Keep drinking any kind of fluid at all (but not alcoholic unless you put a lot of water in it, because alcohol tends to dehydrate, which is how come people get hangovers), and if you have to, keep a throw-up bowl next to you and keep drinking. Don't worry about keeping down any food for the next few days -- eat if you feel like it, don't if you don't. But keep that fluid coming. You probably don't have cholera, which means that you're keeping some fraction of the fluid when you throw up.

So much drama in those mountains. Keep cool, or is that a bad thing to say up there in the snowy clouds?

Dom, poor baby! Take care of yourself, drink plenty of liquids, etc.

Don't let two-faced idiots get you down. They're not worth the effort it takes to dislike them.

Hope you feel better soon.

I

Warm honey drink - is soothing to the stomach, the glucose/sucrose is very pyloric friendly. Dry biscuits or dry toast is easy on the digestive system as well.

Gute Besserung!

Dom,

Poor guy - I know how you feel! I think we all do - we've been there. Just concentrate on getting well and don't let the rest of the world bother you. The jerks out there don't matter one bit and they're not worth expending even a molecule of glucose getting aggrivated thinking about them.

There isn't a lot I can add in terms of medical advice that hasn't already been said here. I wish I'd cought this thread at the beginning, though, as I certainly hope you're already doing better and so my advice is terribly belated.

If you're still having trouble keeping anything down, you need to see a doctor - don't try to treat this yourself! If you're having diarrhea and it turns black, go directly to the ER, do not pass go and do not collect $200. Seriously, black stool means either one of two things - either you've been using Pepto-Bismal (bismith turns stool black), or you have internal bleeding. I nearly died in Paris that way and probably would have if I hadn't been a doctor and quickly recognized what was happening.

In addition to clear liquids, you need to replenish the salts you lose with diarrhea. You can pick up an electrolyte replacement formula at any drugstore, or you can simply buy a product such as Gatoraide (or however it's spelled). When you start to feel hungry, start with a typical BRAT diet - that's bananas, rice, applesauce and toast. I particularly like to mix Rice Krispy's with applesauce - it's tasty and feels good going down, and it requires no cooking at a time when you don't feel well. If you can boil some water, though, I recommend chamomile tea - it's a natural urbal remedy that really does calm an upset stomach. I survived a very nasty bout of Montezuma's Revenge in Mexico that way.

Finally, at any stage of the game - even when you're still on clear liquids, I recommend yogurt. You need to replenish and repopulate your gut with the natural bacteria that help to digest food and keep you well. Probiotic therapy is still something that's on the fringe of medicine, but there are some good clinical trials now and I think we'll see a lot more acceptance in the future.

In terms of medicines, I recommend Tylenol for fever and pain (and you can take it in a liquid form), an over-the-counter antihistamine such as Benadryl or Chlor-Timetron for the sinffles and chamomile tea for nausea. If the nausea and vomiting are severe, I recommend calling your doctor for prescription of a suppository to calm things down. The main thing is that nature needs to run its course. Vomiting and diarrhea are natural mechanisms the body uses to rid itself of things it doesn't want.

Hope you get well soon. :ranger: