3.5 Yr Old with atRSV

Updated on February 08, 2010
K.F. asks from North Richland Hills, TX
13 answers

My little girl has only been sick once before now. And it only lasted 18 hours. Now she has RSV. She has been sick since Monday morning. She started throwing up non stop till tuesday morning. Then started with a cough & fever. Went to the dr, they first thought pneunomia. Then chest xrays came back as lower respitory infection. Now they test for flu & RSV. RSV came back positive. She continued to throw up until yesterday( on/off)
Nowhere do I see that throwing up is part of the RSV symptoms. I am so concerned that she isnt eating very much. Sherbert icecream and maybe 1-2 crackers a day. She is drinking some water & apple juice.
She is getting a little better, but geesh this has been such a long process.
Also everything else I read says that premature infants, or just infants alone, or babies with Asthma usually get RSV, she has neither.
Has anyone else's child without any other conditions had RSV, and should it really last this long ?

she wont take her Provventil breather.

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So What Happened?

Thank you EVERYONE for your help !
The throwing up started first, on Monday. Every 30 min she threw up. Even when nothing was in her tummy, she just threw up the yellow/green bile with saliva. She stopped constatnly throwing up Tuesday Morning, when the cough and fever came. Then she just occasionaly threw up.

She is doing better now. Playing a little bit. She tires easily. The cough sounds really deep and loose. It is the breather with the spacer tube, and as soon as she gets a "taste of the "smoke" she freaks out. I keep telling her it will make her better. But she isnt buying it.
I feel better that she shows some sign of life now. It was so pathetic how she just layed there moaning for days.

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L.S.

answers from Tyler on

Just FYI, my son caught RSV as a small child and then he had asthma like symptoms for YEARS. The doctors told me that once a child had RSV, they were more susceptible to being sick. So, be aware of that.

Also, have they said anything about rotovirus? My son had rotovirus and threw up constantly.

-L.

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B.F.

answers from Dallas on

She is throwing up because of drainage/ coughing/gaging. If you really have no choice then do the albuteral at night while she is asleep. cover the mouth peice with tape and point the nebulizer blue tube at her mouth/nose. With any luck you can get at least 2 treatments in before she awakes in the morning one when she falls alseep and before she wakes. Count your blessings that she has been to be so healthy for so long!

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J.C.

answers from Dallas on

My neighbors 4 yr old son just had it and I believe it lasted a week.

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L.W.

answers from Dallas on

My son had it at 6 wks of age and was hospitalized for a week. He also developed bronchiolitis from it and then developed a double ear infection/ bronchitis in the weeks after we got out of the hospital. It does take several weeks to be completely over it for some. In the hospital, they told us that RSV is basically caused by a very "snotty" version of the common cold. We all get it - babies and young children just take longer to fight it off because they aren't as able to clear their lungs and noses of the congestion as we are. It is very possible that she is throwing up b/c she is nauseous from the drainage going into her stomach. Try to keep her hydrated as much as possible and watch for any labored breathing or fever which may mean she has a secondary infection.

V.E.

answers from Denver on

My 21 month old daughter just had rsv and it turned into bronchiolitis and she was hospitalized for 5 days. She is a very healthy child, and rarely gets sick. She was sick for over 2 weeks before she showed any improvement. Everyone is capable of getting rsv, but it is more dangerous in the little ones. The effects of rsv on adults is similar to a common cold, so it often goes undiagnosed (ALL of us got sick, mom, dad, and 6 year old brother, but she was the worst!). She also was throwing up, but it was mostly phlegm. Since babies and toddlers don't have the reflex to cough up the gunk, sometimes they throw it up. I'm not sure what they gave you for breathing, is it given through a nebulizer or something similar? If its inhaled, it would probably be easiest in your arms while she has to sit there.

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M.B.

answers from Colorado Springs on

I've never heard of RSV causing vomiting. Did your pediatrician mention that it was possible she's battling two illnesses simultaneously? That could by why it's lasting so long. The RSV cough will last for weeks though, even after they seem well. My kids are getting over it now. My daughter has a serious surgery on Tuesday so I'm hoping she's better by then. I hope your daughter is better asap!

