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Treatment of Gastroenteritis
Drinking lots of water will help to replace the fluids lost through diarrhoea and vomiting, and prevent dehydration. Avoid alcohol, tea and coffee, and sweetened fruit juice. Even if you feel sick, take a few sips to keep hydrated. Rehydration mixture can be bought from pharmacists, but it is rarely needed for adults and should only be taken with your GP’s advice.
Babies should be given their normal feed. If they are very young, seek medical advice, because babies and children are at high risk of becoming dehydrated. (This also applies to the elderly, who are at risk of serious complications if dehydration occurs.) Don’t give rehydration mixture unless advised by your GP. It is fine for breastfeeding mothers to continue nursing if they have gastroenteritis, as long as they keep well hydrated.
If children won’t drink plain water, try other non-sweetened drinks such as weak squash (but not milk) or even sucking an ice lolly.
Adults may wish to use an anti-diarrhoea medicine that can be bought over the counter, to minimise disruption to lifestyle and trips to the toilet. The safest and most effective contain loperamide – you can ask your pharmacist for this. Never give anti-diarrhoea medicines to babies or children, as some may have dangerous side effects.
For both adults and children, starving (not eating) does not cure gastroenteritis any quicker than introducing a light diet as soon as possible. Begin with light, bland foods such as soup, rice, bread and pasta. Babies should be given their normal feed.
Antibiotics are not usually helpful in gastroenteritis, because most cases in the UK are caused by viruses. They are sometimes given if a specific bacteria is involved, but are not an ideal treatment because they can kill the ‘friendly’ bacteria in the gut that aid digestion.
In severe cases, where there is dehydration and even shock, hospital treatment may be required, so that fluids can be given intravenously (directly into the veins).
