Help please! Sudden diarrhoea and important presentation

[AFlashOfLight]

I need some advice quickly!
This afternoon at 5pm I'm giving a keynote talk in a conference. It's an important professional opportunity for me because I've moved fields and it'll be the first time I'm presenting about my new area. I've prepared a lot and was looking forward to the talk.
Sod's law, I have just come down with the most awful diarrhoea!! I had sudden stomach cramps after lunch and had to go 4 times in about half an hour. Not feeling sick or like vomiting so I don't think it's food poisoning, no idea really what's going on.
I'm 10 weeks pregnant. I read up about immodium on the Internet and evidence seemed mixed, lots of sources saying not enough evidence to say whether it's safe or not, some saying the benefits could outweigh the risks for a short usage.
I've already taken a rehydration sachet, and will take more with me. I'm at home now but have to leave the house in about an hour.
Any advice?? Thanks!

Everything may have already passed through you. If it were me, I'd go, obviously, and go to the loo just before you are due to speak, by which I mean about half an hour before. Just sit there and get as much out as you can. Do you think, if you did that, you'd be able to hang on for the length of your presentation? Is there anyone else who can do the presentation for you if it all becomes impossible for you?

Is there a pharmacy nearby you could pop into?

Sorry, did you want advice on the immodium issue? No, I wouldn't take it. I'm not keen on the idea of preventing nature taking its course at times like this.

Really hoping that's it's all out now! No there's no-one else that can do it - I've started as a freelancer in the new field so I'm a lone wolf as it were. I think I'll do what you say, try to take some good time beforehand to relieve myself and then I just need to hang on throughout the
presentation...

But what if it takes its course while I'm on stage?? 😱

Yes, do you think they might have an alternative that's pregnancy safe? I can go by now.

How long is the presentation?
I'd make up an excuse at the start of the presentation in case the worse happens and you need to make a sharp exit! Sick child and may need to go suddenly if nursery calls/ feeling light headed and may need to leave early etc.

Please don't go and expose others to infection.

I've literally never had diarrhoea that hasn't needed immodium to stop it, so I'd 100% take it. Surely it's preferable to having to scurry off to find a loo somewhere (and risk not making it)?

I definitely took it once or twice when I was pregnant, I didn't know it was controversial.

Are you anxious about the presentation? It could be that causing stomach issues potentially? Hope it’s settled by now and you’re ok

I never ever thought of this 😳😳. I've never had a stomach bug before but I thought I would have had nausea/vomiting if that was the case? They're spread by contact right? I'll make sure not to shake any hands and I'll take my hand sanitiser with me and use it religiously just in case!

Thanks, I did wonder that. I'm not actually feeling nervous about it though (well now I am but for different reasons!). I'm a very experienced public speaker and have never had anything like this before. But I have been under quite a lot of stress, as well as being pregnant, so maybe my body is just betraying me.

@Melsy88 it's half an hour. Hoping I can just power through even if I do feel a bit rotten.

I don't know whether Immodium is contra-indicated during pregnancy. If it is OK to take, I'd be taking the maximum recommended dose now to get you through the presentation.

Yes take some medication.. it will give you the sense of security that you need for the session. Also nerves may have triggered the upset anyway

Depends what you are presenting on and may not work if it is a massive auditorium, but if you want a back up plan to allow you to exit urgently, you could invent a 15 minute 'exercise' for the audience to work on. You'd need to draft a slide to insert with a problem question on or a topic for discussion and then if you need it, flip it up and say, so we'll just take 10 mins for you to come up with ideas/answers and then we'll discuss for 5 mins - which would give you time to nip out to the loo.

Another option is to download one of those call yourself apps where you can get it to ring when you touch it, and then take an urgent call. It's not great and won't look super professional, but you may prefer to do that than say excuse me I'm not feeling well, I need to take 10 mins

Honesty maybe the best option though, people will be generally sympathetic if you say 'excuse me I am not feeling well, I need to step out for 5 mins) and tee up the chairman/host before hand so they have some warning and can decide what to do - break for everyone or 5 mins filler on the topic.

You will probably be alright though if you've had a lot of diarrhoea already and not eaten. Don't eat anything else obviously and avoid drinking anything other than water - no tea or anything with milk in that may stimulate your bowel.

You'll probably be fine. I wouldn't take immodium. It's not worth it if you are pregnant and if you are unwell because of something eaten, you want it out of your body asap especially if you are pregnant and immodium will just delay that and may flip you into constipation.

Buy some incontinence pants on the way!

How did you get on @AFlashOfLight ? Hope you’re feeling much better now

It's done! So in the end I talked with my husband and a doctor friend and we decided that emergency immodium was fine, so I popped a couple and drank loads of rehydration salts and carbonated water, and it seemed to sort it out.
And the talk went really well, I got some very nice feedback at the end. So everything fine and thank you all for the support!
Now going home and deciding whether to risk getting a celebratory takeaway or whether sticking to a dry bread diet will be safer 😅

Glad it went well! Hopefully you’re feeling completely better by tomorrow, all the best for the rest of your pregnancy 😊