Hi everyone. I have a question about my son. Before I start he has seen a doctor and they are trying to figure this out but I thought one for you might have an idea. He is going to be 3 next month. Around the beginning of May he got the Rotavirus. I never heard of it before he got it but I guess it is very common. We think my 16 month old, Joshua, got it first and gave it to Jesse (my oldest). He had to hospitalized for 4 days for dehydration and to treat this but he is OK for the most part now. The doctor said he could still have signs of it for 2 months. For that whole time he would complain his tummy hurts. Finally about 3 weeks ago he was running a low grade fever and had very loose stools. We had him checked out and they said just a bug. Well, now they are thinking he might still have this virus. He now seems fine other than the loose stools and he gets a massive diaper rash. The other possibilities is some sort of nutrition problem or he is all of a sudden allergic to milk. We have to stop giving him milk for 2 days to see if that clears it up. This is where we are now. Oh yeah, now my other son seems to have loose stools also.

I know this is probably limited info but does anyone have any thoughts? In case I don't respond for awhile, I may not be on after tonight until Monday night. Thanks.

Jduke, Let me say how sorry I am that you are going through a hard time with the kids right now. It is terrible being a parent and having to watch your child being sick. I know I would give anything if I could be sick instead. I had a problem with my 4 year old who got stung on BOTH index fingers by a wasp last night, so I can relate. Also, my oldest who is now 20 had rotavirus as a 3 year old. So this is what I learned...

Rota virus is transmitted via fecal/oral route. In simple terms this means that when you change diapers it can be transmitted. Make sure to wash your hands in antibacterial soap and hot water for at least 20 seconds then follow us with an antibacterial product like Germ-X.

It would be extremely helpful to know where you live due to the way certain viruses spread as well as certain "pests", please feel free to PM me with this and I will not disclose that information.

What concerns me is that rotavirus should only last a few days in people with healthy immune systems, now, don't get concerned, most 3 year olds do not have an immune system comperable to ours, so it tends to last longer in the youngins.

I am wondering if a second opinion is in order for your peace of mind.

I believe it is important that you read this (http://www.drgreene.com/21_108.html). It is quite helpful. I actually gave you some unnecessary advice about the handwashing and it is all in this article.

J_9, I just pm'ed you. They did tell us to make sure we wash our hands every time, not that we don't anyway. I will read that as soon as I get a chance. Thanks.

Edit: I wonder if something else could have developed due to having rotavirus?

Okay, hun, my concern about rota virus is that it mostly occurs from November through April, it is rarely a summertime illness. It does happen but rarely.

Yes, you are in a good hospital, with great docs. Is he showing any other symptoms? No vomiting? Lethargy? Headache?

You say he has loose stools, when my oldest had it I would give him water and it would literally run right through.

I am sure to docs told you, you need to keep an eye on his skin. If it looks dried out. The symptoms include dry mouth, throat and mucous membranes (when he cries there would be no tears) sunken abdomen eyes or cheeks, no wet diapers for 3 hours or more?

If any of this happens you should go right back to that hospital. And again, yes they are some of the best in the country.

Are you able to give him pedialyte? I would ask if this is okay to help combat dehydration.

Okay, hun, my concern about rota virus is that it mostly occurs from November through April, it is rarely a summertime illness. It does happen but rarely.

Yeah I just read that in the article you gave me. That's weird.


Yes, you are in a good hospital, with great docs. Is he showing any other symptoms? No vomiting? Lethargy? Headache

None of them now. He did have a low grade fever (98-99) 3 weeks ago.


You say he has loose stools, when my oldest had it I would give him water and it would literally run right through

Nothing like when he originally had rotavirus. There is some consistency. That doctor actually saw it the first time and he was somewhat OK with it. Of course, he did say if it gets at all worse to call them.


