How IV Therapy Can Help Your Stomach or Flu Virus
Vitamin Spotlight: Everything You Need to Know About B12 IVs
March 29, 2021
How to Get Rid of Muscle Cramps
May 17, 2021
Table of Contents
- Stomach Virus Signs And Symptoms
- When Do You Treat A Stomach Virus With IV Fluids?
- How To Get Rid Of A Stomach Virus
- Does An IV Help The Flu?
- What Kind Of IV Therapy Works For Stomach Flu?
- Supplemental Stomach Virus Symptom Relief Techniques
It can feel like you’re at war with your entire body when you’re battling the stomach flu or other virus. You’re stuck in bed, fatigued and feverish, unable to move—unless it’s to make a trip to the bathroom because you can’t keep anything down. All you want is for the misery to end—and it can with the powerful symptom relief provided by an IV infusion. Let Mobile IV Nurses be your ally against symptoms caused by stomach viruses.
We’ve helped many patients rebound quickly from intense stomach virus symptoms. IV therapy can speed the recovery process by easing nausea, headaches, and other lingering effects of the stomach flu, and our mobile IV service offers you maximum comfort because you don’t have to leave your home for treatment. We’re here for you, ready to provide the fast relief you need.
Stomach Virus Signs And Symptoms
The stomach flu, also called viral gastroenteritis, inflames the lining of your stomach. Norovirus and rotavirus are the main types of germs that cause the stomach virus. It’s very contagious and spreads quickly—you can get it by coming in contact with someone who is sick or touching an infected surface.
Stomach bug symptoms can be mild to severe. Unfortunately, you know you’ve got a stomach bug because it’s hard to miss these unpleasant signs:
It’s worth noting that food poisoning shares many of the same symptoms, but you may also feel thirsty and sweaty.
A stomach virus can hit quickly. You may start feeling sick within a day or two of contracting the bug. It might run its course within a few days, but it can last longer. Plus, you can still shed viral germs up to two weeks later.
So how do you get rid of the stomach flu symptoms? If you’re looking for relief at any point in the process, we’ve got your back. IV therapy is a great way to treat flu symptoms, especially ones that stick around for more than a few days.
When Do You Treat A Stomach Virus With IV Fluids?
Stomach bug symptoms often go away after a couple of days. However, they can persist or even worsen. Specific symptoms that require medical attention include:
- Fever above 104 Fahrenheit
- Vomiting for more than two consecutive days
- Blood in vomit or stool
- Inability to keep liquids down for more than 24 hours
One consequence of a stomach virus, whether the symptoms are mild or severe, is dehydration. Your body loses a lot of fluids if you’re throwing up and having diarrhea. Dehydration can make your symptoms feel even worse. Some common signs of dehydration include:
- Dizziness
- Infrequent urination
- Fatigue
- Mood change, such as irritability
- Elevated heart and breathing rates
- Confusion
If you’ve been throwing up a lot or suffering from consistent diarrhea, IV therapy can provide your body with the necessary ingredients for quick and effective stomach flu relief. After all, being constantly dehydrated can take a toll on your body, transforming what was already a bad flu into an even worse situation. It’s better to nip the problem in the bud and get your system rehydrated and ready to fight off the rest of the flu bug.
How To Get Rid Of A Stomach Virus
There’s no magic pill to “get rid of” a stomach virus. Unlike a bacterial infection that can be treated with antibiotics, a virus needs to play out until it’s cleared from your system. However, you can use certain medicines for stomach virus symptom relief:
- Over-the-counter medications, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen, can help with fever and body aches.
- Prescription medications like metoclopramide and ondansetron alleviate severe nausea.
- Anti-diarrhea solutions, such as subsalicylate and hydrochloride, reduce the effects of dehydration.
The best way to get rid of a stomach virus is to not get one in the first place. Make sure you follow these prevention strategies for your best shot at staying healthy:
- Wash hands frequently with warm water and soap, especially before preparing food or after going to the bathroom. Aim to scrub your hands with soap for about 20 seconds before rinsing, then dry with a clean towel.
- Don’t touch your face (eyes, nose, mouth) if you’ve been around other people or touched surfaces at a location outside your home, such as a school, supermarket, or store. Wash your hands as soon as you come home.
- Clean produce with a rinse of warm water or a special cleaning solution designed for fruits and vegetables. This helps eliminate food-borne viruses.
