I've had a horrible night and still feel very bad this morning. I was up most of the night with simultaneous bouts of vomitting and diarrhea. I'm completely drained and still feel nauseous.

How do you know if it's food poisoning or a virus?

I have some of this , would it make me feel any better? It's intended for sports use. I feel seriously dehydrated but I'm afraid of even water at this point.

It is hard to tell. See how your symptoms go today. If they don't start to clear up, go to the doctor. For me, viruses seem to linger longer.

As for the mix, yeah. You are most likely REALLY dehydrated. Drink up!!

Hope you're feeling better soon. I'm not sure you can tell a difference without lab tests.

When I worked at a hospital, we had a standing order that anyone vomiting for any reason got nothing by mouth until they could go at least four hours without vomiting. If I were you, I'd wait that long before you try drinking. Otherwise, you just irritate your stomach more and trigger more vomiting. You won't get dangerously dehydrated in a day (unless there's a pre-existing condition that would make you prone to being so.)

I had aches with the stomach flu and a nasty headache too I think. It is hard to tell apart.

Good advice...this is what I tell my clients when their dogs are sick and they constantly keep trying to feed them just to see if they are "better yet."
Nothing in = nothing out.

I also agree that food poisoning seems to leave as quickly as it arrives...(at least in my...accck....experience.)

Hope you feel better soon!

Food poisoning could probably be traced back. Typically it comes from improperly stored meat products. Mayonaise, for example. But recently e. coli has been found in lettuce. The body tries to get rid of the toxins fast, hence the diarrhea. Once the toxins are out, you're back to normal. A virus can takes several days to run its course. Small amounts of low-carb gatorade taken several times a day to prevent dehydration is worth trying regardless of the cause. Small amounts because small amounts can be absorbed through the stomach lining. Large amounts can make its way into the intestines where they'll stimulate more diarrhea, assuming the volumes don't cause vomiting first.

Thanks for all the sympathy and replies. I read them earlier, but I was feeling worse and worse.

I now think this one's a virus: headaches, achy muscles and joints, sleepiness, and diarrhea that just won't quit. I'm drinking fluids, but it doesn't seem to absorb in the lower intestine.

Maybe I'll feel better tomorrow. At least I can say I've only ever been this sick three times in a lifetime.

Goodnight.

You poor thing!!

:hugs:

Look at the contents. If it's food poisoning, something in there will reach out and slap your face and make your stomach twist just by looking at it. Your body will know what did the damage.

For the record, sour cream disintegrates very quickly once it's mixed into food. This time of year in the northern hemisphere, it's not as likely to be mayo unless you left it out for a week. Most commercial mayos have so many preservatives they barely need refrigeration, if you don't double-dip.

If it's flu or a virus, everything will look bad but nothing will particularly attack you.

Of course, if you got it from eating something in public, the news will probably be on the front page of the local section of your newspaper, because the county health department will have heard about it and you will not be alone.

Good luck.