I don’t know if this is really the place as I am beyond IBS at this point. I’ve been away in Marrakech and whilst there thought I was having an IBS flare but now I’m home it’s definitely gastroenteritis or something similar. Beyond sipping water and dioralyte (even these are completely going through me) and taking painkillers I just wondered if anyone had any tips, I think it just needs to run its course but seriously fed up. My initial IBS and anxiety issues all came from a bout of gastroenteritis over 10 years ago, and I’ve got to such a good place with it recently it’s fair to say this has triggered me a bit. Sorry for the woe is me! x
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MargaritaNiko
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Oh this sounds horrible - how long has it been going on? I think if you’re having symptoms beyond 5-7 days you should contact your GP. The reason I say this is that last year I had diarrhoea and pain for about 7 days - I assumed I was in flare and just put up with it but finally the GP tested my stool and it turned out I’d contracted a parasite called Cryptosporidium!!! Don’t suffer in silence too long like I did - I think with IBS we’re too used to putting up with symptoms that nobody else would tolerate.
Ah thank you, I couldn’t agree more. I’ve actually called in sick when I can always work from home and this is me acknowledging I am actually ill and it’s all valid. Definitely on Day 3 (at least) but possibly longer as anything prior to that I put down to IBS. I’ll carry on with the dioralyte and water today and get a telephone consultation tomorrow for starters. Thank you!
Thank you. I’m just waiting for 8am so I can make a GP appt. Typically after thinking I might be getting better I had a bad afternoon / night and things escalated a bit, so definitely the right thing to do.
Hope you move forward Margarita. It is so difficult to get on with life. I'm exhausted after "episodes" and feel like I have been kicked by a donkey. Ihave had 2 nights of it now so will not eat for a while. Hard to stay positive but at least in this small group we can support and help each other.
Thanks so much and big love to you. I’m sorry you’re going through this. After a bit of a scary afternoon / evening, I feel so much better today (by comparison anyway) - long may it continue and for you too!
Has anyone used a service such as Zoe which offers "personalised scores, insights & recommendations on the food you eat" based on an indidualised "gut health score".? I haven't yet, but am seriously tempted if I feel i can afford it. It would seem to take the uncertainty and randomness out of other forms of diagnosis and self diagnosis. The science and the technology does seem to be advancing all the time.
Hi, I would like to try it but I think I read somewhere you can’t do it if you have IBS. It might have just been related to IBD, but at the start of it there are specific foods they send you to eat so I don’t think it can be catered to specific diets, I only mention it because I did explore it but please do read through it yourself as I agree it would be for to know more.
You will be speaking to a GP which is good. To give your bowels a rest you could try just eating white Jasmine rice for a day or two, then possibly add in some lean protein, beyond that some easily digested veg such as cooked carrots. The rice and later, lean protein will be digested in the small intestine with no residue for the colon. Loperamide (Imodium) will also help. If it continues, your GP may require a stool sample. I'd also get yourself on a good probiotic, which helps with getting bad bugs under control. Alflorex has worked best for me and has a strain which is good at kicking bad bugs into touch.
Thanks for taking the time to comment. I take Alflorex daily so I’m a big fan aswell, hopefully this will help me get through it. The GP took a stool sample today so at least I’ll know either way what’s going on, and typically I’m feeling marginally better today. Hoping to start with BRAT diet and then will absolutely take on board your advice. This sounds like a good plan, thank you.
Thanks for this, I agree! I haven’t really been eating anything but after speaking to the GP today they said I should go ahead and try BRAT so we’ll see how we get on. I take Alflorex daily so hopefully that will work its magic soon. Thanks for helping!
Hope that you are able to get some help from your GP. It's utterly miserable, especially on top of pre-existing IBS. I returned from Portugal last May with similar (as well as first time covid, newer variants of which seem to have more GI symptoms). It turned out that I'd picked up parasites including H Pylori, Shigella, Schistosoma and Cryptosporidium despite being very careful about hand hygiene, and what and where I ate! I had good results from using S boulardii (and then a high dose, short course probiotic Elixa). To add to the suggestions of others re a bland diet and avoiding dehydration with Dioralyte (or equivalent) gut infections can cause a temporary lactose intolerance so it's worth avoiding dairy until everything settles.
Hi, I’m so sorry you had an awful experience too, thanks for sharing! I’ve just provided a stool sample so we’ll have a better idea of what’s going on. I’ll check out the things you suggested! Weirdly I haven’t been getting on with dioralyte as it’s been going through me like everything else and the GP actually suggested a sugary drink because I’ve been having dizzy spells. When I asked if I could have lucozade she said yes, whereas I thought that was an urban myth and would do me more harm than good. Aside from this I’ll be sticking to the bland diet though, thank you, and duly noted about the intolerance!
Ah thank you, yeah it was weird because she didn’t seem that keen on dioralyte either, but then in my notes had written that she advised me to carry on with it 🙄 I’m just going to use my own judgement now! Thanks for the ribena and toast tips, it ended badly when I had some plain white rice for tea so I’ll try the toast when I feel ready.