- When you clean your home, wipe down common surface areas (refrigerator handles, countertops, TV remotes, etc.) with a cleaning solution that works against viruses.
- If you live with someone who has a stomach virus, wash their clothes and towels and disinfect any surfaces they may have touched, such as door handles or light switches. Try to keep them away from other people in the house as much as possible.
If a virus does manage to sneak past your immune system, even after you’ve followed the proper precautions, then you may choose to get the benefits of IV therapy for the stomach flu. IV therapy can help boost your body’s response to the flu, bringing relief from problematic symptoms, while also replenishing essential fluids you’ve lost in the past few days.
Does An IV Help The Flu?
IV therapy can bring much-needed relief when you’re suffering from the symptoms of a stomach virus. When you use IV fluids for the stomach flu, you are replenishing your body when it’s dehydrated. The fluids contain high-quality vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes, which can help your body as you recover. The IV addresses the symptoms of both dehydration and the stomach bug.
An IV drip for flu can be effective at providing rapid symptom alleviation. That’s because IV fluids are infused into the bloodstream, where they get to work quickly. Alternatively, if you take an over-the-counter medication for the stomach flu, you first have to wait for it to pass through your digestive system before feeling the effects. And as anyone who’s ever had the stomach flu knows, all you want is to feel better as soon as possible.
That’s when IV therapy for stomach flu relief comes in handy, allowing you to take the fast track to rehydration for your body while also receiving an influx of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients your body is craving. Plus, an IV package can easily include medication for any pain, nausea or other symptoms you might be feeling, helping you to be in less discomfort as you recover from your sickness.
What Kind Of IV Therapy Works For Stomach Flu?
IV infusions benefit many health concerns, including stomach viruses. Mobile IV Nurses offers several types of drip IV bags, with the ability to customize each one with supplements or medications.
It starts with the stomach virus IV fluids themselves. Each IV bag uses a sterile fluid solution that rehydrates the body with electrolytes to help rebalance your fluid levels. Resolving this dehydration goes a long way toward helping you feel better. The solution is also the ideal carrier for the vitamins, minerals, and supplements in the IV.
Some of the vitamins that work well for alleviating stomach virus symptoms include:
The B vitamins help restore energy and ease fatigue; B12 can also help with nausea. Vitamin C supports the immune system as you bounce back from the virus. These essential vitamins are included in a number of our IV packages, and they are also available as an add-in with any package you choose.
One of the best IVs for stomach flu is the Myers’ Cocktail. It contains B complex, B12 and C vitamins, as well as magnesium, zinc, and the antioxidant glutathione. It’s a popular IV choice for various ailments as it helps supply energy and beat fatigue. Zinc, like vitamin C, offers valuable immune system support. Glutathione promotes the creation of cellular energy and can play a role in detoxing the body. And magnesium relieves viral aches and pains by decreasing inflammation in the body.
We also suggest adding anti-nausea medications to the Myers’ Cocktail for maximum effectiveness. Including them in your stomach virus IV fluids targets the queasiness that makes you so uncomfortable. We offer the following medications that can help ease your stomach bug symptoms:
- Zofran (ondansetron) is an anti-nausea medication that blocks production of the nerve cell chemical called serotonin, which plays a role in stomach queasiness and vomiting.
- Reglan (metoclopramide) is another medicine often prescribed to fight feelings of nausea.
The medical professionals on staff at Mobile IV Nurses work with you to tailor your IV treatment, so you get the best results. You can add a medication or get extra doses of particular vitamins. Contact us, and we’ll get you the best possible treatment for what ails you.
Supplemental Stomach Virus Symptom Relief Techniques
There are other things you can do to help reduce stomach bug symptoms in conjunction with IV therapy. Follow these tips for overall healing and speedy recuperation:
- Drink plenty of water. Your IV provider may recommend an optimal fluid intake to support the rehydration provided by your drip bag treatment. Avoid coffee, which can actually make dehydration worse, and stick to water, or an electrolyte replacement if needed.
- Eat plain, bland foods. A BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast) is gentle on the stomach and easier to keep down when you’ve been vomiting and nauseous, compared to richer, more filling foods. Broth and plain crackers are also good options. Take care to eat slowly, with small servings. You can start eating more as your stomach feels stronger.