I am sure to docs told you, you need to keep an eye on his skin. If it looks dried out. The symptoms include dry mouth, throat and mucous membranes (when he cries there would be no tears) sunken abdomen eyes or cheeks, no wet diapers for 3 hours or more?

Yes they didn't tell us specific like you are but they tell us about the wet diapers. Also, to make sure he isn't lathargic. Since we saw him once like this we would/should know the signs.


Are you able to give him pedialyte? I would ask if this is okay to help combat dehydration.

They didn't say. They did say no juice. I know pedialyte isn't juice but they limited him to only 16oz water a day for a couple days.

What other foods and drink is he allowed to have? I would try to stay away from fruits as fruit can cause loose stools like this.

I am curious why they limited him to only that amount of fluid.

They said he can stay on his regular diet. They didn't say anything about food. They only said to stay away from milk. This is so they can rule out lactose intolerance -- I believe. I am not sure why the fluid. We were concerned because we didn't want him to be dehydrated. We are watching him closely. Thanks for keeping with me and giving me the info.

I just found out that my youngest now has a rash that has gone up to his neck. So not only does he have loose stools and diaper rash, he's got this. My wife is calling the on call doctor now.

Hope everything is well. You can give a bath with a little bit of baking soda in the water if the rash is itchy. I don't like to give Benadryl unless I HAVE to, but this is a safe and effective rash/itch helper.

For diaper rash you can put corn starch on, that will help dry the little bumps on the hiney.

Thanks a bunch. We have been slathering him with Desitin. I found out that the rash my younger son has is a summertime virus. Maybe you know the name. My wife said it was something with an echo... something. We will try the bath. Anything to sooth him.

Desitin is okay. I NEVER used it but some people swear by it. I try to go eau-natural...

Baking soda in the bath - corn starch for diaper rashes (works better and is less stinkier than Desitin)

Summertime rash echo something? Don't know of that one, get me the name if you can.

If he is itching profusely you may need to go on with some Benadryl if the bath does not work, just a little though. Benadryl will help him get some sleep and will get rid of any itching or hives.

Itching is caused by your body releasing histamine, this is when your body senses something new. Sometimes you have to use an antihistamine like benadryl. Benadryl will stop the itching effects of an over-stimulation of histamine.

Have you used any new detergents, fabric softeners, soap, shampoo, cleaning products? All of this can cause this kind of reaction. My 4 year old had one about 3 months ago and it was caused by a new cleaning crew at his preschool. I had to use the baking soda and benadryl, next morning he was fine.

Keep me updated. Good luck.

J_9, we haven't changed detergents. The ras for my youngest with the summertime virus has gotten much better. Still has little bit of a loose stool. Sorry I don't know the name and it might be hard to pinpoint from the doctor we talked to.

My oldest since we have not given him milk still has the same stools as before. He has been peeing less. He peed once this morning and once this afternoon and that usually isn't the case. He can leak through diapers. Could we have been giving him too much water before? We usually give him about 4 oz when he wakes up and 4-6 oz of milk at every meal and probably 4 oz in the afternoon. He uis constantly asking for water so we just give hm a swallows worth. Anyway, He hasn't shown any signs of dehydration. His naps have been only 1 hour but that can be due to his age. His stools has been less and less since not giving him so much water. For example, yesterday he pooped twice in the morning then not again until this morning. He was filling his diapers a few times a day at least. Well, we won't be hearing from the resident until Tuesday unless something else developes. In the mean time, we might be slowly introducing milk again and see what happens. This afternoon will be 2 days not having milk. I will let you know if anything changes. Thanks.

Originally postd by jduke44

J_9, we haven't changed detergents. The ras for my youngest with the summertime virus has gotten much better. Still has little bit of a loose stool. Sorry I don't know the name and it might be hard to pinpoint from the doctor we talked to.

