Stomach Flu (gastroenteritis)
This information is about stomach flu for adults and some information does not apply to children. You’ll learn what stomach flu is, what its symptoms are, what to eat when you have stomach flu and how to treat stomach flu.
Stomach flu is often called “intestinal flu.” It’s an illness caused by a virus, and it produces different symptoms in different people. What people call stomach flu is usually marked by nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, and a general sick feeling.
How to Treat Stomach Flu Symptoms
First, you need to know that antibiotics, such as penicillin, don’t work on flu because antibiotics only kill bacteria. The flu is caused by a virus. Your body’s defenses do the best job in fighting the illness.
You can help your body fight the flu by getting as much rest as possible. Do light activities if you must do something, but rest as soon as you get tired. Stay home from work, unless your symptoms are mild. You’ll recover faster that way, and you won’t risk infecting others at work.
You should also drink enough fluids to avoid dehydration — but that takes some care when your symptoms are nausea and diarrhea. So let’s cover what you can do to relieve these symptoms.
What to Eat When You Have Stomach Flu
When your stomach is upset, the last thing it needs is food. If you feel nauseated, give your stomach a rest from food. Don’t eat or drink anything for about two hours. If you are vomiting, don’t eat or drink anything for about four hours. Then begin taking small sips of water. If you can keep the water down, gradually work up to small amounts — half-a-cup or less — of Gatorade, flat ginger ale, or half-water half-grape juice (don’t drink juice if you are also having diarrhea). Do this for four to eight hours. You can flatten ginger ale by stirring it to let the bubbles escape. If you are keeping down liquids, and feel like it, try eating saltine crackers or dry toast. Avoid sugary drinks, orange juice and other acidic beverages, and foods that are high in sugar, greasy or spicy.
You can also try the anti-nausea drug Dramamine if you are sure that you are not pregnant or allergic to it. Dramamine is not safe to take during pregnancy. This non-prescription medication is available at drug stores, and should be used as directed. If these measures don’t control your nausea, you should contact your healthcare provider. You should also call your healthcare provider if you take daily medication for any chronic medical condition and the nausea prevents you from taking your medicine.
Another common symptom of stomach flu is diarrhea. If you develop diarrhea, don’t eat or drink anything for four hours. Then start with sips of water and work up gradually, over several hours, to small amounts of ginger ale, Jell-O, Gatorade, or bouillon (clear soup). Again, you can also try saltines or dry toast. But don’t eat fruit juices or other solid foods for 24 to 48 hours. These foods will just stimulate the diarrhea. Sometimes dairy products also stimulate diarrhea after the initial flu, and therefore, it may be wise to stay away from dairy products for a few weeks.
After the first 24 to 48 hours, gradually resume eating solid foods like bananas, applesauce, or dry toast. Meanwhile, you can try the non-prescription medication Donagel or Kaopectate, as directed on the label, to help control diarrhea.
With diarrhea, you should call your healthcare provider if you don’t improve after three days — or if the diarrhea gets worse. Also call if your diarrhea is bloody, if you have severe abdominal cramps associated with nausea, vomiting and fever, or if you are sick after having recently returned from a trip to another country.
The stomach flu virus is contagious and can spread to family and friends
Viral gastroenteritis is contagious. The viruses that cause stomach flu are spread through close contact with infected persons (for example, by sharing food, water, or eating utensils of someone who has the stomach flu). So don’t let anyone eat or drink after you. You can also spread the virus by not washing your hands after cleaning up vomit or diarrhea, or after using the bathroom. So the best way to prevent the spread of the virus is washing your hands often and not spreading the virus for others.
Key points about stomach flu:
- Stomach flu can have different symptoms, but the common ones are nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
- Only your body can cure this condition, but you can help it do the job by getting plenty of rest.
- For nausea and vomiting, stop eating for two to four hours, then gradually introduce small amounts of water and other fluids. Avoid most solid foods for 24 hours.
- For diarrhea, don’t eat or drink for four hours; then gradually increase your intake of fluids. Avoid most solid foods and fruit juices for 24 to 48 hours.
- The stomach flu virus is contagious – don’t let anyone eat or drink after you.
- If your stomach flu symptoms are severe, unusual, or persistent, call your healthcare provider for advice.
Call your doctor or go to the emergency room if you have bloody diarrhea, if you become dehydrated (feel weak, lightheaded or dizzy, or your heart is racing), if you’ve been vomiting for more than 2 days or if you’re vomiting blood.
