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The horrible stomach flu has struck our household. Other than Coca cola (which I remember from my childhood as a stomach-soother), what is best to give to an eruptive gut very, very sparingly?
thegolferbitch
Feb 15, 2007 06:20AM
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sometimes it helps to have nothing for 12 hours, if everything seems to be coming up. however, flat/warm gingerale I think works best when you decide to start. but definitely sip whatever you try over time, do not take too much at once as the stomach can't handle it & will reject it. Then I'd move on to jello.
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Ginger candies! My husband had this last week and it was suggested that Ginger candy would make him feel better. And it really worked. The brand we used was Reed's Ginger Candy.
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Absolutely! I was under the weather last week adn most of this one. I got Ginger People Chews and some of their just plain crystalized ginger. It settles a stomach quickly. For my dogs I often give them ginger in cheese if they are showing signs of getting car sick on a trip.
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As kids we always did golden gingerale. Nowadays, we give the kids pedialyte or gator ade to replenish the nutriants and to avoid dehydration. I also agree that jello soothing and easy on the stomach. My kids like the frozen pops. Rest and get well!
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I'd suggest Gatorade over Coke (your going to want to rehydrate). Then keep it very simple: jello, gummy bears, broth, plain rice, etc... Avoid dairy, spices, citrus, etc...
I've had A LOT of stomach problems in the past, so this is almost my forte (sad thing to brag about, I know). You might want to have some Coke but I wouldn't suggest drinking a lot of it as it is so acidic and might lead to more dehydration than you're already experiencing. I can't stress Gatorade (if you have little ones, there's a kiddie rehydrant too but I can't remember the name Pedia-something?) enough.
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another vote for ginger ale...also I find that ice cream/gelato really helps settle my stomach...
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Ha! - someone else who finds gelato soothing after upset stomach. I don't care for full-fat ice cream (when flu-y), but I really do find gelato or sherbert soothing.
Otherwise, can't beat the classics (as everyone else instructed): ginger ale, saltines.
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The Indonesian ginger candy Ting Ting Jahe has gotten us through much queasitude.
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In our house Ramen Noodles are ussually the first meal after the bug. Simple to make and consisting of not much more than salt and noodles. Nothing there to upset the stomach.
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some druggists still carry coke syrup, although ginger ale (try having it not so cold,, sans ice) might also help. Saltine crackers. Maybe potato chips, if they're not too greasy.
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Wanted to add that if you are regular caffeine consumers you'll want some coke or something so you don't add a whopping headache to the mix. This was a lesson learned that I'll never forget.
nothing to add re food ideas, we do candied ginger, toast, jello, warm broth, saltines, popcicles (or frozen gatorade or = ), ginger ale, coke, hot tea.
Hope you're all feeling much better very soon!
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Actually, stay away from Gatorade, sodas and juices for the first 24 hours (they all contain too much sugar which make people feel worse). Try a gastrolyte, pedialyte or use the WHO field substitute:
Mix 2 tablespoons of sugar (or honey) with 1 teaspoon of table salt and 1 teaspoon of baking soda. (Baking soda may be substituted with 1 teaspoon of table salt.) Mix in 1 liter (1 qt) of clean or previously boiled water.
Drinks should be sipped, not gulped. Aim for 1 drink every 15 minutes (this is from the hospital but it never works that way).
Be careful about water consumption the first few days - too much can cause seizures due to the loss of electrolytes.
If the person feels like eating, try the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast - dry). Do not eat any dairy products for 3 days after the symptoms have ceased.
For the caregiver - consider alternate sleeping arrangements if your spouse is sick and use a different bathroom than those who are sick. Use gloves and a mild bleach solution to clean the house (depending on what is causing the gastro-enteritis the person could be infectious anywhere from 2 hours to 48 hours before symptoms show). Quarantine sick people to their bedrooms and the bathroom (boring but it keeps the bleaching routine to a minimum). Wash your hands frequently and give everyone a refresher on how to wash their hands (lots of soap and friction, sing happy birthday twice then rinse). Do not prepare foods until you know that you're not infected (or you'll just re-infect everyone).
Good luck!
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Agree with nothing for first 12 hrs. except Ginger Ale, 7 up, etc...The crackers and/or baked potato without a lot of butter, sour cream...My son just had this last week
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Thank you everyone. I do have a 2 liter bottle of ginger ale at home. I also have some ginger marmalade which I might try on toast tonight/tomorrow. I am the "wellest" one at home....or just the least whiny....not sure which. I just very gingerly (no pun) sipped a half can of coke about an hour ago. nothing evil happening yet. Thanks again.
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Wow, Cott's Golden Ginger Ale, now that takes me back! "It's Cott to be good!" Both my Mother & Grandmother, basically our whole extended Irish family, swore by it. Enough about me, we wish you a speedy recovery. Being an under the weather mom surely carries extra burdens with it :-)
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Cott and Fanta and Shasta....what the heck happened to the soda of our youth? Actually, I am childless Harp00n except for my flatulent dog...but we had aunties visiting who I swear brought the plague upon us. I do feel like myself today....thank you! Wow...Cott soda. And Moxie. urg.