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M.H.

answers from Dallas on

Hang in there! My son had the croup which is far less bad but 2 things I learned. As long as your little girl is eating and drinking something don't be too concerned unless she is showing signs of dehydration she will be OK. With the breather if it is the inhaler with the spacer pretend to give a favorite stuffed animal the medicine first then her...my son went for that and also let her know that it will help her get better. By that age they can understand a little bit. If you have to do the breathing machine go to the pharmacy and get a kids mask that has the dragon face on it and show your daughter how she can be a "fire" breathing dragon. My son thought that was great fun...this was after I held him down for 15 minutes screaming for the first 2 treatments...argh! I feel for you but if you have some concerns about the throwing up keep on your doctor until you get some answers! Mother's intuition trumps the doctor.

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K.T.

answers from Dallas on

Both of my boys had it. My oldest got it at a month old. He was hospitalized for 4 days. My youngest had it when he was 6 months old and when he was 18 months old (hospitalized for this one). My oldest threw up the whole time. What causes them to throw up is that they are swallowing the phlegm (not sure of spelling) and it fills there tummy up. Their tummy reacts to it and causes them to throw up. He was highly dehydrated because of it. You have really got to keep pushing liquids as much as possible. Do not worry that she is not eating, but keep her from getting dehydrated. You might try giving her water, juice, pedialyte, pediasure and most of DO NOT GIVE HER MILK. Milk just promotes more congestion. They will give you antibiotics if it develops into pneumonia, otherwise there is nothing you can do, but let it run its course and give breathing treatments. As was stated before, everyone gets RSV. As adults we think it is a serious chest cold. Email me if you have anymore questions

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B.F.

answers from Atlanta on

Almost all kids get RSV at some point. Kids with asthma, infants or preemies are more ley to require hospitalization. My ped said even adults can get it but only have cold-like symptoms. Could she be vomiting due to gagging on sinus drainage or from coughing? Or is she truly complaining of feeling sick to her stomach. I have heard there is also a stomach bug going around, too. Hope she didn't get double whammy!

My son had RSV 3 times the winter he turned one. He was not premature nor does he have asthma. The ped said it's just one of those things most kids get, usually by the time they are about 3. Because it is highly contagious, he had to stay home from MDO a couple of weeks each time even though he was feeling better.

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C.H.

answers from Dallas on

I don't know what RSV is but I know one thing: With what you said, she is at high risk for dehydration if she doesn't have it already. That alone can make you vomit, let alone hallucinations, weakness, etc. You can die from it if you don't get it corrected. Sometimes it may take an IV to get the fluids back in a dehydrated person.

You didn't sound as if your doctor was staying on top of this so I am concerned if he is. She annot exist on this lack of fluids and nutrition safely and he needs to know what you can and can't achieve with your attempts to follow his instructions so he knows her true medical condition. Good luck!

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H.M.

answers from Dallas on

It can last a while before she completely gets better. Just make sure you are pushing the fluids daily which I always used pedialyte....has lots of electrolytes in it. The breathing machines were very helpful when my son had RSV. We have had to do breathing treatments almost every year since he was an infant but his asthma/allergies have gotten better. You could reward her for doing her breather or something. The more she does it, the easier it will get. Good luck and hope she gets to feeling better soon.

H. Meece
www.WorkAtHomeUnited.com/H.
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B.C.

answers from Wichita Falls on

you've gotten great responses, but I thought i'd pipe in late anyway...

My son had RSV a few months ago, and he's almost 3.5. He threw up several times as well. And it seemed to linger forever. His appetite did finally come back, but I know it's frustrating to think that they aren't eating enough.

Our pedi also prescribed breathing treatments, but we couldn't get him to do them. We did a few while he slept, and then we had oral Albuteral (sp?) for the daytime doses.

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K.M.

answers from Dallas on

I would not doubt the result of the test suggesting she has RSV. As long as your doc did a swab of her nose. My daughter had it -- mild fever, never threw up, didn't eat for 3-4 days, and literally coughed and had mild fever so bad. It takes minimum of two weeks to get over. As long as she is staying hydrated there no reason to worry. My daughter is only 1 and getting over it well, but we are supplementing with homeopathic remedies as well and I know that has made all the difference. Doc subscried albuterol to open up blood vessels to enable her breathing. I had to use the medicine for 2 days, and never again. Hang in there....ask for that cough syrup albuterol (it taste nasty) but did the trick. And consider using lithy tree and briar rose to supplement if you are open to homeopahty; it sure helped us tremendously.

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