a couple of days after easter I went down with what I thought was gastric flu .new doctor said it was a virus, nothing he could give me.4+

[gsmith]

weeks later my bowels have not settled properly.the bottom bit is very painful when I need the toilet and also when I walk and tender to the touch I read somewhere wegeners can affect the bowels, so I wondered if anyone has information that could help me, breaking in new doctors is so difficult

[PMRpro]

There is a form of IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) that can follow a viral gut infection. If you then have repeated loose stools and do not manage to clean the anal area properly it can cause very sore skin (think changing a baby's nappy!) and normal toilet paper is quite inefficient at this, even the soft stuff. Use of the moist toilet tissues may help and is worth an initial try. If the IBS continues then perhaps a referral to a gut specialist might confirm if it is that or the Wegeners. There isn't much in the way of treatment although probiotic capsules seem to calm it down a bit by helping the gut flora return to normal (judging by my husband's case at least!) but we don't live in the UK - maybe they have other answers. His consultant said it can last up to a couple of years.

[gsmith]

thanks, PMRpro,does seem a bit like ibs,but more downright angry,outside fine pain on the inside?

[Tony-LakeDistrict]

Hi gsmith

sorry to ask this, but it sounds like my condition when I had bowel cancer, it`s worth making sure, so that you can cross it off the list

I do so hope I`m wrong, the chances are that I am

Best of luck

Tony

[HiveMind]

I has bowel problems for YEARS. Some days I was virtually housebound. No medical help given for this at all, just a lot of sympathetic noises and "give it time". In the end I just had to figure it out for myself. I have a feeling it was a combination of meds and a gluten/wheat intolerance (no proper diagnosis but I had a "gut" feeling - pardon the pun). After I cut out wheat/gluten from my diet I felt better in DAYS. A big decision but the best one I've ever made. These days going gluten free is a piece of (GF) cake.

Hope things get better for you too.

[PMRpro in reply to HiveMind]

My wheat allergy makes me itch - it isn't the gluten, I couldn't eat UK gluten-free stuff that was made with the washed wheat starch that was allowed there. It is probably some other protein in the structure - and I'm fine with spelt and kamut, both ancient wheat varieties. But now if I eat too much carb in the form of any bread or cake I have awful wind! Which isn't a problem in the UK as UK commercially made GF bread and cake isn't worth it IMHO - but living in Italy there is a lot of naturally GF stuff in the cake shops - made with buckwheat, potato flour, polenta or almonds to traditional recipes plus wonderful rye, spelt and kamut breads! Yum!