This works.....we used it a lot in the ER and Urgent Care.
Nothing to eat or drink for 4-6 hours to give your colon a chance to rest....then clear liquids, especially ones with added electrolytes for 24. Since you have low blood sugar make sure you get things with some sugar in them....or make your own by adding blue agave nectar to white grape juice. (Blue agave nectar is low glycemic and keeps bloods sugars more even.)
Take small amounts of the clear liquids often rather than large amounts less frequently.
We also used to use Donnatal Elixer but it is a prescription item....not even sure it is used anymore.
I hope you feel better soon.

Hope you are feeling better soon!

the only thing I could suggest is sip on 7-Up.
Carol knows more than I do though so follow her advice.
Hope you feel better tomorrow, that would be the pits for you to feel puny.

Only thing I have EVER found to settle my stomach is to squeeze the juice of a lemon over crushed ice...and sip on it as the ice melts! If that will work for morning sickness..it'll work on anything!!

I still use Pepto bismol. I don't use any home remedies. Good luck at your show!

"Puny" is a good word for how I'm feeling. :-)

Blue agave nectar sounds very California, Carol. I don't have any in the house, but I'll have to check it out when I can. Thanks for the tips. I should mention that my problem seems to be limited to the upper GI. Lower GI appears to be normal. Except for the gas pains, of course. :-)

BTW, I've lost 3 or 4 lbs. this week. I'm sure I would have lost more if I hadn't been eating things like crackers and rice. Even in small quantities, carbs like these put weight on me faster than anything.

CountryBumpkin, I wish I were pregnant. At least I'd get a reward at the end of all this. LOL

Thanks, all!

Upper GI responds well to ginger tea, 7 up, ice chips and dry crackers.
My original post is for lower GI problems.
Also, if you have nausea there is something called Emetrol, an OTC liquid that works very well, too.

Eat Yogurt...it has a good bacteria in it that kills bad bacteria...

I was going to suggest peppermint tea with a little honey in it. Works for me.

My home remedy: Coca Cola and Saltine Crackers.
Gotta use real Coke...not diet, not new or improved or flavored...just original Coke. Gotta use Saltine crackers...not captains wafers, not any other cracker.

Little sips and little nibbles...

Hope you are feeling better soon.

Hounds....that Emetrol I mentioned is a cola based syrup.......more concentrated that regular coke but your hint is a very good one!

Pattico's post reminded me of a thought I had this afternoon: There may be more to my problem than the usual sort of stomach virus.

A couple of years ago I was diagnosed with a bacteria overgrowth, and the doctor prescribed an antibiotic that works in the small intestine. I elected not to take it because he said it was likely I'd have to repeat the dose every three months. Hoping to avoid that, I experimented with different foods, and found I could eliminate the symptoms if I gave up certain ones, including yogurt. The problem with yogurt was that its good bacteria added to my bacterial overgrowth.

I'm wondering if today's symptoms (including the pain I am in at this moment) might be related at least in part to the above diagnosis. If things aren't greatly improved by Monday, I think it's time for a chat with the gastroenterologist. Or however he spells it.

I'll look forward to ginger tea in the morning. And/or maybe some peppermint tea. I have both.

Thanks again!

I remember my mom giving me Donnatal as a child. I can still smell it! Chamomile tea has always settled the belly!

We would drink warm Vernor's ginger ale, just heat it up in the microwave. Add a bit of lemon if you want.
Kathy G in MI

Hope you're feeling better soon. If not, be sure to go see the doctor!

OLD Gramma one that works for me, flat coke ( not diet).

sue, have you tried acidophilus with probiotics?

I have acidophilus and another probiotic in the house, but I'm afraid they would add to the overgrowth problem. All I had to eat yesterday was a total of about a half-cup of plain white rice and less than one slice of white bread, plus about four swallows of white grape juice diluted half and half with water. (I also drank quite a bit of water.) That was IT as far as food intake goes, and I was doubled over with gas pains from 4:30 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. I don't understand what's going on here, but my short-term goal is to avoid being in that condition for my reception, and the only way I can think of to achieve that is to eat nothing all day. This sounds rather risky to me, but I don't know what else to do.

I should add that rice, white bread, etc., is so not like the way I usually eat. Normally my diet consists of lean proteins, nuts, fruits, and salads every day. I go through several heads of red and green romaine each week.

Could it be bad bacteria has taken over your good bacteria? I would risk trying the acidophilus with probio. after your reception today.

