Meds and sickness

[Nagswoman]

I have never missed my meds before but I caught Norovirus when visiting someone in hospital, who began vomiting and diarrhoea suddenly when I was next to him. I had none of my meds yesterday as I was projectile vomiting, 36 hours after visiting. How long can I go without my normal meds? This is vile. Take care, folks.

[123-go]

That’s horrible and so unfair when you were doing a good deed by visiting your sick friend! I advise you to ring your GP surgery or rheumatology clinic for urgent advice. Your pharmacist may help.

This is an important post and should act as a warning for anyone thinking of going into a hospital ward where infections and viruses are easily spread.

I hope you recover soon 💐.

[Nagswoman in reply to 123-go]

So true. I did get to see a duty doc at 3.45am weds at the same hospital. Was given anti-sick pills but the first one came straight out. Got one to stay in yesterday afternoon. 111 had no idea on taking normal meds. In future I will wear a mask for any hospital visits.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to 123-go]

The worst local episode of NV was in a hotel where a child starting throwing up in the dining room. Almost every single guest in the same room ended up at the local hospital (they were all Italians) which was a bit daft as they couldn't do much and there aren't anything like as many toilets/handwashing facilities ...

[123-go in reply to PMRpro]

Nightmare! Yes, not just hospitals that are breeding grounds. Safest place could be up a tree at the top of a hill surrounded by deep water.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to 123-go]

Not terribly practical though ...

[123-go in reply to PMRpro]

😉

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

As suggested by  123-go you probably do need to speak to GP/111 for advice, No sure whether you are just on Pred or other meds as well - some you probably could go 24-48 hours, others not.

This is a recent post on similar subject-

healthunlocked.com/pmrgcauk...

[Nagswoman in reply to DorsetLady]

Thanks

[SomersetJB]

The best advice is here. Hopefully your pharmacist will also direct you to this. Your risk is adrenal insufficiency and should be taken seriously. endocrinology.org/media/416...

I hope you feel better soon and receive any additional meds to keep you well.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Oh dear - dangerous places hospitals, especially UK ones with their open-plan wards. Though I imagine it is now very restricted if it was NV he had and you caught!

So they give ORAL antisickness meds to an actively puking person? At a hospital - why not an injection? And if you can't keep your pred down - you may need a cortisone injection to prevent an adrenal crisis since the illness is also increasing the risk of that.

Masks aren't the answer for NV, only respiratory viruses although the mask would remind you not to touch your face: all about scrupulous hygiene, hand-washing and cleaning all potentially contaminated surfaces with soap and water, hand sanitisers are less effective.

"The main means of transmission is exposure to contaminated food, water, or surfaces, so the most important preventive strategies include disinfecting surfaces, heating food to sizzling temperatures, washing clothes in hot water, and washing hands frequently (that means soap and water, since hand sanitizer doesn’t work well against norovirus—more on that below)."

yalemedicine.org/news/norov...

[Oh-my]

I had norovirus over Christmas and after trying my pharmacy and 111 with no luck, my GP surgery got back saying take the pred dose dispersed in 100ml of water and sip it very slowly over 5 mins. It worked and stayed down when evrything else wasn't. Failing that I would have to seek an injection from A&E but luckily it didn't come to that.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Oh-my]

And the ED would have LOVED you to turn up with NV!!! You could have got it from a paramedic so how come the GP can't offer such services - don't answer that, they didn't know the rescue dose in asthma for my daughter - though she could have told them as a paramedic - but the non-qualified guy driving the ambo who came for her knew!!!

[Oh-my in reply to PMRpro]

My thoughts exactly. Not to mention trying to get there.

I was very disappointed in 111 and my local pharmasist who was more concerned about wanting to sell me drugs for sickness and diarrhea. I kept telling them I'll recover from the S&D, it's adrenal crisis I'm worried about, but they wouldn't listen. So fustrating.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Oh-my]

I really struggle with the concept of pharmacies providing medical advice and being allowed to sell the rubbish they do. Cough stuff for example. Did you speak to the PHARMACIST as opposed to an assistant?

Sometimes 999 is more productive for such a problem. At least a single handed response vehicle can supply the injection you need if you don't need to be transported.

[Oh-my in reply to PMRpro]

Couldn't swear to it. I asked to. They said they would go and look it up and get back (which actually gave me more confidence.) I had to chase them up and they obviously hadn't as they were none the wiser and just rattled on about dehydration etc. Sigh.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Oh-my]

Lord knows what they looked up - or was that just to get you out of the place? Pharmacists are supposed to know more about all drugs and what not to do than doctors - and the pharmacist I spoke to at Boots was firmly of the opinion that missing even 2 days of pred was very risky for me,

[Oh-my in reply to PMRpro]

Yes I agree. It took time but my GP surgery actually consulted with their in house pharmacist who knew what they were talking about. My local pharmacist I think forgot about me and was certainly not as clued up as you’d hope or expect.

[Nagswoman]

The other half, who did not visit my dad, got the symptoms 32 hours after me -shivers, then runny stools and sick.. I got them 32 hours after dad's episode in hospital. Luckily, the other half was able to take the anti-sick meds I was given. He is asleep now. I am just knackered. Hospital denies NV even though 111 says it is there. Pity those who can't escape it.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Nagswoman]

Probably denying it because the ramifications for them are immense. But there is a quadruple whammy this year - flu, both A and B, Covid, RSV and norovirus all vying to fill hospital beds. Lots of elderly patients who then bedblock as they aren't well enough to be discharged home alone and there is no other option.