Experimental Notes on the Stomach Flu
by Kayla Howard
Thankfully it’s a rare occasion when the stomach flu hits our home. Even though this is one of the shortest lived sickness you can get, it’s still one of my least favorite. This week the flu ravaged it’s way through our entire family. Being an experimental person by nature, I put into practice a number of suggestions that might help. These are my notes about how things worked.
Since I was the last person to get this bug, I had at that point received the most number of different curative suggestions. And because I felt like I could experiment more on myself….well….I did.
Suggestion #1 Chamomile Tea
Chamomile tea wasn’t bad. I started drinking this as soon as I felt ill. Since I had Cholacol II tablets on hand, I crushed a couple and put them in the tea thinking my stomach would digest them better if they were already crushed. Cholacol II is basically a clay supplement, (made by Standard Process) that absorbs toxins. Surprisingly I felt quite a lot better after drinking this concoction. So much better in fact that I gave in to a strong craving for popcorn with nutritional yeast and something bubbly. Since I don’t keep pop in my house, the only bubbly thing I could find was an old bottle of cherry apple cider left over from Christmas. This was a bad idea.
#2 Probiotics on the Tongue
Next, I tried opening a capsule of Life 5 (by Young Living) and sprinkling it on my tongue. I really had a hard time making the first move to empty the contents in my mouth, but was surprised that it didn’t taste bad at all. Because I took this after the tea and before the popcorn, I really can’t say whether it was the probiotics, or the chamomile tea and clay that made me feel better. I can say that the cherry cider did not make me feel better and within the hour I was really wishing I HAD NOT given in to my temptations.
#3 Peppermint & Ginger Essential Oil
I did use peppermint & ginger Essential oil leading up to getting sick. Neither seemed to prevent it. Ginger is just gross to me, so I gave it up when I got sick. Peppermint however did provide relief from the intense stomach pain when I put it right on my belly. It also helped me forget I was terribly nauseous for about 5 seconds when I sniffed it. 
#4 Activated Charcoal
Lots and lots of people suggested activated charcoal. Honestly, it would have been my first suggestion to someone else. I started taking this the day my first child got sick, 3 days before I did. It didn’t help keep me from getting sick this time, and it didn’t help my sickness when it was upon me. Maybe it works better with food poisoning? I really don’t know. I was bummed because I thought it would be my best bet.
#5 Wine
One spoonful of wine cured all three of my kids of their vomiting by settling their stomach. Did it help me? Nope. Nada. It came back up with the popcorn and cherry cider. Yuck.
My conclusion? I would do everything the same. Ha! Really, I’m sure I would, (minus the cherry cider part). If there is anything I’ve learned over the 11 years I’ve been taking care of kids and myself, you never know what is going to work in a given situation with a specific individual. What worked one time, won’t work the next. That is why healing is a gift, not a profession.
These are my top pick ideas for you when the stomach flu comes to your home. Tell me, what do you do? Comment below so we can build a reference page for future stomach flu sufferers!
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Clear liquids (NO ALCOHOL). Nothing with much fiber (like popcorn). Once clear liquids are tolerated, then BLAND foods that don’t leave much residue (white rice, bananas, dry toasted white bread, saltines, apple sauce….. this is the one time when whole grains and fiber-rich foods are not your best friend).
YL Idaho Tansy Essential Oil rubbed on the tummy will help with the nausea and it has anti-viral properties, so, I also put it on my feet and as far up and down my spine as I can reach. This helped knock the flu bug out of me within a few hours. I had awakened in the morning to terrible achy body, fever, nausea, headache. I went back to bed for a couple hours and by noon, I was feeling so much better–able to function almost to my normal. I bought my family members each some Idaho Tansy because I was so impressed!!!
The first thing I always try to do when sickness of any kind threatens is to start diffusing YL Thieves essential oil in the house, to keep the bug from spreading. Then for the sick person, I would put Thieves on his/her feet on the proper VitaFlex points, along with any other oils that might be helpful. For stomach bugs, we also drink colloidal silver, and for myself, I would drink a drop or two (or 3!) of Thieves in water. My poor husband has severe stomach cramps recently and we didn’t know if it was a bug or food poisoning (I had eaten the same food). I did all the above for both him and me, put some DiGize on our tummies, and gave him some Peppermint oil in water (along with Thieves). He threw up once, but his symptoms eased immediately afterwards and gradually went away. I never did catch whatever it was.