- Rest. You probably won’t feel like getting out of bed in the peak stages of a stomach virus. Use the downtime wisely to get as much sleep as possible, which will help you heal and recuperate.
How Mobile IV Nurses Helps When You Have The Stomach Flu
We’re the most trusted provider of IV fluids that treat flu symptoms, serving patients throughout Arizona. We understand how weak and tired you can feel with a stomach virus and how difficult it is to rouse yourself to travel to an urgent care center or hospital emergency room. That’s why we provide IV therapy at your home or other convenient location. We put patient safety and comfort first as our experienced paramedics or registered nurses perform your infusion. Explore all of our affordable pricing packages for IV treatment.
When you contact us, we’ll go over your list of symptoms, as well as your health history and any medications you’re currently taking. This helps determine your course of IV treatment. We’ll also review your options for supplemental vitamins or medications, all of which are medical-grade products designed to deliver the greatest effectiveness. We carefully select your drip IV, so it has the ingredients that will give you powerful relief.
As your IV kicks in, and you feel a reduction in your symptoms, you can start implementing other symptom-relief measures. The stomach flu can take the fight out of you, but IV therapy is your best weapon to get you back to full strength.
Mobile IV Nurses offers safe, effective mobile IV therapy seven days a week. Plus, we are open from the hours of 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Come give our mobile IV packages a try throughout our areas of service in Arizona, including Phoenix, Tucson, Scottsdale, and more.
Contact us today to set up an appointment by phone or through our online scheduler. Plus, we’re always available to answer any questions you might have about the safety and effectiveness of IV therapy, as well as about what IV package is right for stomach flu relief.
FAQs
Can IV fluids help with nausea and vomiting?
When combatting a stomach virus, fluid replacement is essential. You already know you’ve lost a lot of fluids due to your symptoms.
The CDC recommends using Ringer’s lactate solution in an IV to replace lost fluids and electrolytes. Standard saline solutions are also a good choice. Dextrose saline is best at relieving nausea symptoms, as per a study published in the October 2016 edition of the United Kingdom’s National Institute for Health and Care Research journal.
Along with fluids, adding anti-nausea and anti-diarrheal medications to your IV drip can alleviate symptoms of nausea and diarrhea.
Does an IV help with a stomach virus?
There are not a lot of treatment options when it comes to a stomach virus. These bugs are formally known as gastroenteritis — “stomach virus” is actually a misnomer. It’s the intestines that are infected, not the stomach. Therapies revolve around self-care.
That’s where an IV comes in. It replaces fluids lost through diarrhea and vomiting. For a stomach virus, IV fluids can help patients significantly.
Keep in mind that all stomach bugs are not the result of viruses. Bacteria and parasites also cause similar symptoms. No matter the root cause, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea are usually present.
Does hydration help stop the stomach bug?
When you’re battling a stomach bug, hydration is essential. You need to replenish the fluids lost through vomiting and diarrhea. Without ample hydration and the subsequent loss of mineral salts, dehydration can occur.
Signs of dehydration include:
- Dark urine
- Extreme thirst
- Fatigue
- Headaches
- Less elastic skin
- Lightheadedness
- Lip chapping or cracking
- Sinking cheeks and eyes
Untreated dehydration may prove fatal. While drinking water can help, oral consumption is simply not fast enough to replace a large amount of lost fluid. With gastroenteritis, the patient may be unable to keep oral fluids down. The stomach bug may cause the patient to throw up the water they drank, worsening the situation. A mobile IV for hydration works quickly and bypasses a sensitive stomach. However, if you are able to hold down water, continue drinking it or a sports drink containing electrolytes for fluid replenishment after your IV therapy.
If experiencing any of these symptoms when dealing with a stomach virus, book an appointment with Mobile IV Services as soon as possible. An IV nurse will usually arrive at your home within one hour of making the appointment during regular business hours.
What is the fastest way to get rid of a stomach virus?
Expect symptoms of a stomach virus to last up to a week. Unfortunately, there’s no magic pill to get rid of a stomach virus. When it comes to viruses, antibiotics are ineffective. Since hydration is a crucial part of recovering from your stomach bug, the fastest hydration method is also the quickest route to relief. For a stomach virus, IV fluids offer the best solution. Mobile IV Nurses can help you feel better faster.
