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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To need help with sick DH

68 replies

Choufleuretbattenberg · 29/12/2022 23:44

I'm not unreasonable, well I don't think so.

DH been sick for a month now- he caught food poisoning at a work function. He has been taken into hospital twice and sent home, bloods taken, nothing showing up. He is up all night in the bathroom, and although it's not not every hour, it's still very often and not sustainable.

NhS 24 sent him to our local hospital twice, but not much happened other than rehydration. Multiple stool samples show nothing. Bloods so far show nothing.

I'm just here asking what we do next because he really hasn't slept for almost 4 weeks now and has losts so so much weight. I feel like nobody is helping him. Any advice or information would be amazing.

OP posts:
ScotsBaby2 · 29/12/2022 23:46

Has he tried cutting out gluten or dairy to see if they are triggers? Could be a post viral intolerance that might clear up after some time away from the food.

Thatsasmashingblouseyouvegoton · 29/12/2022 23:46

Stool sample surely?

Thatsasmashingblouseyouvegoton · 29/12/2022 23:46

And lay off dairy

Menomenon · 29/12/2022 23:47

That sounds so tough. He must be worried he’ll never be well again. Poor you.

What was the food he ate? It doesn’t sound like any food poisoning I know of (but I am not a doctor).

LittleBlueBrioTrain · 29/12/2022 23:48

Surely a referral to gastroenterology? Probably a colonoscopy next step?

MynameisJune · 29/12/2022 23:48

My DH had something like this a few years ago. It was H pylori campylobacter. Easily treated by the GP once they figured out what it was.

Original poster
Choufleuretbattenberg · 29/12/2022 23:49

Hi @Thatsasmashingblouseyouvegoton yes, had about 4 or 5 stool samples. Nothing showing up. @ScotsBaby2 hasnt been eating dairy, but the doc said at this point he should eat anything to just try and get some nutrition.
Thanks for responding though

OP posts:
MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 29/12/2022 23:50

I presume he's taking rehydration sachets?

Original poster
Choufleuretbattenberg · 29/12/2022 23:52

@MrsPelligrinoPetrichor absolutely, think they are holding him together. @LittleBlueBrioTrain do you think we can just insist on the gastro referral? It's def not been offered

OP posts:
Original poster
Choufleuretbattenberg · 29/12/2022 23:53

@MynameisJune they tested for this, but it's not present. Did your DH get antibiotics?

OP posts:
MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 29/12/2022 23:55

What is he eating when he's eating? BRAT diet is bland and good after an illness, no dairy etc.

Charliehaus · 29/12/2022 23:55

Ugh those posters saying lay off dairy ….natural yoghurt is good for gut bacteria

everyone obsessed with diary being the enemy

QueenSmartypants · 29/12/2022 23:56

At this point he needs a referral to a gastroenterologist not mucking about cutting out gluten and dairy (which btw, is the most ineffective way of testing intolerances and just means if he had one it takes twice as long to diagnose).

Push hard for a referral, make a fuss, shout, be a nuisance.

Agree he needs to be focused on getting calories into him right now.

Is he taking diarolyte? If he's still having diarrhoea,
which I assume he is, then he needs to be taking this as per instructions on the pack. Dehydration will make him feel terrible and also causes a vicious cycle where it causes further diarrhoea, which causes more dehydration and so on.

Also look at nutritional drinks- he can be prescribed these by the gp or buy from chemist. Not the best tasting things in the world, but he needs them.

And fight for that referral. Go private if you can afford to. If you don't get one for months, keep taking him to urgent care until you get somewhere.

Sorry, no easy answers, he needs proper care for dehydration and diarrhoea and needs to be seen by a gastro.

MynameisJune · 30/12/2022 00:01

Choufleuretbattenberg · 29/12/2022 23:53

@MynameisJune they tested for this, but it's not present. Did your DH get antibiotics?

Yes he did, after other things being ruled out, they said it was in his stomach not his bowels and that was causing his issues. They also prescribed busopan and omeprazole just to help until the antibiotics kicked in.

He couldn’t eat, couldn’t drink, would be on the floor in agony. Went on for 2-3 weeks whilst they ruled out appendix and other gut issues.

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 30/12/2022 00:03

Charliehaus · 29/12/2022 23:55

Ugh those posters saying lay off dairy ….natural yoghurt is good for gut bacteria

everyone obsessed with diary being the enemy

That's because it's known for not being great directly after illness, obviously live yoghurt is good but still wouldn't give it at this point.

ShakespearesBlister · 30/12/2022 00:04

This does sound more serious than just food poisoning and it's worrying the hospital and Dr have let it go on so long. You seem to be doing all the things where it would usually be picked up and it's baffling that you are getting nowhere. What about a serious make or break conversation with the Dr demanding that this needs to be taken deadly serious now? I would agree to go private for a proper consultation and screening if you can afford to because it's obviously something that so far isn't being tested for.

WorldLeaderPretend · 30/12/2022 00:05

Has he had a calprotectin stool test? Rather than looking for particular bugs? This will usually highlight if it's inflammatory bowel disease. I would be requesting this test asap if not.

GabriellaMontez · 30/12/2022 00:06

What is he eating?

wintertime9 · 30/12/2022 00:12

Is he being sick?

Luredbyapomegranate · 30/12/2022 00:15

I’m not a doc (but I have had a couple of serious bouts of gastro trouble which like your DH took ages to be taken seriously) but this isn’t normal food poisoning, it sounds like FP has triggered something like colitis, or he’s actually picked up a really nasty bug.

3 weeks or more of constant Diarrhoea is really serious. The dehydration can cause kidney damage.

I would ring the GP first thing and ask them to speak to your local hospital gastro department urgently today.

Alternatively go to A and E.

I would start exaggerating his symptoms like mad - upping the amount of blood he is loosing and add in bouts of breathlessness.

Onnabugeisha · 30/12/2022 00:17

MynameisJune · 29/12/2022 23:48

My DH had something like this a few years ago. It was H pylori campylobacter. Easily treated by the GP once they figured out what it was.

This is my thought too. At this point, food poisoning is ruled out as a cause. If it had been food poisoning, it would have showed up in the blood and stool tests.

You don’t say which end he is in the bathroom for..,if he’s vomiting then I think H. Pylori is a likely culprit. If it’s diarreha then it’s likely IBD of some sort.

You urgently need a gastroenterologist referral.

Luredbyapomegranate · 30/12/2022 00:17

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 30/12/2022 00:03

That's because it's known for not being great directly after illness, obviously live yoghurt is good but still wouldn't give it at this point.

Show quote history

Yep - Diary is not good for colitis, which this sounds like this could be. Not to say it causes it, but when your intestines are ulcerated diary irritates the bejesus out of them.

Summerfun54321 · 30/12/2022 00:20

I've had some savage food poisoning before but nothing that ran into 4 weeks! You need an urgent appointment with the GP asking for a plan of action for next steps and a gastro referral.

Theluggage15 · 30/12/2022 00:20

You need to insist he’s referred to gastro. He’s probably too exhausted to make much of a fuss himself. Did other people at the function have food poisoning?

Summerfun54321 · 30/12/2022 00:27

Has he spoken to environmental health to determine who else has been ill and what's caused it?

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