To ask how I can keep food down for longer than 20 minutes?

[GiveMeAllTheFoodPlz]

Posted on the Health board but no replies and I'm desperate!

Name changed because this is embarrassing. .

I've been super stressed the past couple of weeks and lost my appetite completely over the last 4/5 days.

If I even eat plain toast now, I'm running to the bathroom within 20 minutes with not-quite- diarrhea.

Even lucozade has this effect.

How can I stop this?!

You need to see a doctor!

Have you had the bowel symptoms during the whole period of stress or is this a new thing?

I get really bad stomach upset when I'm stressed, upset or anxious so I completely sympathize.

For now I'd say grab some protein shakes from your local supermarket (in my local Morrisons they're in the breakfast cereal aisle)

Don't eat anything that's high in sugar, including natural sugars, so no orange juice etc. Equally don't eat anything too high in fat, cos that will go straight through you. (EG battered fish, fried chicken, etc.)

Make an appointment with your GP for as soon as you can get one - if the problem disappears in the meantime you can cancel the appt.

If you can't get protein shakes, just drink semi skimmed milk. It will keep you going without giving your stomach too much work.

Complete rest and don’t worry about eating for a day and see a doctor Monday if it still goes on

Are you absolutely 100% triple quadruple certain that it's the stress causing this?

If not, please see a doctor.

And if it is, what can do you to ease the stress?

Are you drinking enough plain water?

Doctor immediately

I get the same during periods of stress. Stick to "beige food" and soluble fibre, give your intestines a break - fast for 24 hrs (keep fluids going in) then small amounts of dry white toast, bagels, oat biscuits, plain chicken, rice etc.

If it goes on longer than 10 days, if you are losing surprising amounts of weight in this short spell or you feel feverish/unwell, off to the doc with you.

Genuine sympathies, I've had this several times - once it was actually an infection (went on for 9 weeks, I lost over a stone and I felt rubbish with markers of infection in blood tests and a slight temperature). The other times have just been stress and after a few episodes where I worried it might turn into something, it's sorted itself out.

Good luck - is there any way you can alleviate the stress at all? Mine was work related and I cancelled a bunch of appointments to give myself some breathing space in the coming weeks. The trots vanished overnight.

Thanks everyone. The stomach problems coincide with a time of a lot of stress and anxiety. I get nausea and loss of appetite when I'm like this but it's never been this bad, and I've never had food go right through me like this.

I'm trying plain foods - pasta, toast, ready salted crisps - but can't keep them in.

There's been no vomiting jus diarrhea (tmi I know, sorry!).

Read somewhere that lucozade helps so drinking that too along with plain water and flavoured water.

Is this worth seeing a doctor about if it doesn't clear up?

Thank you @Blutopia! I've managed to delegate some things I was struggling with on work which has helped, but I think it's the anxiety that's causing this to continue.

I can't even leave the house!

Yes, you need to see a doctor.

Yes, certainly...they may shrug and say it'll pass, but equally they can rule out anything sinister. I was beyond frustrated that they didn't seem to care that I didn't dare be far from a bog for over 2 months and that I couldn't eat properly, but to be fair I had none of the signs that would have projected me into an "at risk" category.

I eventually got a sigmoidoscopy privately, but it just showed an infection that was clearing on its own.

Oh, can you stomach fennel tea? I found that really soothing.

Could you use meal replacement milkshakes for a bit or would you still throw it up?

Just keep on eating little bits of bland food often, your body wont lose all of it. Don't do meals at mealtimes as such but every couple of hours eat something, even a quarter of a slice of toast or half a banana. Don't drink plain water, drink weak squash, rehydration sachets, herbal tea. You need to keep on sipping throughout the day, don't gulp large amounts, just keep on sipping.

Eat protein. Lay off the carbs.

Partly because if you aren't digesting much, you need nutrient rich food rather than carbs.
Also because foods like egg and cheese will slow things down a bit.

Are you having the fizzy lucozade or lucozade sport? Because you're not meant to drink the fizzy one with diahrroea.

I agree worth getting a check up just to be sure it is stress. If it is stress they may sign you off work for a bit and you could look into some stress relief techniques to help you cope.

Thanks everyone!

@BertieBotts I did not know that, I've been drinking the fizzy stuff! Run out anyway so sticking to water.

The doctors isn't open until Tuesday now so I'll stick to plain food in small portions and sips of water. If it gets worse I'll try 111 and if it hasn't improved by Tuesday I'll make a doctors appointment.

Thanks again :)

I find pepto bismol helpful for stomach issues like that. I would only use it very temporarily until you can get in to see a doctor though.

Hope you feel better, its rotten.

You need rehydration sachets.

Would it be worth seeing a doctor when you can't keep any food or hydration in for weeks now? Am, yes.

Have you tried Imodium? You should still se your GP but this will give you some relief until you do.

Book in for the doc.
Don't ingest anything for 24 hours aside from cooked boiled water.
At that point start on the BRAT diet (Banana, rice, apple sauce, toast) for 24 hours
After that start to slowly add in tiny bits of what your body feels like.
Dc1 had cyclical vomiting and this is eventually what worked. Some tums are more sensitive than others and need a reset.

cooled 😂

Try buscopan.