Treating Noro, or..."Being Prepared"

[Cracker Ken]

I've had it. No fun. The worst was over in 12 hours. Sitting in an inside cabin for 3 days isn't fun either, but I gladly did it.

 

There's absolutely nothing that you can take with you that will keep you from getting it, or cure it once you get it.

 

Preventing and recovering from dehydration is a must.

 

Preventative measures such as washing your hands a lot and watching what you are touching are a good thing. If you have a nail biting habit ( I do) - try to control it. Touch elevator buttons (and drink machine buttons, etc) with your knuckles. Use the back of your hand to steady yourself on stair railings. I don't know how much good hand sanitizers are, but I use them, especially after using salt/pepper, ketchup container, etc.

 

Still, I did all of the above, and still caught it. :(

 

On the up side, you won't gain weight on the cruise.;)

 

Ken

[vbmom87]

We brought Immodium, Pepto Bismol, Tylenol, all the usual things on our recent cruise. :eek:

 

Be careful using immodium. My doctor said that with intestinal diseases, you really don't want to block yourself up with the germs having no way to escape. You are better off letting it run its course and letting the "bugs" leave your system in a timely fashion.

[kenish]

VBMom87's post agrees with my physican and another MD friend. Personal tip- when it's over, eat some yogurt. It will help restore "good" bacteria in the gut.

[janmcn]

We travel with Imodium and Pepto Bismal for any GI stuff (DH is a Gastroenterologist). Just keep fluids up if you get Noro. Also, make sure the onboard doc knows about you. (Way to keep up with how many have it and who is infectious.)

Jan

[Sundagger]

We travel with Imodium and Pepto Bismal for any GI stuff (DH is a Gastroenterologist). Just keep fluids up if you get Noro. Also, make sure the onboard doc knows about you. (Way to keep up with how many have it and who is infectious.)

Jan

 

Could you check with him about treatment of bacterial gastroenteritis vs. Norovirus. A pathologist I worked with, who was also board-certified in microbiology, said that he always took Pepto Bismol on his trips to Mexico - it has proven to be effective on avoiding the bacterial "Montezuma's Revenge". He also thought highly of Imodium and antibiotics for that problem.

 

According to everything I've been able to find out, the Pepto and antibiotics aren't effective for Norovirus (and Imodium is controversial).

[iceman93]

I've had it. No fun. The worst was over in 12 hours. Sitting in an inside cabin for 3 days isn't fun either, but I gladly did it.

 

Sitting in the penthouse isn't any fun either--I've done that with noro as well.

 

Wash your hands a lot, use the Purel they offer all over the ship, and you should be fine. As others have pointed out, once you've got it there's nothing to be done except to let your immune system do its job as unpleasant as that may be.

 

Airborne, Blockade, and those other placebos are as effective as any sugar pill. If you think they'll work and can convince yourself of that, "mind over matter" may be more valuable than pretty much anything else.

[Boytjie]

Gatoraid also is good for these types of illnesses and it is readily available. Pack a bottle.

 

Also avaliable in crystals to mix with water so you can pack lighter. :)

[Boytjie]

Sitting in the penthouse isn't any fun either--I've done that with noro as well.

 

But quarentined in the penthouse is way better than in an inside room!

 

At least you have a huge balcony and outside jacuzzi... :D

[sail7seas]

I was in our "S" when I had Noro. Thankfully, it was the last day of our cruise so I didn't miss much. Doesn't matter if you're in a "PS" or an Inside, no one (a) wants to be ill on their cruise and (b) quarantine. But, if you have any respect for anyone, crew or fellow guests, too bad!!! It simply is so selfish IMO to go out and about and spread your germs to others.

 

Sure you are upset; most of us are very careful and think we shouldn't have gotten it but if you do, no matter how careful, do the right thing. Call the Infirmiry and tell them. And do as they instruct.

 

Sorry for the lecture. It's just I feel that strongly about it....... and I've been there myself so earned the right to say so.

 

[hammybee]

[quote=vbmom87;14232078

 

You are better off letting it run its course and letting the "bugs" leave your system in a timely fashion.

 

Best advice.

 

Just about every adult on this planet acquires multiple bouts with a

"stomach virus" over a lifetime.

 

When it occurs at home, most of us take to our bed, let it run its course and we are back to normal in a few days. Why would it be any different when on vacation or a cruise ship?

[sail7seas]

Exactly.

 

Such hysteria over such a common condition. Many of us had 'stomach bugs' or 'food poisoning' in our past long before we ever heard of Noro Virus. How many of those episodes really were Noro? Probably most. We had it for 12 or 24 hours and we went about our lives.

 

[mamaofami]

We'd definitely seek medical attention if we thought we had Noro, and we also follow the scout's motto to "be prepared"...

 

We generally travel with what I call a "pharmacy in a bag". Imodium, Meclizine, etc., plus Cipro and Amoxicillin, cough drops, tummy tablets, and on and on. "

 

 

I no longer call what I bring a pharmacy in a bag. It's more like a pharmacy in a carry on.

[iceman93]

When it occurs at home, most of us take to our bed, let it run its course and we are back to normal in a few days. Why would it be any different when on vacation or a cruise ship?

 

I'm not saying it should be any different, and my entire party certainly respected the quarantine when it happened to me, but there are a couple of differences.

 

1) If I get a stomach bug at home, the rest of my family can pretty much go on living their lives as normal. They're not stuck in the house just because I'm sick.

 

2) Our house has a lot more space in it and things to do than any stateroom. Even in that PS people were going a bit stir crazy by the second day.

 

3) Perhaps most importantly from a psychological point of view, we've paid a lot of money to be on that cruise. Spending it confined to quarters seems like a colossal waste of money.

 

Again, I absolutely support the ship's staff when they quarantine someone and think it is in the best interest of the whole. But there are an awful lot of selfish people in the world who think so little of others that those previous items I mentioned easily outweigh the negligible responsibility they feel to their fellow passengers and staff members.

[donaldsc]

 

Again, I absolutely support the ship's staff when they quarantine someone and think it is in the best interest of the whole. But there are an awful lot of selfish people in the world who think so little of others that those previous items I mentioned easily outweigh the negligible responsibility they feel to their fellow passengers and staff members.

 

I guess that the solution is either to put an alarm bracelet on all of the people, put an exit alarm on their door, lock the door from the outside, or mark them accordingly.

 

IMHO, shame is the best solution. If they leave the cabin a second time, paint their faces with some sort of obvious badge of shame so that everyone knows that they are to be shunned and so that they can then be locked in the brig.

 

DON

[sail7seas]

The 'badge of shame' should be they are put off the ship in the next port. IMO