My oldest since we have not given him milk still has the same stools as before. He has been peeing less. He peed once this morning and once this afternoon and that usually isn't the case. He can leak through diapers. Could we have been giving him too much water before? We usually give him about 4 oz when he wakes up and 4-6 oz of milk at every meal and probably 4 oz in the afternoon. He uis constantly asking for water so we just give hm a swallows worth. Anyways, He hasn't shown any signs of dehydration. His naps have been only 1 hour but that can be due to his age. His stools has been less and less since not giving him so much water. For example, yesterday he pooped twice in the morning then not again til this morning. He was filling his diapers a few times a day at least. Well, we won't be hearing from the resident until Tuesday unless something else developes. In the mean time, we might be slowly introducing milk again and see what happens. This afternoon will be 2 days not having milk. I will let you know if anything changes. Thanks.

Glad that the rash is getting better.

As for the older one I do not think that too much water will cause the loose stools that you speak of, however, many fruit juices will cause this. But not enough WILL cause dehydration. The short naps could just be symptomatic of the illness or his age. My 4 year old sleeps about 2 hours.

I am glad to hear his stools are getting fewer and fewer, but my concern is the consistency of the stool, as well as the fact that urination has slowed down also. What fluids are you giving besides water?

You really need to look at the whole healthy picture right now. Think and try to remember if he has 1 or 2 stools a day or even every other day when he is well. We need to take into account his food and fluid intake when well also. And take it from there, almost like backtracking. Also, is he on any antibiotics?

The reason I ask about antibiotics is that some are known to cause loose stools and many docs still believe in antibiotics for a virus if it does not clear up on its own.

As for the older one I do not think that too much water will cause the loose stools that you speak of, however, many fruit juices will cause this. But not enough WILL cause dehydration. The short naps could just be symptomatic of the illness or his age. My 4 year old sleeps about 2 hours

We are not giving him fruit per doctor's orders. We are trying to obey the doctor about the amoutn of water and that is all he said to give. The resident is only in in Tuesdays and Thursdays and that si who is really on the case. We are a little concerned about the amount of water also with the dehydration. We decided that we are going to add a little more water during the day but keep off the milk until we are sure.


I am glad to hear his stools are getting fewer and fewer, but my concern is the consistency of the stool, as well as the fact that urination has slowed down also. What fluids are you giving besides water?

The stool was a little more consistency this afternoon but it looked kind of weird. Sorry I can't explain it but it definitely doesn't look like normal. Hopefully that means he getting back to normal.



You really need to look at the whole healthy picture right now. Think and try to remember if he has 1 or 2 stools a day or even every other day when he is well. We need to take into account his food and fluid intake when well also. And take it from there, almost like backtracking. Also, is he on any antibiotics? The reason I ask about antibiotics is that some are known to cause loose stools and many docs still believe in antibiotics for a virus if it does not clear up on its own.

He usually has 1 or two stools a day. He seems to be healthy and like normal except for his stools. That has been the main concern after 2 weeks into this. No they don't usually give antibiotics for virus's. MAtter of fact they have signs not to force a doctor to give them unnecessarily.

Thanks for keeping me updated with info. This is prbably hard to diagnose and we are trying our best to keep track of the symptons.

Is he drinking anything besides water?

No. The doctor only wanted him to drink water.

Duke, I would really be asking some major questions if this is the case. Only a few ounces of water a few times a day coupled with diarrhea can cause some major dehydration.

He really needs to get some electrolytes in his system like pedialyte. Do not use gatoraide it is too strong for his young system.

Give him some liquid jello, you know, still a little warm and not jelled all the way. You can even put some ice it to cool it but have him drink it before it jells. If he likes jello let him eat ton of it.

But this little amount of water really makes me cautious. He NEEDS more fluid in his system.

