Virus affecting IBS-D

[laurajn087]

I recently had a mild virus (headache, stomach pains and bad taste in mouth), which made me feel very tired. However, I was still able to go about my daily life whilst taking paracetamol to keep me going. The virus also affected my stomach causing loose bowel movements and occasional diarrhoea after eating. I still had a fairly good appetite though.

Although the virus has virtually gone and I feel a lot better, the IBS-D is still there, and probably will be for a while. This has happened before, in that if I have had a virus or felt unwell, it seems to take ages for my stomach to get back to normal. It is really annoying as I am going away next weekend for a few days, so will be dosed up on Imodium one again!

Had anyone else had this issue, or is it just me? It's such a pain, no pun intended!

[xjrs]

Was there a possibility of your virus being COVID-19? If this is the case it is now well known to additionally upset the gastrointestinal system, even causing IBS in some people who did have it prior to infection.

[laurajn087 in reply to xjrs]

Hi it's definitely not covid. I just hope this bout of IBS-D doesn't last as long as it did last timeit flared up!

[Longfellow71]

Hi, I had a similar thing 2 months ago! I caught Covid, which wasn't too bad in itself and mostly cleared up in a week or so, but it set off my Crohn's (flare up) for the next 3-4 weeks. Loose bowels, and I ended up having an iron infusion due to anaemia! It did pass eventually.

[laurajn087 in reply to Longfellow71]

Sorry to hear of your bad experience. I have suffered from IBS-D for years, and whenever I catch a virus it seems to flare up for weeks!

[ValDee88]

Yes, any virus Ive ever had has also impacted my IBS-D. The worst reaction being to flu and Covid with the stomach symptoms lasting some weeks after everything else improved. Just keep hydrated and try to get rest when you can.

[1Unicorn]

I find it always takes time for my stomach & bowel to heal after illness. Fortunately I'm not often unwell, just coping with normal routine of IBS