Has anyone ever had diarrhoea for 5 days or more? Starting to worry 😔

[Ansumpasty]

Started with what felt like a virus on Sunday. Was aching everywhere, temperature and nauseous.
Next day, aches were gone and temp went down, but left with diarrhoea and stomach cramps. Not much appetite at first, so didn’t eat much besides dry toast. It’s now Friday and I still have liquid diarrhoea. It seems worse, potentially because my appetite is returning and so I’m eating more normally again.
Borh of my children have since felt a bit poorly with a stomach ache, enough to stay off school, but hasn’t progressed into diarrhoea.
I have a massive phobia of doctors and tests, so this is stressing me out so much. NHS online says to see GP if it’s not gone after a week, so I’m praying it’s gone by Monday.

Anyone had anything similar recently? I’m still hoping it’s just a virus. Haven’t tried immodium incase it’s bacterial, but I’m tempted!

I had campylobacter a few years ago...check the NHS website for details and see if your symptoms sound like this. If it IS campylobacter it's quite serious and very infectious. Cases are always reported to be Environmental Health Department.

Hope you feel better soon 💐

I was about to say campylobacter lasted more than a week for me. That was quite different from other diarrhoea I've had though -tmi but lots of mucous. Not sure if that's always the case.

When my daughter was very young she had diarrhea for a while and the GP suggested the initial infection could cause a temporary lactose intolerance so to try cutting down milk then gradually reintroduce when she was back to normal and that seemed to work. Could be worth a try?

Someone I worked with had this. She went to the docs and they gave her antibiotics and they said it was some kind of infection. She was then fine. Hope you feel better soon.

I'd do a covid test while you're waiting as it's possible they'll ask if you've done one

Thanks. I really hope it’s not campylobacter 😭 Putting my anxiety through the roof!

Yep, campylobacter lasted more than a week for me. Never again forgot to wash my hands after putting away the shopping (which included raw but wrapped chicken) after that!

Have you limited yourself to only water & rehydration salts for 24 hrs?

I have IBD so I've had diarrhoea for years!
But yours sounds like a bug. All you can do is make sure you're hydrated, so Dioralyte and plenty of fluids. Make sure you're eating a bland, easy to digest diet, bananas, rice and toast.

I had this quite recently. It lasted for around a week. The GP took a stool sample which came back negative. I didn't test for covid but wouldn't be surprised if it was that. You have my sympathies - it was horrendous.

I was at a funeral on Friday and ate a few cheese sandwiches from the buffet, so potentially could be that.
I have a raw chicken phobia, even gel my hands after picking up the packet in the supermarket like a crazy person. Would be very unfortunate if it was that after years of being OTT careful with chicken

Did you take any immodium? I’m tempted to take some today, see if it resets my system a little bit.

I had liquid diarrhoea for 3wks with Covid (when it first came out)

I know what it's like for anxiety to spiral, but I don't think this sounds worrying at all 🌷 if you're no better over the weekend give your GP a ring

Try not to panic. Even if it is campylobacter you are probably over the worst now. The gp will be able to give you antibiotics if it is not resolving itself if it is that - that's what happened with me anyway. Worth getting checked out in case.

In terms of where you got it from, if it is that it can be hard to tell as it can apparently take anything from 2-10 days for symptoms to show so it's not as simple as thinking what you ate the day before. I know when environmental health called me to ask where I'd been eating they didn't want to know about the 48 hours prior to symptoms, but did want to know I think 20 days or 2 weeks before that. In my case I did remember during that period only eating one bite of a chicken item at a wedding buffet because it didn't seem right so I think likely that was undercooked.

It was campylobacter for me too.

Lasted two weeks as got antibiotics after first week when they tested. It was weeks before I was right.

Lost 2 stone though so yay for that.

Hope you feel better soon OP as it sucks.

I had this with Covid and flu. Rehydration sachets and lots of fluids. BRAT diet too,keep it bland.

I had over a week after a holiday in rural China. Doctor suggested 24 hour starvation as anything I ate or drank was going straight through me. Would not recommend Imodium if you can avoid it.

Had it with Covid.
Lucozade and mashed banana on wholemeal toast got me through it.

Just had a week of it with flu. It’s really grotty. Hope you feel better soon.

Thanks, everyone. I called the doctors surgery and have to give a sample if it’s still bad on Monday. Negative Covid test.

TMI, but it’s pure liquid and mucus, so it’s causing me a lot of worry! The dr said it sounded like viral gastroenteritis, as it started with aching everywhere and a temperature, but it’s weird the way the diarrhoea seems worse. Having an anxious pity party 🤣

I’m just getting over viral gastroenteritis, same as you, started with aches, pains and temp then basically water. Took 7 days to clear. Ate porridge, bananas and toast, plenty fluids. Try not to take diarrhoea meds as it will only prolong the illness as this is your body’s way of getting rid of it. It’s no fun but you should start feeling better over weekend.

I had it for 6 days the week before last and had another day or so this week. It isn’t fun! It says on the Immodium packets to speak to a doctor after 3 days (I think) but I just kept hydrated and went the other way by trying to eat solid foods.

So relieved to read your message! Gives me hope (and sounds identical), thank you!