If you don’t know where you got The Bug (it came following a day when I was exposed to small children AND eating out), and the diarrhea/stomach cramps are persisting (fourth day now) does that indicate one versus the other?
I thought I was doing better, but after a fairly normal day and eating some food my symptoms returned last night.
I don’t want to expose friends at the playdate this morning.
After four days, I’d suggest contacting a doctor.
oh grrr. Really? I’m keeping water down, it’s just my nether regions that are in an uproar.
The (unofficial) Peace Corps standard is see a doctor if you are still bad after five days. There are about a million things that can cause diarrhea, and usually it will resolve itself before you can figure out what it is. But there are a few things that will keep getting worse and can be easily solved by a couple of pills.
I had a six month long bout with something or another that made me miserable just because I didn’t want to poop in a cup. Totally not worth it. See the doctor.
In the meantime, eat bananas, rice, applesauce and toast and keep well hydrated. As long as you was your hands and try not to poop on people you probably won’t spread this around, so go to your playdate if you are up to it.
Thanks for the tip!
Yes, I learned of the BRAT diet after having kids. At first I didn’t know WHAT those instructions meant, :D.
I was at my doctor this morning for a respiratory infection, and I asked her about what types of infections had been making the rounds. (I have a strange interest in how diseases spread and incubation periods-- strange, I know.) She mentioned that in addition to this nasty respiratory bug, there is also a particularly virulent stomach bug that is lasting 4 or 5 days, instead of the normal 24 hours.
I left the office feeling thankful that all I had was super-bad cold!
To be pedantic: yes. Gastroenteritis is an inflammation of the intestinal tract, which may be caused by foodborne illness (“food poisoning”) or it may be viral or bacterial in origin. So if it was foodborne, it’s still, at this point, probably gastroenteritis. At the very least, that’s the diagnosis you’re most likely to get in an ER so they can treat you and put something down on your insurance forms.
But what you really want to know is if you’re contagious. Given good hygiene, you’re likely fine. Just wash your hands very well after using the toilet, for at least 30 seconds (sing a round of “Old MacDonald Had a Farm” while you’re sudsing.)
If the diarrhea doesn’t stop today though, it’s time to see a doc. While unlikely, you could be facing something like a gluten intolerance or Celiac or Crohn’s or Irritable Bowel Syndrome or diverticulitis or…should I go on? Diarrhea is a depressingly common symptom.
And then there’s that bout of norovirus that put me in the hospital for a bit in 2007… really, even if you’re hydrated and keeping things down if the runs persist more than a few days go see a doctor.
ohhh I am in the same boat! Christmas night or next day (1AM) I proceeded to bathroom, threw up, then diarrhea! Whoohoo! Still going on now, I may see about going to Docs. I can eat, but seems like it comes and goes. 
The holidays are an especially bad time for foodborne illness. Not only do we tend to eat a whole bunch of fiber-devoid, high fat and sugar junk which makes our intestines wonky, but there’s also Aunt Millie’s green bean casserole which came out of the oven 3 hours before the ham was done and was sitting out on the counter until it was zapped in the microwave at the last minute and Aunt Cindy’s cheese tray which rode in the back of the unrefrigerated car…and let’s not even mention eggnog! Normally, I’m not a big Food Police kinda gal, but the holidays make even me nervous.
I hope we all feel better soon.