Is this a bug?

[soreheadedbear]

Last weekend I had what I thought was either food poisoning or a d&v bug. Went to bed feeling fine, woke up in the night and spent the next 10 hours on the bathroom floor ejecting from both ends. Thankfully it was short lived and after a good nights sleep I felt better the next day.

However I've had very little appetite all week and on the two occasions I've felt able to manage an evening meal I've woken up again in the night with horrendous diarrhoea (sorry tmi). Last night after a small bowl of pasta for dinner I was up from 3am on the loo passing water with my belly making the worst noises and churning. I'm a bit worried now because usually these sort of bugs clear up with me after 24/48 hours so why is this happening nearly a week on?

We are away this weekend and right now I'm scared to eat anything or be far away from a toilet. I've also been really really tired this week and had some odd tastes in my mouth and been very thirsty. What's going on?

When I had Norovirus it took a good 2 weeks for it to clear from my system. I stopped being sick after 2 days but the sore and upset stomach remained for quite a while and I needed to eat very small, plain meals for a while until it was all out of my system.

If you’re unsure please phone the doctor and ask for some advice.

I got food poisoning in Morocco and had the runs after every meal for about 2 weeks afterwards. Think it was salmonella.

I also then developer lactose intolerance following that illness.

I'm worried that a bug has triggered some sort of allergy or other condition because I've never had anything that's been this severe for so long. I keep thinking I'm getting better then I wake up feeling horrendous with the worst symptoms again.

Your gut is a major part of your immune system and the healing process. Fasting will allow it to do its work. If you don't feel like eating, don't. Give your gut time to do its thing.

Sympathies op.
I’m currently on day 6 of diarrhoea. I have never had it last so long. Can’t eat, awful cramps, can’t leave the house. I’m grateful I’m not vomiting too but there is no end in sight.

That sounds awful. Could you try some probiotics to help you heal?

I have been hungry and I've felt able to eat but when I do (especially if it's a big evening meal) I seem to be waking up in the night with the most churning stomach and very urgent diarrhoea. I'm exhausted.

Probiotics are a good idea. I did have a yoghurt yesterday though and that did nothing to alleviate last nights drama.

You might want to get tested for campylobacter, if that's the case.

I have tried to discuss with a Dr a couple of times but I’m always told ‘the appointments for today have gone’. If this carries on over the weekend I will need a sick note for next week so will have to speak to someone somehow.

OP have you taken some rehydration sachets? If you are feeling thirsty they may help.

Hope you feel better over the weekend. I'm thinking of cancelling our plans because it won't be much fun if I'm up all night shitting and then constantly paranoid about where a toilet it.

I will grab some dioralyte or similar. For probiotics, would something like actimel or yakult be enough?

Up to about a third of covid cases have GI symptoms, and although usually mild they are troublesome (only occasionally severe) and can persist for a couple of weeks.

Another possibility is giardia, which is a bugger to shift (though I don't think it usually causes vomiting)

Have you tried 111 for advice as you've not yet been able to make a doctor's appointment?

I don’t blame you thinking of cancelling op, it would be awful to be ill away from home. I like the comfort of my own bathroom in these situations! Thank you, I hope you fully recover soon, it’s such a common thing to be inflicted by but it really does affect you. Kefir is good for gut health but it takes a few months of daily drinking to really boost numbers, iirc it was more effective than yakult but I feel they are pretty similar. Funny thing is I generally drink kefir every day, I just can’t bear the thought of it right now.

Haven’t tried 111. Tbh I felt foolish enough trying to speak to a dr, I feel they will be thinking’it’s diarrhoea for goodness sake & there are sicker people that need an appointment’. It would have been nice to be able to send a sample off though & know what’s going on.

OP have you contacted a Dr to ask about sending a sample to the lab? Maybe stick to small plain things to eat whilst your gut recovers. My hours of Googling have recommended plain white bread, dry crackers , dry toast, bananas, plain white rice. Sounds awful. I managed some dry crackers and dry bread yesterday & it still went through me. I’m so hungry. I have felt physically better with rehydration sachets though so definitely worth getting some. Hope things improve for you soon.

I have cancelled the weekend plans but we are on holiday from Wednesday next week so god knows how I'll manage that if I'm no better! I honestly thought I was on the up yesterday but i attempted a gin and tonic and small bowl of pasta last night and the 3am antics were absolutely awful.

I will grab some probiotics today.

Also wondering if Imodium is a good or bad idea at this point. I've always been told to let a bug run it's course and get it out but I don't even know if it is a bug at this stage. And I have dc who need looking after.

It's your stomach and intestine recovering unfortunately. It can take a few weeks after a sever bug which does sound like something you had.

Go for bland foods that are easy in digestion, white breads, white pasta with simple sauce, potatoes, apples.

If it's not good in another week I would go to the GP but often recovery is 2 weeks.

Imodium wouldn't necessarily do any harm and might help with the loose stool symptoms.