DAY 5 of this nasty stomach flu. I was thinking it may have been food poisoning, but after reading all the posts I am certain it is this stomach bug. I have been violently ill for the last 5 days straight. I went to the ER last night because there was so much gas build up in my stomach it felt like there was not enough room for my lungs to move.
WARNING: When you start to feel a bit better do not eat dairy or anything but the BRAT diet. You will prolong the illness if you do:(
I have never been so sick in my life. The doctor did say there are a lot of stomach bugs going around this time of year.
Good luck everyone.
Violently ill with stomach flu…best thing, don’t eat! Then, shake the CO2 off sprite, coca-cola,or ginger ale and sip on it, little bits of saltine crackers, then, try liquid immodium every 3 or 4 hours.
Eventually, get some lemom gatorade and sip on it to replenish electrolites…body has to have needed fluids restored to avoid serious dehydration issues. Keep your body cool, not too warm.
Eat dry toast when you think you can…but, stay away from food for about 24 hours…keep with gatorade! The ingredients will keep you doing well.
When able, eat a small piece of cheese and some crackers, sip on some jello (not chilled), eat a pretzel or two, allow your body time to heal, and keep drinking and sipping on gatorade!
In 24 hours or so, you can get some chicken broth to sip on with some crackers….but, stay eating very bland foods for about 3 days until your body settles down! It is a rough ordeal, indeed! Take care to ALL!
It just came over me yesterday at work, I was fine and then the next thing I knew I was going to the bathroom every 5 minutes and then starting to throw up. went home and the cramps started, tried eating toast but that didn’t stay down. I will take it nice and slow today, and try and get some gatorade into me. I wish evryone the best!
I am getting over a nasty tummy bug myself. Yesterday was a living hell…unbearable nausea, diarrehea, fever of almost 102 and terrible body aches.
I could only muster the energy to get up when it was to be in the bathroom. I was literally in and out of consciousness for 16 hours and still mananged to sleep through the night. Today I feel much better but am very skeptical about putting anything in my tummy. So far I’ve had a few Saltines and some ginger ale.
Thanks to the input here I’ve added applesauce and that’s sitting just fine as well. Will be picking up some rice and gatorade on the way home. Thanks!!
I too think I have the stomach flu I was fine yesterday however last night woke up with severe diarrhea . I have been drinking lots of fluids and am feeling a little better having said this however I still have a rumble tummy I guess I will go and buy some gatorade as this sounds to be the best thing to do. Thank you for the article it really was quite helpful. I can only ope I feel better tomorrow.
My young daughter started with vomiting/headache, then diarrhea proceeded. She insisted on eating even though I told her she shouldn’t. Tried Pepto, you guys were right, made her vomit right away.
Big Mistake.
I didn’t read this till day 4, oh well. You know the vomiting is coming when the gurgling starts. Get ready and run cause you won’t make it. I suggest keep something by your side.
I was shampooing carpet/cleaning bathroom floor/taking her a bath at 1:30am. I wish you all the best. Get well soon. We are staying home till this is done. However long it takes. God Bless to all.
Hi all
I have never felt so ill in all my life!!! I had both my bunions removed last year and I honestly thought that was the worst pain ever, now I disagree!!
This is day 4 for me and it still won’t budge :O(
Tuesday night I got in from work about 19.00 and started to feel fluey and had a headache, then I went to bed about 23.00 and was shaking uncontrollably like I was in an ice cube, got up around 00.00 and violantly threw up my dinner which was pretty disgusting. Wed I slept all day. I called my docs and NHS direct as my boyfriend thought I had swine flu, that got ruled out but the doc wanted to see me still and said i have this viral infection. That night the sever stomach cramps and diarreah started. I have never felt pain like it, I honesty thought I was about to give birth or something!! This has been continuous since then every 1/2 hour to and hour. Friday morning I woke my poor boyfriend up my sobbing, I felt like I was about to die. Today, Sat it is not so often, I would say once every four hours or so. I am roasting hot and feeling fluey again. Gutted I am missing a hot day and my boyfriends dads bbq. I seriously hope this goes away soon.
Thanks for the advice not to eat. I wil try this as currently I have been eating toast with marmite/cheese on toast/mango. Although I am STARVING.
I hope everyone gets better soon, I would’nt wish this on anyone :O(
My 6 year old daughter was picked up from school around 4:30 and complained of a headache and her tummy hurting…sure enough…1 hour later she started throwing up every 30 minutes and it lasted for 10 hours.
