indigomama Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 So, my family or parts of us, have had the stomach flu: vomiting and diarrhea for the third time since the middle of December. How do I get rid of it for good. I lysol all the door handles and knobs and any other surface someone sick has touched. Replaced toothbrushes. No one shares cups. We take a multivitamin. We eat, especially my kids a pretty healthy diet, very, very little sugar, lots of fruits and vegetables, etc Why do we keep getting this in my house? How do I get rid of it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momto10blessings Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 Oh how terrible. I'd try to figure out where it's coming from. Work on never getting it again. Sounds like you have the home front covered. Wash hands every time you come home from anywhere. Maybe even leave a container of hand sanitizer in your vehicle and then wash when you get home. Talk to the kids about not sharing drinks/food, not putting hands in mouths, etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pippen Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 I'd think about emptying out the fridge in case something is lurking there in something you use occassionally. Are you on well water? If so, maybe have that tested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indigomama Posted January 26, 2014 Author Share Posted January 26, 2014 We have sanitizer in the car, in my purse and in the house. I stress handwashing, but it just doesn't seem enough. My youngest still puts her hands in her mouth a lot, I'm working on it. I will clean the fridge out, but no we are not on well water. I honestly can't think of anything new or different in our house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rieshy Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 I'm right there with you. I've had illness in my house of one sort or another since Christmas. Stomach virus hit 7 of my family this week, not all at the same time of course, the better to drag it out. I considered using a flame thrower but couldn't find one to rent. I did just steam clean the house and repaint.... Now I have conjunctivitis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indigomama Posted January 26, 2014 Author Share Posted January 26, 2014 I'm right there with you. I've had illness in my house of one sort or another since Christmas. Stomach virus hit 7 of my family this week, not all at the same time of course, the better to drag it out. I considered using a flame thrower but couldn't find one to rent. I did just steam clean the house and repaint.... Now I have conjunctivitis. I'm so sorry, it's truly awful. Hope you guys feel better soon. And if you figure out a way to make it all go away for good, please share. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 Check the temperature of your refrigerator... (Freezer should be 0 and the refrigerator side around 37.) Our old fridge was the cause of our stomach ailment a few years ago. :grouphug: I'm so sorry, everyone must be miserable; I would get everyone on a probiotic and eat plenty of yogurts. If things didn't go away, you might check with your doctor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trulycrabby Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 If you are in an area with decent sunlight, try to get yourself and the kids outside several times per day. Sunlight, even weak sunlight, is a great virus and bacteria killer. If it's not snowing or pouring buckets of rain, try to get outside anyways as there is uv radiation even through the clouds. I realize this is just not possibke in many pars of the northern hemisphere right now, as it is cold as heck in a lot of places. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saraha Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 I would put a capful of bleach into each sink full of dishwater, or in your dishwasher. A few years ago we kept having a reoccurring fight with a stomach bug, and out of desperation I tried this, that stopped it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plain jane Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 We have sanitizer in the car, in my purse and in the house. I stress handwashing, but it just doesn't seem enough. My youngest still puts her hands in her mouth a lot, I'm working on it. I will clean the fridge out, but no we are not on well water. I honestly can't think of anything new or different in our house. Sanitizer does not get rid of the stomach virus so if you do that but no hand washing you won't have protection from stomach ailments. Three times in one month makes me think something else is going on than a stomach virus. Maybe one time it was but this seems like a lot. I would take a look at your fridge as well. A friend had that issue - recurring stomach "virus" until her dh discovered their fridge was running at far too high a temperature. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnaM Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 I would work on boosting your immune system. Cut out all sugar for a while and if you can manage it I would even cut out wheat, consider using a good brand of essential oils, get into the sun as often as possible, take a capful of acv every day, get on some probiotics and so on. It sounds like your immune system never had a chance to recover so you need to be doing all you can to get it working back at peak efficiency. I hope you all kick this soon. Such nasty stuff to have to deal with once much less over and over again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erica in OR Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 I agree that with it happening this many times, there might be something else going on. However, when we had something similar ripping through our house (and large chunks of our town) in December, I read a bit on the norovirus. Hand sanitizer and Lysol do not take care of it—it takes bleach. We continued to spray things down with a weak solution, let sit for the recommended time, then wipe. Particularly doorknobs, faucets, kitchen surfaces, and bathrooms, especially all toilet surfaces. It takes so few of the particles to infect someone, and one who is infected gives off billions of them. Handwashing does help, it said, but not that it kills the virus—it just helps wash it off the hands and down the drain. Information said it can live for longer than you'd think, up to several weeks, and that those who were infected can be shedding the virus for a couple weeks afterwards. Since then, we've focused on handwashing any time before we eat and do meal prep, including snacks, plus the usual vigilance with washing after using the bathroom. I feel for you guys. Hope it all gets better soon. Erica in OR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaplank Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 This has happened to us in the past few weeks. It's some sort of strange flu. Toward the tail end of it, I remembered how helpful activated charcoal can be to clear out bugs and toxins in your gut. I took 12 tablets, all at once. Within a few hours, I had stopped throwing up and having diarrhea. I gave my 10 yr. old son two tablets every hour until his symptoms cleared up. It really helped. Once the charcoal was through our systems I had us all take strong probiotics to try to restore everything. Hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indigomama Posted January 26, 2014 Author Share Posted January 26, 2014 I don't usually use bleach, maybe that's my problem. Thanks for the tips on Norovirus. We use Dr. Bronners for washing hands. This may sound stupid, but how do I check that my fridge is as cold as it says it is? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan C. Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 I don't usually use bleach, maybe that's my problem. Thanks for the tips on Norovirus. We use Dr. Bronners for washing hands. This may sound stupid, but how do I check that my fridge is as cold as it says it is? A thermometer :D Bet you have one in your science experiment supplies... Feel better soon! We make ginger tea and it helps, slice ginger in pan of water, breathe steam while simmering, simmer 30 min., strain, add honey and more water to taste. And.... we stay in away from others if possible. And NEVER use a public restroom during flu season! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie4b Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 I don't usually use bleach, maybe that's my problem. Thanks for the tips on Norovirus. We use Dr. Bronners for washing hands. This may sound stupid, but how do I check that my fridge is as cold as it says it is? Buy a thermometer for your fridge. They sell them in the kitchen section of stores like Walmart. It's important to have one in there to be able to glance at periodically to make sure everything is okay. You could use an outside one if you have one for right now. The refrigerator should be 40degrees or below. The freezer should be zero degrees or below. Different parts of your fridge might be different temps. It could also just be a run of bad luck. That happens sometimes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
countrygal Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 I think you need to completely clean out the fridge, possibly the freezer (like ice cube trays should be washed/bleached.) Throw everything. Use bleach on everything. Stomach viruses can live in freezing temperatures for like a year, so bleach your keys, steering wheel, etc... in the car if it's in the cold. Also, if I use public restrooms I don't wash my hands. I think the sink is dirtier than anything. I tell my kids the same because they would touch the inside of the sink if I let them wash. YUCK! Use sanitizer instead. Try to avoid going any where (or too many places) for a while. Sometimes being down from an illness makes you more likely to get another. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erica in OR Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Just wondering how your household is doing and if you've shaken it all off for good... I've got stomach flu on the mind, as DS says he doesn't feel well tonight and took a bowl to bed. Fingers crossed it's nothing. Erica in OR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ausmumof3 Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 We had a similar run last year as did a lot of friends... It had the nickname in the media of chunder from down under. I think there was just a really bad strain of virus going around. Keep up the hand washing measures etc. and keep lots of hydra lite in. I have no idea if it was luck or not but I ended up using a strong disinfectant before we got rid of it. Normally we can only use septic safe cleaning stuff, as we're rural but I was so sick of it by that point I didn't care if it killed the septic tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in NH Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 I agree that with it happening this many times, there might be something else going on. However, when we had something similar ripping through our house (and large chunks of our town) in December, I read a bit on the norovirus. Hand sanitizer and Lysol do not take care of it—it takes bleach. We continued to spray things down with a weak solution, let sit for the recommended time, then wipe. Particularly doorknobs, faucets, kitchen surfaces, and bathrooms, especially all toilet surfaces. It takes so few of the particles to infect someone, and one who is infected gives off billions of them. Handwashing does help, it said, but not that it kills the virus—it just helps wash it off the hands and down the drain. Information said it can live for longer than you'd think, up to several weeks, and that those who were infected can be shedding the virus for a couple weeks afterwards. Since then, we've focused on handwashing any time before we eat and do meal prep, including snacks, plus the usual vigilance with washing after using the bathroom. I feel for you guys. Hope it all gets better soon. Erica in OR Yes, use bleach. Don't forget light switches, computer keyboards, telephones, and your car. And then make the kids wear lightweight gloves when you're out in public during the winter so you don't bring it home again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Just reiterating what's already been said -- Lysol and hand sanitizers will NOT work on norovirus. You need to use a diluted bleach solution and good old thorough hand washing with soap and water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbmamaz Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Some years just seem to be like that. There was one year my two kids had stomach viruses over and over again all winter, and I was worried maybe there was something in the water at their dads, but the doctor said they would not get sick again and again from the same contamination, they would have built up an immunity. I think about ever 4 or 5 years we have a worse one than usual. hang in there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wabi Sabi Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Clean with bleach. A friend and her family were sick repeatedly all winter. I suggested to her that it sounded like norovirus and sent her a link that said regular household cleaners do not kill this particular virus. So, she switched out her regular cleaners to diluted bleach and the vomiting/diarrhea cycle was finally broken. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nart Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Lysol wipes will not kill the Norovirus but Lysol spray brand lll (not brand ll) will. You have to search on the label in tiny print if the Lysol is brand 2 or 3. Here is a poster that has info on santitizing and it list the bleach to water ratio. http://www.disinfect-for-health.org/wp-content/themes/disinfect/pdfs/NorovirusIncident_8.5x11_Eng_Color.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmyontheFarm Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 I would put a capful of bleach into each sink full of dishwater, or in your dishwasher. A few years ago we kept having a reoccurring fight with a stomach bug, and out of desperation I tried this, that stopped it. My first two kids kept getting sick and finally I took apart my dishwasher. When I lifted the plastic panel off of the door, I almost puked! I had to scrap off the junk. Then I bleached everything and reassembled it. After that, every dish was rinsed clean tossed into a sink with water and bleach and then loaded into the dishwasher with a bit more bleached to run through a long, hot cycle. No more sick kids. Now, every time we start up with something as a family, I pull the dishwasher apart and clean it. I have also been known to resort to disposable dishes when it was really bad and frankly I was too sick to care about saving money or the environment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indigomama Posted February 10, 2014 Author Share Posted February 10, 2014 Just wondering how your household is doing and if you've shaken it all off for good... I've got stomach flu on the mind, as DS says he doesn't feel well tonight and took a bowl to bed. Fingers crossed it's nothing. Erica in OR We have managed to stay well since this last post. I'm so sorry, your son is not feeling well, it is miserable. I will pray he gets well soon and everyone else stays healthy in your family. I have everyone on probiotics, Vit D, Fish oil, and a general vitamin. I bought some bleach, and clean thoroughly. I also noticed our water softener stunk really bad, and so I called the company and they said I should add bleach to that, not sure if it was a problem but I thought it could be. Still a long winter ahead, but I hoping! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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