Stomach Bug: When Vomiting Needs a Visit, and When IV Fluids Help

Most stomach bugs pass on their own in a day or two. The thing to watch isn't the vomiting itself, it's dehydration: if you can't keep fluids down, or you're dizzy and barely urinating, it's time to be seen. That's when anti-nausea medication and IV fluids in a clinic can help.

Stomach flu, stomach bug, food poisoning: what's the difference?

"Stomach flu" isn't influenza. It's the everyday name for viral gastroenteritis, an infection of the stomach and intestines, often from viruses that spread easily through households, schools and workplaces. Food poisoning causes similar symptoms from germs or toxins in food. For most people the experience is the same: nausea, vomiting, watery diarrhea, cramps, sometimes a low fever, usually improving within one to three days.

What are the symptoms of dehydration?

Every bout of vomiting or diarrhea takes water and salts with it. Watch for:

• Urinating much less than usual, or dark yellow urine
• Dry mouth, strong thirst, or no tears when crying
• Dizziness or lightheadedness, especially when standing up
• Unusual tiredness, headache or a racing heart
• In babies and young children: fewer wet diapers, a dry mouth, or being unusually fussy or sleepy

Young children, older adults, pregnant people, and anyone with diabetes, kidney or heart problems can get dehydrated faster, so it's worth acting sooner for them. Denver's dry air and altitude don't help either: you lose water just by breathing here.

How to rehydrate at home

• After vomiting, give your stomach a short rest, then start with small sips: a spoonful or a mouthful every few minutes rather than a full glass.
• An oral rehydration solution from the pharmacy replaces salts as well as water. Plain water alone is fine for short, mild illness in adults.
• Increase the amount slowly as it stays down. Bland foods can come back when you feel ready.
• Wash hands with soap and water and clean bathroom surfaces; some stomach viruses aren't reliably killed by hand sanitizer.

When does vomiting need a visit?

It's worth being seen the same day if you can't keep even small sips down for several hours, you have the dehydration signs above, diarrhea has lasted more than a couple of days or has blood in it, you have a high fever, or you're in one of the higher-risk groups. A clinician can examine you, look for other causes of the symptoms, and discuss treatment, which may include anti-nausea medication, testing when diarrhea is bloody or prolonged, and IV fluids.

Milder cases can often be managed by telehealth ($75 self-pay), where the clinician can advise on rehydration and diet. If they think you need fluids or an exam, they'll get you into a clinic.

When do IV fluids help?

IV fluids make sense when you're dehydrated and can't drink enough to catch up, usually because the vomiting keeps coming back. With IV hydration, fluids go straight into a vein, so they don't depend on your stomach. An IV is placed and fluids run over about an hour while the clinician treats the cause. If you can drink and keep it down, though, drinking works just as well and IV fluids usually aren't needed.

What it costs

Self-pay in-clinic visits are $175, $250 or $330, and never more than $330. The tier is set by the care you actually receive, so a visit with IV fluids may be in a higher tier than a standard visit; ask the front desk before treatment if you'd like to know. We contract with all major commercial and government plans, including Colorado Medicaid and Medicare. We can't guarantee a particular commercial plan has us in network, and if your plan is out of network or denies the visit, we drop you to the self-pay rates. More on our cost and insurance page.

Call 911 or go to the ER if… there are signs of severe dehydration (no urine for 8 hours or more, fainting, confusion, a very dry mouth); blood in vomit, vomit that looks like coffee grounds, or black or bloody stools; severe or constant belly pain, especially low on the right side; a stiff neck with fever; or, in an infant, no wet diapers, a sunken soft spot, or being unusually hard to wake.

Where to find us

Four clinics across metro Denver, all ages welcome, se habla español:

• Hampden (Southeast Denver): 8 AM–11 PM daily
• Littleton: 8 AM–11 PM daily
• Thornton: 8 AM–11 PM daily
• Highlands: Mon–Fri 5–11 PM, Sat–Sun 8 AM–11 PM

Walk in, or book online.