I appreciate your concern. We have asked in the past(maybe ayear ago) how much water should he be drinking and no one seems to want to answer this. The only other thing we have ever given him was milk unless he was vomitting then it would be the pedialyte. We are not big on juices and things except for once in a while and the doctors seem OK with that. Anyway, that was just a side note. He seems fine up to this point as far as keeping him hydrated. He is only going 1 to 2 times a day which is normal for him and his stool seems to be the same as yesterday which is soft but nor diarrhea. The funny thing is (not that it is funny) my youngest seems to have the same stool as Jesse (my oldest) and has been going more frequently. We haven't limited his drinking which is about 5-6 cups a day (maybe a little less). We are watching him very closely and will find out what this all means when we talk to the doctor. We have decided to try giving Jesse 2% milk. Some say that if whole milk bothers their stomachs, that 2 % helps. We are going to try that this afternoon or tonight. Thanks again for your help. I will keep you updated.

Juices are verey beneficial for certain vitamins. I prefer Juicy Juice since it is 100% fruit juice, does not look real appetizing, but the kids love it.

Stay away from apple juice completely, not good on tummies or teeth. But by giving milk and water alone some important vitamins are being lost. When I give juice I give it 1/2 with water so that there are less acids.

Stools sound better. Just remember whatever is happening to one child usually happens to both. This does not necessarily mean sick. Mothers and daughters, sisters, or even best friends tend to have their menses around the same time. This sort of thing happens with young siblings also. So this may be happening with the stool.

I would suggest you ask your doc about juice. Unless vitamins are given they are lacking certain vitamins that only fruit or juice can give. Just DO NOT give juice in a bottle. I only begin to introduce juice when I am introducing a sippy cup. Makes the transition muck easier.

Oh OK. That's good to know about juice. The doctor's weren't too pushy about juice but they did mention it. My wife wasn't too big on it because of the sugar. I feel like I am going back to fundamentals but how is OJ?


Stools sound better. Just remember whatever is happening to one child usually happens to both. This does not necessarily mean sick. Mothers and daughters, sisters, or even best friends tend to have their menses around the same time. This sort of thing happens with young siblings also. So this may be happening with the stool.


So are you saying that Joshua may not be sick but showing the same symptoms as Jesse? That's interesting, I never heard of that. I did with husbands and wives but that's it.


I would suggest you ask your doc about juice. Unless vitamins are given they are lacking certain vitamins that only fruit or juice can give. Just DO NOT give juice in a bottle. I only begin to introduce juice when I am introducing a sippy cup. Makes the transition muck easier.

I don't remember but I thnk at one time they did have us give them vitamin supplement (liquid form). We kept forgetting to give that to them. We were getting Juicy Juice through a gov program we were able to receive but when that ended it got too expensive. I'll take your advice on that. Well, the doctor should be calling us back on Tuesdya so hopefully he will give us more info. I'll let you know what we find out.

Juice is extremely important. Especially if you are not giving vitamins. It doesn't ever happen anymore, but remember scurvy? That was from lack of fruit. Please do not be alarmed, but that is how I remember fruits and veggies.

If you have the "energy" you can make your own juice from fresh fruit. Otherwise Juicy Juice. Juice Huice contains 100% fruit juice. Also, children do need a certain amount of sugar in their diets. Just look and see how much they are getting in the other foods they are eating. Juice is healthier, it is a natural form of juice than white table sugar. I know the program you are talking about WIC we have it here in TN too.

I am not saying that the youngest is following the oldest in the way of loose stools, but it is possible.

The liquid form of vitamins is for INFANTS, your children need need vitamins whether through foods or suppliments.

Let me know what the docs say tomorrow. Just remember to ask if water and milk are enough.

J_9, they both have more of a diarrhea today. Ugh!

My wife talked to the doctor so I'll try to remember everything. With more research and the way he is being, he thinks he has rotavirus again. Unfortunately, the labs won't test for unless he ends up in the hospital. I may talk to somebody about that but for now that is how it is. He thinks by giving too much water that could give him diarrhea. The reason why he restricted him is because the doctor saw him down a sippy cup. He got concerned that he is drinking way toomuch water . We are going to make sure he defintely uses a cup. We get kind of lazy when he fights us to use a regular cup as opposed to a sippy cup. We will have to change your attitude. The doctor also mentioned that the rotavirus could have wacked his system out and now his system isn't taking well to dairy, especially milk. He said to introduce milk slowly to him. My wife forgot to ask him about juice.

