Recurrent tummy bugs - does anything help prevent them?

[Whoamireally]

I am fed up of having recurrent vomiting and diahorrea bugs, been in bed most of today with yet another one. They are usually of the 24 hour variety. This is the 5th I've had in 3 months - is this unusual in an otherwise very healthy 35 year old???

Work are honestly thinking I am making it up. I do work in a hospital, so possibly more exposure, but only part time and seem to be getting them in my 'own time' as well as work time so not convinced they're work related and I am always careful with hygiene. For example, today's started in the small hours of this morning, but I haven't been in work since Friday.

I appreciate that I don't know if they are bugs or food poisoning, but no-one else is the family has been ill at the same time. Anyway, it's clear that I am somewhat susceptible.

Can you have a bug that lives inside your stomach and just keeps causing these bugs, in which case should I go to the docs?

Otherwise can anyone please suggest anything you can take to help build your resistance to them? Does Yakult help or does your stomach just kill the good bacteria when it gets down there?

I don't have the answers but am an interested bumper! I never got tummy bugs before having DCs, but the last couple of years I've had so many I've lost count.

Have you ever been to a tropical country? Some of them have some nasty bugs which can stay in your system and keep causing problems - a friend picked one up in Gambia which didn't cause any symptoms till years later. Once the docs finally worked out what it was, they were able to treat it, but it was ages before they worked it out.

Othere than that, scrupulous handwashing is the one thing I know of which makes a difference, but if you work in a hospital hopefully you're already careful about that kind of thing.

Thanks for the bump sapphire Was just coming on to do it myself!!

I've been to various tropical countries - but none since before dd1 came along (she's now 4) - is that too far back?. Unless Tenerife counts?? If it keeps going I will go to the docs and ask.

Said 4 year old is the only one of her friends who knows hospital handwashing techniques . I am usually pretty careful - and some of these things do tend to be airbourne in which case you can't do much about getting them.

It's just the susceptibility thing. I did look in Boots today and there were lots of various kinds of acidophilus type tablets, but I am not sure how the good bacteria would actually get down to your gut if your stomach bacteria would just destroy them - so really want an 'expert' to tell me how it works and what the best thing is to take!

They can stay in your system for ages - I think it was 3 or 4 years that my friend had no symptoms. But hers was very bad - complete with blood and passing out, so I'm not sure whether it would relate. But 5 bouts in 3 months does sound a lot, unless you eat at a lot of dodgy burger vans so I'd probably try a visit to the GP to see if they can check it out.

I've heard that the various "good bacteria" products are unlikely to actually get any through to your gut, as your stomach is pretty effective at killing off bacteria and can't see any difference in the good and bad ones

I was suffering from tummy bug probs lasting a week or more,being fine, then coming back. I found that if I cut out boiled and scrambled eggs and omelettes I'm fine, I seem to have suddenly developed an "allergy" or whatever. It's a long shot but could you have summat similar?

Hmm. I suppose I might have, belly is grumbling away today but I have taken 2 immodiums... But these are definitely just 24 hour things.