To wonder what’s going on with my bowels?

[Fivelittleblocks]

Sorry all this is going to be rather graphic.

Just over a week ago I had norovirus.
I had it coming out of both ends for 48 hours.
But the diarrhoea / very loose stools continued for quite a while after. Finally they seemed to get better on Wednesday this week and I was passing solid poops again.

Anyway, I went out for a meal tonight, I guess it was fairly rich. And I had a cocktail.
I came home and had a solid BM. All fine.

Just woke up and went to the loo and it was like diarrhoea again. Not pure water like it was when I had noro, but extremely loose and just kept coming.
I’m now left with an uncomfortable stomach and some cramping so I’m assuming there’s more to come.

I have only just got my appetite back and when I started eating it was all bland foods like chicken and rice and banana sandwiches.
Today is probably the first day I’ve had normal food including a drink.

Does this sound normal after getting over norovirus/gastroenteritis? Or should I be concerned?

I sympathise. DH and I had what I can only assume was norovirus last year. Absolutely dreadful memories of sitting on the loo with a bucket in hand!

We got over it fairly quickly- within 24hrs. I would continue the bland diet though. I read that dairy should be avoided, but things like kefir, yakult and plain (no sugar) yoghurt might help. Along with the bananas, plain rice etc you are already eating.

When you say you had a cocktail- do you mean an alcoholic drink or a prawn cocktail? Alcohol can cause diarrhoea, so I'd avoid till things have settled. Equally, a prawn cocktail could have high fat mayonnaise which is also best avoided.

If its not settling after a week though, the advice is to see GP. Have you travelled abroad recently? My other thought is something parasitic from abroad and not actually noro?

@MarmiteCoriander

No it’s definitely not/gastroenteritis as loads of others I was at an event with got it too and my son caught it off me.

I had an alcoholic cocktail. I also had feta cheese and honey & chilli glazed salmon. So I’m guessing it was these that caused the problem as I’ve been on a mostly bland diet up for a week until now.

I’ve got some probiotics, which I’ll start taking tomorrow morning with breakfast. Hoping they might help sort things out down there. Don’t know what else to do. I’ve always suffered with IBS and reflux too, so I guess this has just exacerbated those.

That should say definitely noro/gastroenteritis

The probiotics I’ve got are tablet form and says to take two a day with meals so I’ll do one with breakfast, one with dinner.

I just find it odd how I had a very solid one when I got in and then a couple of hours later the really loose : diarrhoea one again.

Few more days to settle down surely. But call the GP if you are worried

It takes awhile to recover fully.

DS had it twice within a fortnight plus irregular bowel movements in between.

It's a nasty bug.

I think your "gut flora" is probably totally messed up. I'd go back to a bland diet and the probiotics.

Norovirus went in stages for me, it was two weeks before I stopped having intermittent bouts. Bloody awful.