Stomach bug

[MargaritaNiko]

Hi all,

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

[Book_Worm5]

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.

[MargaritaNiko in reply to Book_Worm5]

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!

[Whynotthis]

Have you considered amoebic dysentry? My need to see gp and get tested

[MargaritaNiko in reply to Whynotthis]

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.

[Whynotthis in reply to MargaritaNiko]

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.

[MargaritaNiko in reply to Whynotthis]

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!

[Alexpiano]

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.

[MargaritaNiko in reply to Alexpiano]

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.

[xjrs]

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.

[MargaritaNiko in reply to xjrs]

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.

[BabblingBrooks]

Yes it’s probably worth sending off a stool specimen just to rule out a nasty bacteria.

I’d stick to a bland diet then until it improves. Along with pro biotics if you’re not already taking them.

[MargaritaNiko in reply to BabblingBrooks]

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!

[Bracondale]

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.

[MargaritaNiko in reply to Bracondale]

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!

[Sparrow58]

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.

[MargaritaNiko in reply to Sparrow58]

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.