Great ideas! A couple I hadn’t thought of. I use a product called Living Clay that helps pull the toxins- you can drink it and bathe in it. Probiotics, Peppermint & Di-Gize oils help to calm our upset tummies. We also do Thieves on the feet and diluted on the spine, along with Immupower and Exodus II oils. We always keep homeopaths for the stomach flu on hand for this as well. Glad you all are feeling better!
I’ve used “ipecacuana” -it’s a homoepathic remedy to help with: Nausea • Indigestion • Vomiting • Stomach Flu • Morning Sickness • Cough. I have been amazed at how effective it is to stop vomiting episodes. It is readily available at stores and on-line.
Another homepathic remedy is “Pleo Oku” available on-line or from a naturopth. It’s probably a good idea to have these things on hand before the flu strikes.
A friend of mine told me that at the first sign of the flu in a family member, she and the rest of the family begin taking 1/2 tsp. of the pink stuff (Pepto) every hour to coat their stomachs. She has a large family and she has seen this keep the flu from going through the whole family. So, if you don’t mind that it is not completely natural, this may be worthwhile to try.
At the first sign of sickness I give everyone tummy tune up from beeyoutiful.com. We also use that to help when resuming a normal diet!
One of the best things I found this year, thanks to my daughter ,was Elderberry syrup. My son took it after getting the flu. He recovered very quickly and felt so much better after taking it. My husband an I took it just as we came down with it and we didn’t have a lot of the symptoms our family & friends suffered with. Our recovery was a lot quicker also.
My married daughter gave it to her 3 & 4 yr. old daughter. The 18 month old wasn’t so good at taking it. The 3 & 4 yr. old didn’t get sick but the 18 month old did. I read in 1995 there was an influenza outbreak in a South American country and that’s what the people started taking. From what I read it is also an immune booster & it will ward off viruses so you can take it as a preventative. I’m sold on elderberry syrup:)
For the flu I have used on myself first, “Peaceful Mountains – stomach rescue” It has a really strong permerment tast. It has Coliodosliver (?) and pepperment in it. I started to take this when I first felt like I was going to be stick that night. I did get sick that night, but never threw up. My stomach was upset and I didn’t really fell like eating, but I I never had the really horrible pains or getting sick. I watched a movie and laid on the couch. I did take more every 2 hours.
Now I also got sick another time with felling like getting sick and had diarea. I felt so back that I took my husbands advice and drank some apple cidar vinagar (I had already took the stomach rescue). I then felt better and was able to go to bed. I started to fell a little sick again within 1/2 hour to 1 hour and I took more apple cidar vinagar. I then slept the rest of the night and the next day I felt better, just tired and weak. I never got sick and I didn’t have any more diarea. Note – you should drink a little water for your throat after taking apple cidar vinagar, but not too much as it will water it down and not really work. I’am sold on apple cidar vinagar now, as it worked the best and right away. I still have the stomach recuse on hand also, and will use both.
My husband heard that a guy at his work got what I had and he was sick on the bathroom floor for 19 hours. Another friend of mine said she was in the bathroom every half hour at night, then the day was better, thought she was done, but the next night every 1/2 hour was back at the toliet. This was for diarea and feeling like you had to get sick, but you didn’t.
Since then twice now when I have felt sick at night I have tooken apple cidar vinagar and felt better, and never got sick.
Hope this helps someone, I will finish reading the rest of the idea’s also.
God Bless, Naomi
“For whosoever shall cal l upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:13 KJV:)
“For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves it is a gift of God not of works least any man should boast.” Eph. 2:8-9 KJV
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23 KVJ
“If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us or sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 KJV:)
Sorry for the peaceful mountain stomach rescue it had Colloidal Silver and peppermint. I had spelled it wrong.
Sorry again, I forgot to tell you that I only drank a few tablespoons of the apple cidar vinagar at a time (probably 2 to 4 tbs – really I just poured some and took it, but I think that is about how much it was), and drink it straight, no putting in juice or water it you can help it, since it waters it down and doesn’t work as well. Do drink a little/sip of water after for your throat.
God Bless, Naomi
Only Jesus Saves!!!!