Talk about SCARED ME TO DEATH!
She woke up the next morning and felt a little better but then it all started over again. This stomach virus is the worst one ever!
Saltine crackers and toast seem to work best (no butter)…along with Gatorade.
I think we’ll move to chicken noodle soup next and see how that works. It’s been two days and she has only eaten 3 crackers. Scary.
I came down with the flu on Sunday, and it’s Friday & I am just NOW feeling better! I stuck to sipping water the 1st couple days, after vomiting stopped, I ate saltine crackers & a cup o’ noodles, then bananas, apples & jello-o & rice..So far no more tummy troubles, might start eating real food tomorrow in SMALL portions…
This site REALLY helped me! Thank you!!
Boy does misery love company. I started it five days ago with the full body ache and fatigue. I worked half days had strange dreams and figured after third day of pain it must be going going gone. That’s when I ate the lamb chops. Two full days and nights later with excrutiating stomach pain and runs I can keep water down barely.
I think this:
1) ignore hunger
2) pepto doesn’t work
3) don’t drink anything you can’t see through
4) Gatorade works
5) I hope we all are well soon.
My wife says “relax enjoy it”. If she only knew.
I am on day 3 of the “stomach flu” and i haven’t had any vomiting since day 1 but i still have the extremely bad diarrehea and body ache this article helped me out a little bit to see that i am not the only one that feels like i am dieing, i have tried to eat some foods because it seems like I am keeping them down good but i still have the grumbling and stomach pain the i wish i could get rid of but i guess i will just have to let it take its course, but i wish it would be soon because i have already missed 2 days of work cant afford anymore
I had the stomach flu for 7 days. I went to the ER twice for IV fluids and anti nausea meds, Zofran and Phenegran. It was hell. The best advice I can give is try and get lots of fluids in you, if you can’t go to the ER and get them to do an IV. I couldn’t keep any fluids down so this is why I resorted to the ER visits. Get lots of sleep. Stick to the B.R.A.T. diet, seriously.
Glad I’m not alone. It’s hard not to believe that death is not imminent. : – )
The flu never gets easier, and only seels to be worse the older I get. Hope to be on the mend soon…on day 2 and slept from 10-12 and 2:30-5:30 and ready for bed now at 9:30. Can stand up for 5 minutes and have to lay down again. WOW.
Had company nephew got sick friday evening, neice got sick saturday, nephew got sick sunday with my sister. Mom and I came down with it Sunday evening, brotherinlaw got it Monday. I finally feel better today….I can not believe how fast it spread. Only saw my sisters family for 2 hours before all this started. Husband and daughter never got it, hope they don’t.
Diarrhea started suddenly and never stopped. Didn’t eat for 36 hrs, but then wife asked me to eat some soup. BIG mistake. Fever peaked and I broke a huge sweat.
Felt much better the next day and succumbed to the temptation to eat eggs and toast.
Ugh.
We are now on water and flat coke until I can settle this down.
Drink flat coca-cola, 1 pint this will dissolve the meats in your stomach, just incase its food poisoning.
A day and a half days on clear broth soup add crackers, move on to 2nd day rice, add carrots and mash them up in rice on 3rd, add bannanas, toast, 4th then into mash potatoes and carrots and rice add a little chicken… and by then you will be coming round… always use half water & half gatorade every day to keep fluids, dont drink just straight gatorade… I just had the flu and im glad this worked for me, get rest too. angus cooney
Wow!!! This is definitely the worst sickness I’ve ever had. It started a week ago Saturday and I did the rotine of nausea, vomitting and diarrhea mostly at night. During the week I went to work Monday and Wednesday. That was a mistake since I have a physically demading job
and had no energy. I through up Wednesday morning before I went to work and to make matters worse my work truck broke down and I lost my car keys that same day. That night-Wed- I went to the shopko clinic-I had a pain in my chest-probably from throwing up- and they basically told me I should stay home to heal from this virus for a couple days. As I kept wondering whether I wouls ever feel better-on Thursday I saw my doctor and he told me I had gastroenteritis and that I needed an IV to get my hyration back.
They hooked me to an IV for almost 4 hours and since I’ve been home I feel better on the 7th day. I haven’t thrown up since Wed. morning but I still feel like I need a toilet permantly under my rear just in case.
I’v been taking Kaopectate but the stool is still loose. I guess I’ll just have to let it run its course. Boy I’ll tell you, after this I will appreciate pizza and burgers like you never imagined.