On that subject, how much juice a day do you think is sufficient? He is about 30 lbs.

You asked about his diet earlier. He usually likes PB&J sandwiches. He eats normal food for dinner like chicken and cereal, eggs, pancakes, etc for breakfast (not at once of course LOL).

He is going to call us again on Thursday to monitor this.

BTW, he thinks Joshua might have rotavirus also but that is spectulation at this point. He might have Joshua come in next week and check him.

At this point I would almost be seeking a second opinion.

Have either one of the boys been on antibiotics within the last 8 months? Think very hard on this one. There is a possibility of AAC. Antibiotic Associated Colitis. Basically that means that the antibiotics have wiped the good bacteria out of the colon. It is a very easy fix.

Have the docs done stool samples? This is very important also in actually determining any kind of virus or AAC.

As far as juice, I prefer to give a glass or two of juice with snacks, milk with meals and water if they are generally thirsty, especially in this heat.

Diet sounds good, I would not change anything there.

But as you read for yourself Rotavirus is most common from Nov through April. I would definitely be seeking a second opinion if these were my children.

Have either one of the boys been on antibiotics within the last 8 months? Think very hard on this one. There is a possibility of AAC. Antibiotic Associated Colitis. Basically that means that the antibiotics have wiped the good bacteria out of the colon. It is a very easy fix.


He was on an antibiotic for two days when he was in the hospital for strep throat but when they found the rotavirus they took him off it.


have the docs done stool samples? This is very important also in actually determining any kind of virus or AAC.


Yes. There was nothing found.


As far as juice, I prefer to give a glass or two of juice with snacks, milk with meals and water if they are generally thirsty, especially in this heat.


Ok.

The doctor said they will refer us to a gas*** doctor (I don't know how to spell it) if this doesn't clear up. This is very nerve racking and I don't want to put my kid through any unnecessary tests unless we absolutely have to.

I'll have my wife mention the ACC thing to the doctor when he calls. Thanks for the advice.

If they have done stool samples and nothing came up then it probably is not AAC.

A gastroenterologist is a very good idea at this point. They specialize in issues like your boys have.

That's it. I can never remember those big words. He is calling us back tomorrow. We will see what he says.

Keep me posted. I don't always have the answers, but I love to learn new stuff, so let me know what he says.

I am interested to find out.

Sure thing.

well as the father of a 2.5 year old who has had this a few times I extend my empathy.

it sucks. But the little ones are supposed to build up immunity over time with exposure... but even some adults can get sick with it.

with my little one, the early fever isn't always noticed. Usually we see the symptoms develop through lactose intolerance... a nice substitute for "projectile vomiting". Occasionally we'll hear the little one cry out like he's just stubbed his toe... obviously his tummy hurts, and then a few seconds later he'll throw up. Sometimes the warning is long enough to get him to the bathroom or sink. Sometimes, more than not, we break out the carpet cleaner. =/

his lactose intolerance lasted for three days once, but now is usually under control within 24 hours. Water is good. Juice is good. Pedialyte is good but he doesn't favor it. Sometimes larger amounts of liquid can make him vomit in the first day or so, so we do limit his liquids in term of quantity at any one time. When he was little, we gave him liquids frequently in 5mL portions with a medicine syringe. Chicken broth is good too. So lots of small amounts. Enough to get into his system and get absorbed through the stomach before its upset.

he also had a spell where he was nearly over it and then it came back again with a vengeance. Rash on bottom. Everything you know.

so all I can say is yes, I've been there. Yes, it sucks. But as long as you are getting in some liquids and watching carefully for dehydration signs you'll be OK.

personally, while the rotavirus is really annoying and yucky, ill take it over a high, high fever anyday. I think I aged a dozen years the time my kid had a high fever and we were 30 minutes from running to the ER. Hate fevers.

