annamikemc

Hi everyone, I am freaking out and I don't know what to do! My husband woke up at 4 AM with severe vomiting and hasn't stopped since - it's 7:30 AM now. I know the local doctor opens at 8:30 but I have no idea if they speak English (I only speak some French) and if they have something to give him to stop the vomiting. He can't even hold down water. Please help!

lavandula

Are you in a hotel? Can you ask the concierge for help?
Is there a hospital nearby? Can you go there in a taxi, with a bucket or pan for him to be sick in?
Many doctors are well-educated people and I am guessing that many will have some English. If you turn up at the hospital and he is being sick I am sure the staff will see what is wrong with him and will try to help. The way to say "Help!" in French is 'Au secours' (o-skoor), and I am sure if you come in saying that you will be okay. 'To vomit' in French is 'vomir' My ex-boyfriend had the same problem once, couldn't stop vomiting, and we woke up a local doctor who was prepared to see him and who gave him an injection to stop the problem. He was okay after that.
Another thing you might try is the local pharmacy - in some countries (like Belgium) there is a list of emergency pharmacies (ie ones that open after hours) on the door of each pharmacy. They might be able to direct you further. Do try with your English there too - you might be in luck.
Good luck!

schnauzer

where are you exactly? Can you get to a hospital? Unless the time has now passed I wouldn't delay, get to a hospital if possible. Depending on how far away it is of course, otherwise wait for the local doctor. Do you have a neighbour near by to you who can go with you to translate?

Sorry to hear this news, take care and good luck,
schnauzer

annamikemc

We are in Menerbes in a rental house. I called the homeowner who was able to tell me that the doctor opened at 8:30, but the closest hospital is in Cavaillon, about 20 minutes away. At that rate I suppose I should wait and just go to the doctor. I don't know if we should go home or what...we have 5 days left and I'm afraid I will catch it as well, even after he recovers...

lavandula

Maybe you should wait and find out what is wrong with him before worrying about going home ... if it's just a bug, you might be better off staying put until he recovers. And going home won't protect you from being exposed to him and the potential germ, if that's what the problem is. Tch, getting sick on holidays is the pits. Either way, if you wait for the doctor or if you brave the 20 mins to hospital, you will probably be able to communicate with a lot of gestures and sign language. They will help you, don't worry!

Michael

I would drive to the hospital because the doctor might not be able to diagnose without tests. Your husband probably will be admitted and be under observation until they figure out what is wrong or he is stabilized. It happened to my wife years ago when she was 8 months pregnant and they threaten to keep her until childbirth but we simply asked that she be stabilized. She stayed in the hospital for 4 or 5 days until we went to the airport to take our scheduled flight home. We never found out what was wrong.

alanRow

Sounds like food poisoning to me. Lots of fluid, some sugar & salt. Just let it work it's way out of the system and don't do anything to stop it happening

lincasanova

In the future, in Europe you call 112 . They have multi lingual staff on phone and you should know your exact address. They will decide what is best procedure.

LoveItaly

Anna, please post back when you can. But if you see this do not be frightened. I had that happen about 3 years ago around 8:00am. My daughter called our 911 around 4:00pm when she found out (via my neighbor). The ambulance took me to the hospital. I was given some meds and an IV for dehyderation. I was released to go home, well to my daughter's house actually, around 4:00am the next morning.

Neither my daughter nor son-in-law nor grandsons got sick although my ER doctor said it was a virus (after ruling out food poisoning). When that ill fluids will not stay down, or they sure didn't in my case.

I imagine you are now at the doctor's as it is 9:00am in France I believe.

My very best wishes to your husband and to you. Please post back when time permits.

Carlux

To echo lincasanova if you have a health emergency in France, call 112. A medical expert will assess your situation - and if necessary, send you a doctor, an ambulance, whatever. There is always someone on call.

PamSF

Don't give him even sips of water until he stops vomiting.
I think by now you have probably gotten to the doctor. Don't go home. Even if you have to be sick in France it beats trying to manage a long plane ride while vomiting.

CAll 112 and Menerbes is filled with ex-pats.

annamikemc

We are back. The doctor was not able to tell if it is a virus or food poisoning, but did give us prescriptions - one for the nausea/vomiting and two other "for the stomach" (I think one is similar to an acid reflux pill based on the generic name, and the other is dissolved in water). I picked up everything at the Pharmacy (thank goodness this did not happen on a Sunday or everything would be closed). We are going to see if he can keep down the nausea meds and then try to drink water again, small sips at a time.

This is such a nightmare...I just hope he doesn't get too dehydrated. Thanks everyone for your advice. I am still an anxious mess but at least we know where the doctor is now.

sheila

I can post long stories about vomiting in France, intended only to make you laugh. But I will say that you are in very safe hands with the medical system.

It'll be food poisoning and he'll be fine in a few hours. Trust me, I'm a patient.

annamikemc

what is weird is that we ate all the same things - literally sharing plates. the only exception was two nights ago when we both had the same tasting menu at Chez Bru...we had different plates but of the same food. I guess he could have just gotten unlucky with a bad piece of something?

WillTravel

I'm not an expert, but I think it's possible to get a gastrointestinal virus that is not spread in a foodborne way. Such as, for example, if you touched a handrail or doorknob that was contaminated.

I hope your husband improves rapidly.

annamikemc

well for my sake I hope it was a bad piece of food, because otherwise I'm next!

lanejohann

oh im so sorry to read this thread

it is always so much worse to be away from home when youre in such a state

good luck
hope OH gets better soon and that you can comfortably finish your trip

tod

anna - Maybe the doc didn't tell you this (or you might have picked this up at the pharmacy) when you filled your script...............To keep a person hydrated you are able to buy sachets of REHYDRATE at a pharmacy or make your own by:

adding a teaspoon (level)
and three/four tablespoons sugar
to 1 litre water

This solution should tied you over for a couple of hours until hospital treatment.

nona1

Ick poor man (and you). These things tend to resolve themselves after a couple of hours but if not, I hope you are now at the doctors/hospital. Dehydration is the main problem so you should ignore the previous advice to not allow water. Even if it gets chucked up again you should keep trying. Not to mention it's a lot less painful to vomit if there actually is something there rather than the dry-heaves.

Hope he's feeling better soon.

kerouac

It is not food poisoning if you ate the same thing.