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Sorry bout this flu gb, just mentioned you on another thread. Try popsicles, not the sugar free kind, the kind with sugar at least fruit sugar. others have mentioned better ideas.
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I agree with the Coke, ginger ale, and full-sugar popsicle suggestions...helped me a couple of months ago! Feel better!
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I just had it earlier this week and couldn't think of putting a single thing on my stomach for over 12 hours. (Of course, most of those hours were spent emptying my stomach of everything, including its inner lining, I think!)
I was dehydrated and finally managed a 1/2 popsicle (didn't stay down long but long enough to make me feel slightly rehydrated).
A few hours after that, just popsicles & jello, gingerale (flat), a piece of dry toast, and then finally that evening a very little bit of plain rice and chicken noodle soup.
I'm still not up to snuff and hardly feel like eating anything much beyond what I mentioned above.
The BRAT diet and other suggestions mentioned by Librarian http://www.chowhound.com/topics/37136... are sound. They are beyond the "this is what I like when I'm sick" and in the vein of what medical advisors will tell you.
I have always used BRAT in conjunction with ... the other end of the digestive bug from what I had this week.
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Peppermint tea will really help.
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Hey to all who suggested this.....hungrydyke, I got this Celestial seasonings sampler for christmas and you know, the peppermint tea did help. I don't know if it was the tea, or the scent which is so calming too...
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when i was a kid, and after i could hold down some toast, my mom gave me a little bit of pastene and butter. i still do that as a grown-up.
p.s. lol, i've always hated bananas and rice.
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I now am reminded of grandma's pastene! It seemed to heal everything.
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as a kid my mom always gave me flat 7up and saltines, (I still use her "remedies" as an adult)
if you are losing a lot of fluids (throwing up or problems with the other end) I've heard pedialyte works well (for adults as well as babies)
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Chamomile tea or peppermint tea are soothing if you are feeling queasy. Gatorade also settles my stomach (the plain lemon lime flavor).
Sipping gatorade and nibbling saltines is the best way to recover. Then move onto toast. It's usually a couple of days before I can eat a meal. Avoid salads and dairy products for the first couple of days, as well as anything fatty or rich.
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Reed's ginger candy---it can be dissolved in hot water then poured over cracked ice.
It Will help!!!!!
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I always found Coca-Cola syrup to be far better at calming my tummy than a drink of Coke.
Other things I've found effective for me include:
Propel nutrient water
Peppermint tea (not too hot)
Chamomile tea (not too hot)
Ginger ale (room temp)
Ginger hard candies
For some reason, the first protein I crave after a bad tummy episode is a bit of baked or grilled chicken, shredded. I can always get someone to swing by Wendy's or Boston Market
or some other restaurant to get me baked or grilled chicken. The next thing I seem to crave is a bit of egg drop soup.
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Gingerale, a bit flat and not too cold. Chamomile or peppermint tea.
Once you feel a bit better, saltines, jello, dry toast, chicken broth, white rice.
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Ack! I just recovered from this myself as DH suffered through the resp flu. Before getting the stomach flu I had made chicken soup for DH and bought a few bottles of gatorade. Day 1: diluted gatorade. If I can handle it later in the day broth and crackers. Day 2: if stomach is still touchy, toast or rice, more gatorade. When hunger resumes I have a slice or two of cheese thin crust pizza light on the cheese. It is a weird transition food but it works for me. It worked for DH too because he was getting tired of soup.
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Any fennel seeds in the old spice rack? Brew some fennel tea for queasiness. Yes also to chamomile.
Sometimes I think ginger ale works through faith alone, powered by childhood memories. So what - it works. A few years ago, recovering from a major intestinal illness, I found some Jamaican brand of extra strong ginger ale and swore by it.
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Good old Classic Coca-Cola (in sips!) as always been the only thing that worked for me. However it is proven that ginger is a wonderful thing for the stomach gone wrong. When my stomach is "tense" I actually chew on a 50 cent piece size of peeled raw ginger...did that today in fact, but i don't know how that would work if you are in the throws of a stomach bug...might be a bit much.
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We had it a week and a half ago...ginger ale and saltines, eventually jell-o. Adirondack is a nice brand (of ginger ale) I've only seen in some MA groceries, discovered when a friend brought it to me during a sick bout years ago.
The posts about ginger candy reminded me of the candies/lollipops made for morning sickness -- PregoPops or somesuch. I bet they'd ease a stomach upset by bug, too.
Since your OP was a few days ago, I hope you're feeling better now! We took turns, but no one was down more than 2 days. (~1 day sick, 1 day just flat wiped out)
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The key to drinking ginger ale for an upset stomach is to make sure it actually HAS ginger in it. Many ginger ales don't any more.
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In addition to the classics - gingerale, saltines - I would add chicken bouillion & dry toast. Although I'm not a tea drinker, I've been told that peppermint tea soothes the stomach.
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My tai-chi instructor suggested this to our class not long ago. Sounds weird, but he swears that it works. After the first or second time you have emptied your stomach, drink the liquid from a can on peaches in heavy syrup. He says that the bug goes with the stomach contents and the remaining sickness is reflexive. The sugary peach syrup changes the chemistry in the stomach.
I haven't been sick and am looking for anyone else who has heard of this treatment.
Hope you and your family is feeling better.
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