Online Stomach Flu (Gastroenteritis) Treatment
Stomach flu gets harder to manage at home once you cannot keep fluids down, and a waiting room is the last place you want to be when you are vomiting and contagious. You can talk to a board-certified doctor from home, describe your symptoms, and find out whether you are getting dehydrated. When medically appropriate, the doctor can send anti-nausea medication to the pharmacy you choose.
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Hi Dr. Nicole, I have been vomiting since last night and can’t keep water down. Can you help me?
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- Trimethobenzamide 300 mg capsule
- Take one capsule three or four times a day for nausea
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What are the treatment options for stomach flu?
Stomach flu is caused by a virus, so treatment focuses on replacing lost fluids and easing your symptoms while it runs its course. Antibiotics will not help because they fight bacteria, not viruses.
- Fluids: Drink small amounts often. Oral rehydration solutions from the drugstore replace the fluid lost from vomiting and diarrhea.
- Anti-nausea medication: If vomiting is stopping you from keeping fluids down, a doctor may prescribe medicine for nausea caused by gastroenteritis.
- Diarrhea medicine: Over-the-counter loperamide or bismuth subsalicylate may help adults. Do not use them if you have bloody or black stool, talk to a doctor first if you have a fever, and do not give them to children unless a doctor recommends it.
- Food: Eat small amounts when you feel hungry. Avoid fruit juice, soda, and broth, which do not replace lost minerals and can worsen diarrhea.
- Rest and time off: Rest as much as you can, and stay home for 2 days (48 hours) after your symptoms stop so you do not pass the virus on. You can also get a doctor’s note online for work or school during your consult.
What anti-sickness medications can we prescribe online?
When vomiting makes it hard to keep fluids down, anti-nausea medication can help you start drinking again. These are the prescription options our doctors may consider for stomach flu:
Anti-nausea capsule for adults
Tablet for severe nausea and vomiting
What is gastroenteritis and what causes stomach flu?
Gastroenteritis is an infection of the stomach and intestine. Stomach flu is the common name for gastroenteritis caused by a virus, although it is not related to the flu, which is caused by the influenza virus. Norovirus is the leading cause of vomiting and diarrhea in the United States, and rotavirus is the leading cause of vomiting and diarrhea in children.
Bacteria and parasites can also cause gastroenteritis, but the term “stomach flu” refers to the viral kind. The virus spreads very easily, and you can catch it through:
- Close contact: Caring for someone who is sick, or sharing food or utensils with them
- Contaminated food or water: Eating food handled by someone who is sick, oysters and other shellfish that are not cooked thoroughly, or water that has not been treated properly
- Contaminated surfaces: Touching a surface with the virus on it and then touching your mouth
What are the symptoms of stomach flu?
Stomach flu affects your stomach and intestines, but it can also cause fever, headache, and body aches. Common symptoms include:
- Watery diarrhea
- Nausea and vomiting
- Stomach pain or cramps
- Fever or chills
- Headache and body aches
- Loss of appetite
When should you see a doctor about dehydration?
Dehydration is the main risk with stomach flu, and young children, older adults, and people with other illnesses are more likely to become dehydrated. Talk to a doctor if you notice signs of dehydration, such as:
- Feeling very thirsty or having a dry mouth
- Urinating less than usual, or dark yellow urine
- Feeling dizzy when you stand up
- Headache or muscle cramps
- In children, fewer wet diapers than usual, crying with few or no tears, or being unusually sleepy or fussy
Severe dehydration is a life-threatening emergency and needs care in person, where fluids can be given through a vein. Call 911 or go to the emergency room if someone with dehydration loses consciousness, becomes confused, or has a fever over 102°F. Contact a doctor right away if someone cannot keep any liquids down or has not urinated for 8 hours or more.
If you can still drink but the vomiting or diarrhea is not settling, a doctor can review your symptoms online and send an online prescription for anti-nausea medication when medically appropriate.
FAQs About Stomach Flu
How to treat stomach flu without going to the doctor?
Stomach flu treatment at home is mostly about replacing lost fluids. Sip water or an oral rehydration solution in small amounts, and eat small amounts of food when you feel hungry. Rest, wash your hands with soap and water after using the bathroom, and wait at least 2 days after your symptoms stop before preparing food or caring for others. Over-the-counter diarrhea medicine may help adults, but not if there is blood in the stool. If you cannot keep fluids down, you can talk to a doctor online without leaving home.
How do you get rid of a stomach virus in 24 hours?
There is no medicine that clears a stomach virus in 24 hours, and antibiotics will not help because they fight bacteria, not viruses. Most people feel better within 1 to 3 days. Until then, focus on sipping fluids, resting, and eating small amounts when your appetite comes back. If vomiting is stopping you from drinking, a doctor may prescribe anti-nausea medication to help you keep fluids down.
When should I consider seeking medical attention for stomach flu symptoms?
Talk to a doctor if you have signs of dehydration, blood or mucus in your stool, a fever that does not go away, or stomach pain that keeps going. You should also talk to a doctor if diarrhea does not get better in 2 days for a child or 5 days for an adult, or if you vomit three or more times in one day or have nausea for more than 48 hours. Babies and young children are more likely to become severely dehydrated, so call a doctor sooner for them.
How is stomach flu usually treated in children vs adults?
Fluids are the main treatment for both, but some medicines are only for adults. Children should drink an oral rehydration solution in small amounts, and babies can keep drinking breast milk or formula along with extra fluids. Over-the-counter diarrhea medicines should not be given to children unless a doctor recommends them, and children and teenagers with flu-like symptoms should not take bismuth subsalicylate because of the risk of Reye’s syndrome. Some prescription anti-nausea medicines are not recommended for children. Adults can usually manage at home with fluids, rest, and over-the-counter diarrhea medicine when there is no blood in the stool or fever.
Are there complications associated with untreated stomach flu?
Most people get better in a few days without treatment, and the main complication is dehydration. Infants, young children, older adults, and people with a weakened immune system are at higher risk. Untreated severe dehydration may cause seizures, brain damage, or death. Antibiotics do not prevent these problems, because stomach flu is caused by a virus. When dehydration is noticed and treated quickly, you should recover completely.
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