Nausea and everything smells gross—help!

Hey everyone,
I’ve been up all night throwing up—and honestly, it’s been a total disaster zone down there, too. Every single thing I try to get into my system, even just a sip of water, hits my stomach and immediately triggers these insane cramps before coming right back up.
On top of that, everything smells absolutely revolting... which obviously just makes the nausea ten times worse.
I’m definitely not pregnant,
It wasn't the drinks,
And I don't think it was what we ate, since the whole family had the same meal and everyone else is perfectly fine.
(I did have some seafood a few days ago, but that was back on the 31st, and this madness didn't start until yesterday afternoon.)

Any advice on what I should do?

Going straight to infectious... I’m not even joking. It started with my mom, and before we knew it, my wife ended up in the hospital with a nasty case of salmonella.

When you're dealing with nausea and an upset stomach, you shouldn't be gulping down water—it’s much better to take tiny sips, just a drop at a time, every few minutes...
There seems to be a nasty stomach flu going around the country lately—lots of vomiting and diarrhea—so it's entirely possible you caught whatever is hitting everyone else right now.

This isn't a joke!
My old man is a big guy—well over 240 lbs—and he dropped 26 lbs in a single week. He had those exact same symptoms... he almost ended up in kidney failure. 😢

Get to the ER now! 🙂

I’m with you on that—straight to the ER then...
Don't let yourself get dehydrated. Just grab some Pedialyte from a drugstore (send someone else to pick it up), mix it in a bottle, and just take tiny sips...

It might not be anything too serious... my brother-in-law has a stomach bug right now... and he's dealing with some similar symptoms... he's just staying home and waiting for it to pass. He's sticking to a bland diet—just some toast and rice for now...😘

I’m feeling a bit dizzy today too, but I’m pushing through. I haven't eaten a thing; fasting makes the time pass faster, I suppose. Just make sure you stay hydrated. A woman in my town recently passed away from dehydration caused by stomach flu—she refused to see a doctor and wouldn't drink enough water. Her blood pressure bottomed out to 5, and even the ER couldn't bring her back.

Anyway, you probably just picked up a virus or maybe something from those oysters you ate...

I went through something pretty similar back in June of last year. Luckily, I bounced back in a couple of days without even needing to see my doctor.
My advice? Give it a day or two to see if things settle down, but if you aren't feeling better by then, head straight to the clinic.

I went through this exact same thing back in the spring—it was 4:00 AM when my mom rushed me to the ER because I just couldn't take it anymore... they gave me an injection, and the pain vanished instantly. Honestly, you should see a doctor ASAP—you’re going to end up dehydrated if you wait.

Go to the ER if you can't find anything else to do besides sit there waiting for an IV😁
It’s what you need.

swiftowl10—how's it going?

swiftowl10, I felt the exact same way. It was absolutely brutal. A friend of mine went through it too, though she recovered within 24 hours while I ended up completely dehydrated. I’m heading in for an IV drip tomorrow. It sounds like a classic case of stomach flu. I lost about nine pounds in three days.

In about nine months, you’re really going to find out exactly what happened... 🤣

Well, I finally feel like I’m starting to emerge from the fog this evening... it’s been a grueling three days. The first night was nothing short of brutal—constant nausea, probably twenty bouts of vomiting, and enough stomach issues that I spent most of the night pacing the hallway between my bedroom and the bathroom. Now, my husband is starting to complain of similar symptoms, and I can only hope he gets hit with a milder version than I did. My appetite has been nonexistent; I’ve mostly just managed to nibble on some dry toast—which is usually a staple for me—some soft, well-cooked rice, a third of a banana for the potassium, and plenty of chamomile tea. I didn't see a doctor because several people in my social circle went through the exact same thing recently; it turned out to be a standard stomach virus where the best course of action is just a strict diet and aggressive hydration rather than any heavy-duty medication. That said, I did start taking prolife capsules today—a probiotic supplement to help get my gut flora back in balance.

Several doctors have told me that chamomile isn't the move when you're dealing with nausea; it can actually irritate your stomach further. It’ll probably just soothe your nerves, though even that hasn't worked for me 😁. For stuff like this, I usually stick to peppermint, ginger, or maybe some sage tea.
Anyway, the worst part is over. I didn't end up needing an IV drip since I managed to bounce back on my own 🙂

This seems more like a stroke of luck than actual wisdom 😁 without being insulting
Such frequent bouts of diarrhea and vomiting carry a high risk of dehydration, not to mention any complications from non-viral causes. You really should have consulted a doctor first, or if they couldn't help, headed to an urgent care clinic for IV fluids, especially since a bacterial infection can't be ruled out.
I would definitely suggest getting a stool culture to identify the underlying cause; if it isn't a virus or bacteria, you might find a parasite. If it is indeed an infestation, the symptoms will just keep coming back, so there's no sense in going through this ordeal all over again without answers

Give me a break, Sam Hall15. It’s just a standard stomach bug. It’s only the first month of the year, the weather is miserable, and it’s hardly surprising that everyone is catching something. Besides, I’m not ninety years old; I don't need a minor virus to knock me sideways. Honestly, you're such a hypochondriac. It’s obvious you aren't a doctor—if you were, you’d know they usually just tell people to hang in there and wait for it to pass. ☕

I’ve been staring at my phone all morning wondering... is this new bug going around actually Norovirus, or just some nasty strain of something else that hit (I think?) Mount Sinai

It’s not even on the radar, it’s lightyears away!
Look, I’m hardly a medical expert, so you’re free to disagree... 😁
But I’m certainly hoping to stick around for a few more years......

Just a thought—if a doctor tells you it’s just a common virus, please don't be surprised if they miss a rare case of meningococcal sepsis until it's almost too late...
If you were here in the States, you could request specific testing to identify the exact virus rather than just ruling out life-threatening conditions that present with identical symptoms. Ultimately, patients have the right to choose, and doctors should provide those options.