LOL I agree that anything I try will be after the reception!

The reason I'm afraid about the acidophilus is that I know yogurt gives me terrible gas even when I'm healthy. It really shouldn't do that. I miss yogurt......

Another vote for coke. My dd and I have both had lots of experience with tummy problems--I also experienced the gas bubbles (OW!) and had to eat only white foods (rice, bread, plain potato, etc.) for a very long time. The coke seems to settle the tummy a bit and give some calories, as without any calories I feel like I'm going to keel over. I hope you're able to make it through the show without feeling too badly and that you can enjoy yourself!

(When the gas bubbles made me wish I could faint, I asked my dh to call the doctor for something to help and was given, I think, muscle relaxers. I only needed one, but that was the most beautiful pill I ever had. What a relief! Don't eat oranges at this time. :)

Are you eating REAL yogurt?

So much of what is on the typical grocery store shelves these days has filler and additives. Things like carrageenan/agar and guar gum which have a laxative effect. Artificial sweeteners can upset the intestinal tract in some people too.

Some yogurt is made with culture but has been heat treated to the point no live culture remains.

Buy pure yogurt. Read labels. Know what is in what you area eating.

You could try some L-Lysine tablets and Vitamin C if you think it is a virus. The Lysine is anti-viral so it may help.

Maybe you have a problem with dairy and not really yogurt?
Have you been eating Activia yogurt??? If so read some of the reviews (one of the bad reviews sounds like what you are going through).

Here is a link that might be useful: Activia yogurt reviews

I recently had something similiar. I ran a low grade fever for 4 days and was so sick at my stomach the first night with dry heaves for another 12 hours. Of course both ends were going at the same time. I drank ginger ale after it had become flat and then added tea and dry toast.

However, I became dehydrated still and bloodwork showed my potassium to be below normal. Dr. had me take a potassium tablet each day for a week and retested blood. It was back to normal then. I also added a banana a day along with the tablet. I felt so weak for a full week, couldn't handle more than a few bites of food even after I began eating 5 days out.

Interesting stuff about Activia, Lydia! No, I wasn't eating it, and yes, I have a problem with dairy, so I don't drink milk. It's not a digestive problem, though; I'm allergic to a protein in milk. I don't eat cheese either, but that's because I have to avoid saturated fat.

Funny, I was taking l-lysine just before this happened. I felt sick on Thursday, and had trigeminal neuralgia. I thought it was warning me of a herpes simplex outbreak, and started pushing lysine immediately. The symptoms went away, so I thought the lysine had worked. Then on Saturday I came down with the fever.

Yes, my yogurt is definitely real. I was buying plain, non-fat Dannon or Greek yogurt, in quarts. I'm an inveterate label reader.

BBoston, your experience really does sound similar (except for the "both ends" part). Like I said, if things haven't drastically improved by Monday, I think a visit to the doctor is in order.

I tried to last until 4:00 without eating, but couldn't do it. I just had some food and am waiting for my blood sugar to rise. It's an awful feeling when it gets terribly low. So I'll go to the reception, bringing the food and wine, and if it turns out that I'm unable to stay, so be it. I gave it my best shot.

Susan - I've been out all day and just returned home. I was hoping when I opened this post that you had finally written that you were feeling a little better or some other positive comment.

I have no ideas to offer. I'll be thinking about you this evening and wishing that the show is a smash and that you were having such a good time that you barely noticed any of these symptoms.

Please try and have a good time tonight. And don't forget to post some photos here for us to enjoy.

Sue, I can not stomach yogurt/activia but I do okay with acidophilis. I have had the exact symptoms you describe and after trying everything OTC the Acidophilis finally helped. I do have IBS that goes with Autoimmune disorders. Good luck. I know how terribly uncomfortable you must be.

Acidolphilis comes in capsules so you can avoid the dairy. It is most likely the dairy that is giving you the gas.

Acidolphilis will balance the good bacteria in you digestive system. Start out slow to prevent any new problems. Take only one tablet then wait 2 hours and try 2 more. Give it at least a half hour before eating something easy. By that time you should be able to eat something like Rice made with chicken broth. If that goes OK, then you should be able to get back to normal, in a gradual way! If it were me I would be taking 3 or 4 capsules a day for a few days. This will NOT be like eating yogurt!

A number of years ago, I became so sick that I couldn't keep anything down. Not even sucking on ice chips.
My dad told me drink Jello gelatin. I tried it and it didn't come back up. It's the only thing that would stay down.
Diane