I know there are many posts about Norovirus here already, but I just need to vent.

[Miss_Pink24]

Hi all,

I am new here, literally just joined and I really need some advice and/or reassurance. Norovirus season is among us and I am going out of my mind with worry. If I spent half the time I did worrying about getting Norovirus doing more important things then I'd be leading quite a productive life. But unfortunately it is this instead. The fear keeps me awake at night, I find myself staying awake as long as possible, not only obsessing, but because I have convinced myself that it reduces my chances of waking up at 4 am with it (when me and my sisters were kids and one of them was ill with V*, it always occurred in the early hours of the morning, so that relationship has always stuck with me). I check the News everyday looking for the latest headline about it which just increases the fear. I live alone with my boyfriend in a flat and I hate to say it that I even almost reached the point of ending it with him so that I could move out. As we figure that it is inevitable that if one of us gets it, then we will both end up with it. And I should not be feeling like that. It is horrific that I do. I think even he is worried about catching it now because of my phobia and not wanting to inflict it on me. Bless him.

I just need to know how to stop obsessing and what exactly are my chances of picking it up? I know that the number of cases in the UK has reached 1.2 million, but if you compare that with the number of people in the UK that still works out at only like 2% of people. I am not around children, hospitals, schools or care homes which is where I know they spread rapidly. I work in a laboratory so I wash my hands regularly anyway, but since Norovirus season I have been doing it more and more, especially before I eat anything. I am in good health and touch wood, I don't often get ill as it is, let alone with stomach bugs. I can't remember the last time I was V*, I am guessing I was 7, and I am 24 now so that is a pretty good streak. I just worry that my time is now going to be up. I know a lot if what I say is ridiculous and I know I should listen to the logical part of my brain, but it is just so hard. I could even cope if I just had the D* that comes with it as I have IBS anyway so I am used to my stomach doing odd things, it is just the V* I really cannot deal with.

Please help me, I need this obsessing to stop! I need to get on with my life and not sit there counting down the days until Noro season is up... Just go back to the normal worry that is always in the back of my mind. That I can handle, this I cannot.

[claire43]

Much as Id love to wave a magic wand & cure us all of this ridiculous phobia I can't. Ive been struggling lately with the news headlines constantly scaring us with the norovirus stats! At the moment Im suffering with d* which came on very suddenly & although I feel fine Im scared to death that its the beginnning of noro & v* is next.

Sorry I can't offer you any practical advice on how to stop obsessing but I will say this phobia comes & goes in severity. So just know that it won't always be this hard.

[emet-ana]

Hi Misspink,

I'm not sure what to suggest but just wanted to say I know what it's like. I'm 24 and practically housebound because of this norovirus fear! Even though it's only 2% of the population that have the virus I'm still petrified.

I'm not sure if this helps but just think In the 17 years that you've not v*ed there have been lots of norovirus outbreaks. Also when you were very young you probably weren't as hygienic as you are now, so really you're probably at less of a risk now than you have been at some other points in the past. Even if you contract norovirus you might only have diarrhoea.

I just found out that there are two reasonably strong anti-emetics available over the counter in England- Buccastem, which contains a small amount of prochlorperazine (a first generation anti-psychotic) and Phenergen (promethazine- an anti-histamine).

[Rob1989]

dont forget that 1.2 million people have HAD it, they dont all have it now, so in reality the numbers are even smaller at any given time