Thanks KP. I think the really annoying thing is not knowing. Not to rehash what I've said before, but Jesse (oldest) isn't showing any signs of being sick other than once in awhile his tummy hurts and the loose stools.


his lactose intolerance lasted for three days once, but now is usually under control within 24 hours.

I know J_9 has given me a lot of info but just for clarification. Are you saying the lactose intolerance comes and goes? What do you do to get it under control?

When Jesse was in the hospital, he couldn't keep even a swallow of water. That is heart wrenching. They gave him pedialyte and he loved it. We were giving him some the first time before he went into the hospital but unfortunately couldn't keep that down. My youngest had it and could keep liquids down but not food. That was good because he kept hydrated.



he also had a spell where he was nearly over it and then it came back again with a vengeance. Rash on bottom. Everything you know.


Are you saying he kept getting rotavirus? I know the doctors said he canget it but not as bad. This kind of like what happened with Jesse and now my youngest has the really bad diaper rash.

As far as high fevers, Jesse will still get a virus that only shows through a fever. Low grade for 2 days then it spikes to 102. We give him motrin(children's) and it goes down. Then he is fine with maybe one more low grade fever. I know what you mean. It does suck. Oh well, we are watching them both very closely. Thanks for your input KP.

Yes, milk can cause the upset tummy, it is heavy on the stomach. That is why they are keeping him off it for now, or at least limiting.

I can really feel your pain. My 4 year old had to get his last 3 immunizations yesterday and I had to help hold him down, it took me the doc and 3 nurses.

Don't you just wish that you could go through all of this for them? It killed me when my oldest (who is 20 now) had rotavirus on Easter. I really do feel your pain.

Do your kids like yogurt? Mine really do and this can also help with the loose stools.

Hmmm, yogurt. I think sometimes he does and sometimes he doesn't. I will mention that. So hopefully, he may not be lactose intolerant as much as just needing to get over this.

Oooh. 3 immune shots. My youngest is horrible but my oldest is pretty good during shots. Regardless, I try to go when they are getting g shots because my wife can't stand getting them or having our sons get them. Yes I do wosh I could get the shots for them. Actually, ike I stated before Jesse was great when he got the IV and didn't even bother with it the whole time until he was 100% to go home. He only cried for a second then that was it. I am hoping he has my mentality to get shots. It doesn't bother me.

I do feel bad for my sons. My mother-in-law was the only one that could verify how bad he really had it because she had it for a few days after him.

Yeah, I am pretty good getting shots, I had to have chemo for 6 months so I learned to "like" it if you can actually put it that way.

Also, I am in Nursing School so I know that the shots do more good that bad, but it hurt to hold him down.

No, he may not be lactose intolerant, it is just that milk can be heavy on the tummy when they don't feel too well.

I liked KPs idea of the chicken broth was it? Warm things on the tummy can really help, physically and psychologically. Feels like a hug on the inside. :-)

Maybe I will try that. Thanks J_9 for talking this through with me. I think I mentioend this before but we try to give him a little bit of 2% milk now. That was advice my sister gave because her oldest had a lot of diarrhea at Jesse's age and that seemed to help. Maybe because it is lighter? Well, who knows.

...I know J_9 has given me alot of info but just for clarification. Are you saying the lactose intolerance comes and goes? What do you do to get it under control? ....

....Are you saying he kept getting rotavirus? I know the doctors said he canget it but not as bad. This kinda like what happened with Jesse and now my youngest has the really bad diaper rash.