I’ve lost over ten pounds in a week-and that’s alot for a little guy like me who weighs normally about 145. Lime gatorade is great. Homestyle chicken noodle soup is good. I’m goiing to try the bananas-apples seemed to work well.
Hello, my fellow sick folks:
My stomach flu started out of nowhere on Friday. Became quite tired, quite suddenly. Ate dinner and then the games began! Watery stool – about 6 – 8 big events in a row. Legs and feet tensed up and yes, I felt weak and light-headed. The worse part, though, that no one has mentioned, is the ‘ring of fire’ feeling in my anus. I couldn’t walk, it hurt so bad. Called the nurse hotline and got some good advice for the burning behind:
soak in warm water in bathtub with 2 teaspooons (or so) of backing soda. Try to relax. No time limit or suggested time. Dry off and then use that old unused container of Vaseline and place some on and around the area. No need to place internally. Welcome to heaven… the anal pain is gone…. Now, don’t eat and sleep if you can. If you start to feel depressed, it’s a good time to rent The Sopranos or Alias or Dexter from your local video store. Or you can read the gossip tabliods on line. Although you won’t die if you honor your body and take good care of it, I know you are very uncomfortable right now. Hang in there. Try to take your mind off your pain and fatigue. IF you have blood or mucus in your stool OR/AND you don’t urinate for 23 hours, call your doctor ASAP. If you have back pain, call the doctor. The most important thing to do is stay hydrated w. water or Poweraid or Gatorade, etc. If you get dehydrated, you will end on in the ER w. an IV with saline (salt water) and a large ER medical bill in about a month.
Also recommend listening to classical music. Take care. I am very grateful I found this website. JLS, Portland, OR
Taking 2 Ibruprofen with a little Tylenot will reduce body aches and pains.
Treat yourself to a new toothbrush and be kind to your partner or house members; disinfect the handles of the the sink and toilet as well as door knobs. Load your dishes in the dishwasher or use papercups to decrease the chance of passing this virus on to others. Lastly, remember this virus/the stomach flu, is very contagious. Don’t go to work if you can spare a work day – you will feel better and you can feel good about yourself that you didn’t give this dreaded experience to your coworkers and clients.
I’m on Day 2 1/2 of this and I must say I’ve never felt so physically terrible in my entire life. Headaches, body pains, acute stomach cramps, and of course, the gushing runs. The diarrhea has eased up although we’ll see if it makes a comeback because I had a little chicken noodle soup this evening. It’s comforting to read about how everyone else is coping and I shall drink to our resumed health with my Gatorade.
I started feeling nauseous on Sunday, stomach pains, a little diarrhea, but no vomiting. I’ve been eating only saltines and breads and drinking water and ginger ale but nothing seems to help! I’ve had the stomach flu before but I never had it without vomiting so I wasn’t sure if it was that or something else. I have no fever and my legs are achy. Going to Dr. tomorrow. Hopefully can find some relief!
It does get better. I finally started to feel better after Day 11 and my stool was finally hard. i am now eating solid foods and even chowed down a brat at supper time. With Fathers Day coming I’m going to look for the biggest buffet in town and put some meat back on this body of mine.
I was wondering if my body was shutting down and yes the thought that I might die did cross my mind even if it was only temporary. Trust me there is a light at the end of the tunnel and you will get better. Try not to take Kaopectate etc. as these will only slow the process and make you less hungry for anything.
Thanks for all the help you’ve been with these articles.
I have never felt stomach cramps like this before. like another poster – feels like a faucet is turned on and releases of my rectum. its horrible.back on the toilet every 10 minutes. only threw up twice so far.
Thought it was food poisoning, but it must be the flu. Horrible. Good luck fellow pre-recoverees!
Thanks for the advice. Shouldn’t have had that slurpee and wrap today when i “was” feeling better. UGH.
This has to be the worst stomach flu that has been around in a while… We are on day 6 and while the diarrhea has stopped the nausea and stomach upset has held on for additional time.. What happened to the 24 hour stomach flu???
Wednesday my sister cam home feeling sick with cramps and then she started throwing up. She thought it was from some shrimp she ate for lunch that day but she was wrong cause yesterday she passed it onto me…
So last night i was throwing up like crazy now I’m at work and scared to eat or drink anything until i go home.I already knew about the saltine crackers and toast. i usually toast mine until it’s burnt lol it works good but i’m starving and wanted to find some real food to eat that wont make me throw up.