they don't. The lady who said it went through her whole daycare... must not have washed her hands. He caught it from the mother of a kid who had it a week before him. She hadn't washed her hands (I didn't know at the time) and fed him some chips. 2 days later his daycare called because he vomitted all over his crib. He didn't keep anything down for 2 days after that. Rotavirus is both vomitting and diarrhea, so if he has not had both, I think a stool test would probably show it is not rotavirus. I think you should have them take a sample and test it, just so you know. It is always better to know for sure than wonder or hope. Good luck!
J.
Hi!
In my experience, a toddler with this virus responds well to yogurt with ACTIVE cultures in it - plain or as close to it as you can get them to eat. (You have to read the label to make sure of the active cultures.)
Good luck!
C.
My two year old had the rotavirus for two weeks. Even though she was drinking alot of fluids she still ended up in the ER for dehydration because of the amount of diarrhea. We did end up doing the acidophilus which I think helped. I got quite nutty about her diet as well. I only feed her white rice, bananas, bland crackers, and oatmeal for several days and things started to clear up. Good luck.
Tricia Kronzer
If her child is drinking and wet diapers, he/she should be ok. Also have her try pedialyte, that will help give him the nutrients he is losing. You mainly want to watch for dehydration. I have three children and I have found it can last one week, but more often than not, it has lasted up to 3 to 3 1/2 weeks. The explosive does end, but they will continue to get the loose diapers for awhile. And the best way of knowing it is rotavirus is the smell. It is horrible and there is no mistaking it.
If she is still concerned, have her take him to a different doctor for a different opinion.
Hope this Helps,
A.
I know rotavirus is going around I'm pretty sure my neighbors next door had it and gave it to my daughter who's 5 and has had it before. My neighbors have had this over 2 weeks now. They're ages 11 and up so it's not gonna hit them as hard as your sister's little one. But these older kids missed school and my daughter is borderline of missing school. Because we've had it before my daughter and I aren't that bad but the neighbors are. I get really nervous and scared when my daughter's sick. She ran a high fever(ear infection/virus) last X-mas for 5 days and I called the nurse line 3 x, brought her in to the doctor and the emergency room and she was on antibiotics and she wasn't back to herself for atleast a week. The doctors really didn't do much but give her antibiotics that didn't do anything we just had to wait it out.
I don't know if this helps but, I guess in some cases adults can get this too. Well last year i got it and i think my husband got it but my son was to little to get it. My doc told me it could take more than a week to get rid of but thank God it only took a week. I don't know if toddlers can take i think it is called Medamucail. Sorry i can't spell but its a fiber supplment. My husband and i took it and it helped alot. We didn't take that exact one but that is the brand name of what we took. Hope it helps let me know if it helped or not.
S.
get a second opinion!!
My niece had Roto, and it can be very hard to get rid of. She had it for at least a month, but I think that's because my s-i-l wasn't being very careful. It took her dr a couple weeks to finally do something about it. Just be very careful with hand washing and ect. It transfers so easy. I was afraid my infant at the time, caught it, but luckily she didn't. Definately check around with other drs. Lathargia (sp?) is nothing to mess around with. Urgent care or the ER may be good options. They seam to be much more thorough then your regular dr. Sometimes I think they think they know us better than me know ourselves!
I would get a second opinion, especially if your nephew is lethargic. My pediatrician told me our son probably had rotavirus when he had diarrhea for over a week, but she told me to watch for signs of dehydration, which include lethargy. Just remember, everyone makes mistakes, including doctors. If your gut tells you something's wrong, go with your gut.
Definitely get another opinion, but take heart as there are some extreme comments on your responses. I have three small children and recall going through this with each of them. The smell is awful and the mess worse. We got to a point where we would just throw away the jammies they were in because we couldn't stand cleaning it up all the time. (sounds extreme but by the time you go through this a third time you just don't want to keep doing laundry 7xs a day for 2 more weeks)
I remember my hands being so chapped from washing them after changing the kids that I actually needed a special hand cream to restore them.
I tried everything and don't recall anything being a success as the virus really does have to run its coarse. The brat diet is always my go to- but follow your child's cues on food. I remember trying to convince them not to eat so much because I knew if would come back out- and it did, but didn't seem to bother them much.
good luck!
Make sure he gets plenty of pedialite. Still keep him off dairy and fruit drinks. Try the BRAT diet. I think it is bananas, rice, apple and toast....ask your doctor about it, but I think that's what it stands for. It works for diarreaha. Also there is children's immodium, that works too.
It just RUNS it course.....usually takes a good 10 days or so, very contagious, it ran thru my whole daycare last year.
Good luck
Although I do not have much experience with Rotavirus, I do have experiece with peditricians that do not act and are to quick to wait and see. If this has been going on for 2 weeks my suggestion get a second opinion. It may be one thing your sister can do to get piece of mind that this is truely what her son has or she may find out that it is something else so he can be treated properly. I wish you both the best of luck, I know that having s sick child and being unable to help them is frustrating.
I'd get a second opinion. The diagnoses of Rotavirus isn't a blood test, it's diagnosed by symptoms only. When my daughter had it, my husband and I both ended up with it and it SUCKS! It causes huge pains in your abdomen and in your butt muscles, and not just the red butt from diarrhea. It makes you extremely tired and it took us all about a week and a 1/2 to run through the house. But...it can be caught again. Perhaps he is getting re-infected. Also, the pedialite did help our daughter. As far as my husband and I, we just let it run through us like any other kind of virus. But, the symptoms in your nephew sound like Rotavirus, but...there are other things they can look at to ensure he doesn't have anything else...like Limes disease or something more serious. I'd get a second opinion.
my daughter had it right when she turned one and the diarrhea lasted about two weeks and then there was a rash after that. as long as she had wet diapers the doc was not worried.
B.
Hello My name is E. I'm from Costa Rica Where rotavirus is frecuenly happens with children's and adults. I think you'd better get another Dr opinion because your baby have been sick for a long time. I have a 5 year old boy who has lactose alergy and always present diarrea when his tummy is not reary for lactose and this includes any kind of food with milk.
Another intrest thing is there's sometimes even the spicy food bothers his tummy. I hope you can understand my english, and your boy get better soon
My oldest daughter had similar symptoms. The doctors told me she had a virus. She died a day after I took her to the hospital. I would suggest she take the baby back to the doctor and have them run every test they have. It could be meningitis.
I agree with the other post...see if you can go to a specialist. diarrhea for two weeks is not normal and now that he is lethargic it sounds like something else may be going on. 10 days is way too long to have a wait and see attitude when dealing with a toddler.
I would be seeking a 2nd opinion or just going straight to the ER. I would also pick a new dr.
You can try acidophilus, but got to your local pharmacy and ask if they have any that is refrigerated. That is better and has a better chance or helping to clear up the diarrhea. I would take that in addition to doing the brat diet. My daughter had rotovirus and it lasted approx 1 week, so i would think that there is something else going on with this poor child.
I would get a 2nd opinion. It seems like you are unsure of the doctors advice & when that happens, especially with your child, I would get a 2nd opinion. Ours sons 1st pediatrician was very nice but didn't seem too sure of himself so I no longer see him.
Good luck!
Has he been tested for Ecoli or salmonella? My daughter who is 3 ended up getting salmonella poisioning and she had the diahrea for 2 weeks. She never had a fever, but was really tired from her body fighting it off. They can do a stool culture just to rule it out, I would...good luck!