I don't get the intolerance under control... it just seems to take him about 24 hours to be able to tolerate dairy again, though he still needs small amounts, and we generally will try to hold it back as long as he's hydrating with other liquids like water, juice, broth.

usually he gets the rotavirus, runs the course with puking, then the loose stools for forever it seems, and then its done.

this last time he had a rash on his rear that was much more pronounced than the other times he had a rotavirus. And after running through the general course as mentioned above, right when it seemed he was pretty well over it, it came back hard a second time from start to finish. Wasn't too happy about that.

you know you're a parent when your life is so twisted that you're happy the kid puked on the floor. Because that means it hopefully wasn't on the bed or the dog or your clothes. =P although sometimes its all the above.

Wow, I didn't realize that this could be an ongoing thing. The doctors told us that either he wouldn't get it again or it would act like a stomach bug. Oh well, I guess that is experience.

J_9, to keep you updated, the doctor called yesterday. There is really not a change in what he wants us to do. We need to keep him hydrated but in small amounts. Unfortunately he called right around dinner time so my wife couldn't ask too many questions before the kdis got rambuctious. Anyway, He will call back next week and I think if nothing progresses he will refer us to a GI. He is having more of a solid stool late yesterday an dinto tomorrow. Well, I got to go to work. I usually work 3-11 but I started a new position and get to work 9-5.

BTW, I know the rotavirus is more common between Nov and April but I forgot to tell you that when Jesse was in the hospital in beginning May they started checking other babies that were admitted and 4 had the rotavirus. So it seem sit can happen after April. Just thought you'd like to know.:)

Just wondering how things are going with the kiddos.

Let us know how they are.

Sorry for dropping off the face of the earth. I haven't had time to go on the forum lately because I've been very busy. They took a stool sample last week and we are going in for a visit today at 1:30. If anything new comes up I will let you know. In the mist of this Jesse got an ear infection. His stool was hardening up and now with the antibiotic he has been getting diarrhea again. I think he was getting better but not sure what to think now. My wife and kids are going camping so I might be able to get on a little more. These rugrats are taking a lot of our time. :) Thanks for asking.

Well, just keep up the good work, get some rest, and keep us posted.

Good Luck

J_9, we went to the doctor yesterday and he said all the tests came back negative. He said he had them check for everything and even Rotavirus. We now have to wait for the antibiotics to wear off which won't be until middle of next week to see if that is causing the diarrhea. He still wants limited milk (just in cereal) in case his stomach lining is irritated from being sick. He did mention start giving him a little juice. He didn't want us to overdo it. After all this is done we will start to give him more juice. I actually forgot to ask him about it but thankfully he mentioned it. He still is his normal self which is good. They are now camping so I won't know anything until next week. Thanks for listening and caring. I will keep you update if anything knew comes along.

I am so happy to hear that everything is going well. Must be going great if they are off camping!! ;)

Yeah, stay away from the milk for now. Keep in mind that apple juice can have the same effect. I like Juicy Juice as it is 100% juice and comes in great flavors.

Cheese will help bind too. All kids love cheese!! :)

Well, you take care and have a nice quiet relaxing weekend.

It is really good to hear such great news!! :D

Keep me posted just so I can hear how well they are growing. It is remarkable how you get attached to little ones you try to help even if you have never met them. I am so happy for you and your family. :D I know it was hard, but there is now a light at the end of a tunnel and it isn't a train!!

J_9, thanks for the encouragement. Unfortunately, Jesse (my oldest) has diarrhea again. My wife had to got the doctor a checkup and the first thing the doctor asked was how Jesse was doing. We told her and she decided it is time to refer us to a GI doctor. Unfortunately, again, we can't get in until the edn of September. We are going to call them back and tell them the situation and see if we can get in sooner. If not, we'll call the doctor and see if she can plead with them for us. He has a really bad diaper rash. We haven't done anythig different than normal. Well, we are just to the point of trying to soothe him anyway we can. Thanks for keeping up. I'll keep you updated. :)

Will he eat rice, cheese, yogurt? These are all binding foods.

