Gastroenteritis won't go away!

[MaryLennoxsScowl]

DH and I got gastroenteritis 10 days ago. His cleared up after 4/5 days and he's now fine. Mine is still going strong - diarrhoea varying from 8 to 2 times per day but nothing so reassuring as steadily improving, seems to depend how empty my guts are. Also knackered, stomach cramps and bloating in between bouts. I went to the doctor on Monday and was told it can take a while and to take a few more days off work - I had to phone this morning for a sick note as work needed it but I didn't get to speak to doctor and I'm worried. I do have IBS sometimes and have always had tendency to diarrhoea but not like this. I'm also lactose intolerant. I'm now eating small amounts of very bland food all chosen from low FODMAP diet, taking probiotics and peppermint oil but nothing seems to be helping. I'm not dehydrated. Please can anyone reassure me that this will go away?

[AnotherOne1]

My daughter reacted similarly last year. Think she had it for about 2 and a half weeks all in. Came in waves, affecting her quite badly for 3 days or so then leaving her feeling 'okay' before it all came back for another round.

Sympathies. But it should pass.

Stay hydrated!

[GraciesMansion]

I've only once had gastro like this, lasted two weeks. Needed antiemetics to stop the vomitting and it only improved after not eating a single thing for 72 hours - doctor said 48 hours but by this point I was overly cautious and added an extra day! You have my sympathies, it's awful.

[MaryLennoxsScowl]

Thanks so much for answering! The waves sound familiar, I have had days where I thought it was clearing up and then it goes back to square one.

[INeedNewShoes]

Time and patience! I had a ten-day episode of Gastro a few years ago.
All you can do is make sure you keep as hydrated as possible.

On around day four I started eating plain crackers then a few days later started eating white rice. It took a couple of weeks to eat anything approaching a normal meal.

I've never been thinner than after that delightful illness!

for you - it's rotten!

[MaryLennoxsScowl]

Thanks Gracies too. I haven't been sick at all, just endlessly recurring diarrhoea. I have done a day of only eating blended soup and water with good results, then tried unblended soup plus toast following day and was horribly bad, so didn't eat at all for nearly 20 hours, but that made me feel very ill and weak so started with low FODMAP blended foods again. Just don't know what to persist with.

[INeedNewShoes]

Oh and lots of hand-washing and replace the hand towel every day just to ensure you don't reintroduce any germs.

[MaryLennoxsScowl]

Thanks Ineed. Will give rice a go tomorrow.

[MaryLennoxsScowl]

I paid a fortune for a big sports weekend which starts a week tomorrow, at this rate I won't be fit enough to go, and there are no refunds.

[MaryLennoxsScowl]

I might try the 48 hours no food thing. I've got some dioralyte, but I'm wary of stock cubes for clear broth as they have onion in and FODMAP thing said onion was worst thing. Can you think of anything else that would act as a clear liquid but be sustaining?

[marriednotdead]

Hope it shifts soon, it's horrible isn't it?!

If there's no improvement over the weekend, I'd suggest that you go back to the GP and insist that they send off a stool sample in case something specific is behind it all. You don't want any nasties getting comfortable in your guts.

It took 3 months for my bug to be sorted/diagnosed and the repercussions are still being felt many years later.

[MaryLennoxsScowl]

married three months! What did it turn out to be? The doc did ask for a stool sample but the results aren't due until at least Tuesday and I was so hoping it would be cleared up long before then!

[timeistight]

I had campylobacter in the days when it was not well understood. Tests came back clear after about three weeks, but it was over a year before the symptoms disappeared, by which time I weighed under seven stone and was very unwell indeed and was still being told it was all in my head.

[marriednotdead]

I'm glad your GP has already sent off the samples or testing.

Mine turned out to be giardiasis- they rang and asked me if I'd been abroad (I hadn't) and concluded it was probably from a dodgy takeaway which I'd long forgotten by then.
Even after treatment my bowels have never been the same. I eventually became lactose intolerant and now follow a very limited low fibre GF diet similar to FODMAP so that I don't spent most of my life crying on the loo.

I'd love someone to figure out a solution/cure. Fingers crossed that you've got nothing serious/something different!

[LondonLassInTheCountry]

I also got giardiasis, from a baby who had visited a farm (We think)

Was awful.... So awful.... Took me about a month, baby about 3 months

[MaryLennoxsScowl]

Do probiotics help, Married? That sounds horrendous. I got lactose intolerance about two years ago from some kind of tummy bug, apparently it's reasonably common after a bug. I also wish there was more known about food intolerances and IBS sort of things.

Having eaten little but small portions of white rice over the last day or two I'm a bit better - still having diarrhoea but only at reasonably normal times for a bowel movement, not every couple of hours. So maybe I'm coming to the end of it, fingers crossed!

[TheseAreTheGoodOldDays]

I had horrendous gastro earlier this year and it took about 8 weeks to fully clear up! Was horrendous OP, you have my sympathies try to stay hydrated, and try and make a note of what you've ate to see if certain foods trigger it. Hope it goes away soon!

[marriednotdead]

Probiotics should help in theory but it's so many years later and things have changed. I tried some a couple of years ago but they made things worse so I couldn't persevere.
If I had concrete evidence that something would work, I'd try it no matter how unpleasant or expensive. Faecal transplants no longer sound ridiculous.

[Dobbit]

I see this thread was some time ago. I have been I'll with this bloody virus for 3 weeks, been into hospital twice for fluids and I still feel rubbish have the trots and struggling to force food down. The worst is I have no energy to get up and make myself anything as I live alone. My daughter has been coming in most days to help but I worry she'll catch it. I'm meticulous obviously after being to the bathroom. Finding it difficult just to get up out of my bed 😫

[Skip779]

I have had a stomach bug for over 3 weeks now but it's starting to go because I started eating pineapple. Pineapples contain a digestive enzyme called bromelain which digests protein, the protective layer of a virus is made from protein and bromelain has been shown to help with other viruses like hiv, hepatitis c and others. I got the virus from my girlfriend who had pineapple at the start and hers went quick after I've been eating pineapple for two days and I noticed a difference instantly and it's getting better. I hope this helps anyone that comes across this forum.