I have had numerous stomach / gut problems when abroad.
Rehydration salts are possibly better than sweet drinks, as they contain minerals we may lack from dehydration. Coconut water also good as contains potassium etc.
I found doctors and pharmacists abroad better than UK ones on such matters tbh.
Hope you get it sorted, sounds like you are taking the right steps but these things can linger . Good luck
I've made my own rehydration drink in the past based on an official recipe that I can't find at moment. It did contain sugar as does this one and salt. Sugar is needed as it helps the sodium ('salt') get into the cells to keep you hydrated. Even though it appears to just go through you, you need to persist (IMHO) to give your body chance to absorb the fluid and salt that it needs. I personally would avoid Lucozade/Ribena if they preservatives, colourants etc. Dizzy spells would suggest that you're short of fluids and calories/'sugar'. Urine colour is a good guide to hydration...should be pale straw coloured. If it is and you're still dizzy then maybe it's shortage of 'food'.
I found this recipe Re (ORS) Recipes What is an ORS? Oral rehydration solution (ORS) is a simple solution of salt, sugar, and water that is used to aid in dehydration due to diarrhea. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends ORS when a person is dehydrated. If ORS is not available, water, broth, and/or other fluids can be provided. Drinks with a high sugar content, such as juice or soft drinks, are not recommended because they could worsen diarrhea. Importance of Hydration SBS can put you at higher risk for dehydration, which can be a serious concern. Dehydration may also make you more at risk for infections and can damage your kidneys over time. SBS causes fluid and electrolyte abnormalities, which makes achieving adequate hydration difficult. It’s important to consult your doctor when you notice signs of dehydration. This isn’t a problem that should be ignored. Signs and Symptoms of Dehydration Monitor your fluid intake throughout the day. If you experience any of these symptoms, it may be a sign of dehydration: • Rapid weight loss • Diarrhea or stool output is higher than total fluid intake • Urinating less frequently • Dark colored urine • Fatigue • Lightheadedness or dizziness when standing • Dry mouth • Thirst Basic ORS Recipes Basic ORS Recipes Recipes from the World Health Organization Reduced Osmolarity Oral Rehydration Solution (Home Solution) Need 1 liter container: ½ teaspoon table salt ¼ teaspoon salt substitute ½ teaspoon baking soda 2 tablespoons table sugar Add tap water to make 1 liter Basic Use a 1 liter container: 4 ¼ cups water ½ teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons sugar Directions: Use household measuring spoons, not silverware, to measure the ingredients. To the 1 liter container, add about ½ of the needed water. Add the dry ingredients, stir or shake well; add the remaining water to make a final volume of 1 liter. Add artificial sweetener-based flavoring of choice if desired. Best if chilled. Sip as directed. Discard after 24 hours.
Also found this...... What is a good substitute for Dioralyte?
There is a food supplement called O.R.S. hydration tablets you can buy over the internet O.R.S. Hydration Tablets - Tubes of 24 – O.R.S Hydration (orshydration.com). Two tablets can be mixed with 200ml of water to give a solution very similar to Dioralyte.
Hope that you get some answers soon. Don't forget to rest +++
I hope you manage to get some help from your GP. This sounds awful. If you cannot get to see the GP if you are in the UK I would call 111 to get advise. I hope you can get some relief from this soon. Take some time off work if you can and rest and take care of yourself.
Thank you for this, I managed to see them this morning and they confirmed my vitals were okay and I wasn’t dehydrated (which made me feel like a bit of a drama queen but honestly I felt so rubbish with dizzy spells I thought I must be). I’m glad I went though as I’ve supplied a stool sample so we’ll know what’s going on, and I’m absolutely off sick with a heat pad on my belly, with sips of lucozade (GP approved) and already feeling a bit better - even if I’m aware this may be short lived.
I had a real bad bug issue in Morocco in the 70's lost so much weight, half a stone in 6 days watery poo, like green slime leaking out every time I moved. No sleep had to live on the loo Sample was taken by a friend to Dr to the lab for diagnosis, I could not walk 2 steps before needing the toilet. Before I got the result of the cause (which bug) I had stopped food just drunk plain water for 3 days, the sample was put on an agar dish to grow to see which bug, still having more green slime, and getting very weak, I don't take chemical antibiotics so I decided to make mine I whole bulb of garlic crushed, a teaspoon of chili powder and a tablespoon of honey mixed in and swallowed the lot in one go. It felt like fireball going down my gullet continued the water fast and went to bed. Better nights sleep and no liquid poo next morning! It was the foreign bugs we are not used to it seems. My good bacteria stayed but I was so weak took a while to recover. So that's my cure for the future, Don't feed the bugs. Stop eating and drink lots of water. The gut lining cells repair themselves in 3-5 days anyway.I don't travel now, I have stage 4 COPD so can't fly 81 years and still here, BTW never had any vaccinations at all, Food for thought. My gut probs now are all from stress. Take care and keep as calm as you can
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