I am wondering though if he may have to be put on a gleutin free diet.

Start making a list to ask the GI. One of the questions should be if he has an allergy to gleutin.

He seems to like rice. I am not sure about yogurt. I just want to find out what the route of this is. What is gluetin?

J_9 this is the update from the GI doctor which we saw yesterday. He basically is contributing everything to the rotavirus irritating his intestine lining and causing the problems. He said there are 3 things that could have happened. 1) secondary lactose intolerance 2) irritable colon 3) antibiotics for ear infection reirritated the intestine wall. I really think he was on the amend until he got the ear infection then it went backwards. I tmost likely is another waiting game to have the body heal itself. You probably would know more than I can explain but it is the finger like things in the intestine that he said was eroded away and doesn't digest his food. That will eventually grow back he said. In the mean time he said limited or even avoid wheat, milk, juice until he gets better. Also, we had blood drawn on him and he will go get a breath test to see if he has irritable colon I think that is what this is for). Anyway, again, he acts healthy so he wasn't concerned about anything at this point.

I believe you are talking about Cilia in the intestines. Looks like little fingers or hairs that help the food move through.

If he is acting fine, then most likely he is fine. The 3 ideas the doc gave you sound like really good advice. Keep up the good work!!

When I went through this with my child, lactose intolerance and many other allergies, child has asthma with IBS(Irritable bowel syndrome). It took 3 years two GI docs to figure it all out. The one thing I do remember was the smell like rotten eggs no matter which end it came out of. I think it was the gall bladder the doctor said produced too much bile or whatever that was making the smell and causing the diaper rash little one would break out into open wounds scream when she pee, the GI doctor gave me COLESTID give 1/2 packet 3 times a day with liquid to help bind stools. Stools were sometimes green as grass to yellow as the sun, with food undigested to the stringy wormy looking stools , totally gross stuff but happy to say that now at 10 years old my child is doing great we still see GI doctor for the IBS. The one thing that did help was removing all milk getting other brand of milk that is no lactose and throwing away the sippy cups that hold all those germs its in the lids the part that keeps juice from coming out those things have little rubber thing like germ magnet throw them away!! Or buy new one every week. The doctor can write a note you take to Govt to get milk changed to lactose free kind they will issue checks for that kind of milk. My girlfriend is going through same thing with her twins right now they are lactose intolerant. Hope this helps

Yes it does thanks. He has to go get a breath test to see if he is lactose intolerant. The one thing the doctor said is that he most likely will grow out of it because this is rotavirus related. We are giving him Acidaphilus (sp?) 3-4 times a day. That is supposed to help. I hope it isn't as bad and he won't have this his whole life. If it continues for a longer period I will keep this in mind and ask the doctor. Thanks.

J_9, I wanted to give you an update on my son since you and others have been so kind to help me out. We had my son take a breath test (recommended by GI doctor) and it did show he has a mild case of lactose intolerance. The GI doctor still thnks it is because he had such a severe case of rotavirus his system is taking awhile to get back to normal. He doesn't want him to drink juice still but is having him drink whole milk lactaid. He thinks in a couple months it should be all over. We are calling him in a couple of weeks to let him know if he is improving. We are seeing small improvements here and there. I will keep you updated as time goes on.

BTW, do you like this knew format. I am not able to get on as much anymore and when I did it took me by surprise. In case there is any discussion on it, I haven't read them yet.

Thanks again for your advice.

Good to hear from you. I have been wondering what's been going on.

It is good you are finally getting some more real answers. Remember, it takes baby steps. One step at a time and he will be back to normal.

No, I do not like the new format, so I opted to change back to the old way. It just suits me better.

Yep, slowly but surely he shouldbe back to normal. I didn't know you could go back to the old way. Like I said I haven't been on much. When I get the time I will switch this back also. I like the old way and besides, I am not one for change anyway.