How long do diarrhoea bugs last for?

[Afternooninthepark]

Sorry if this is a bit long but I’m looking for some advice.
Although I have had IBS for 21 years I have only ever had a few tummy bugs, caught off the kids when they were young.
However, on Tuesday I felt really off, I had tummy pains and felt really nauseous and had an upset tummy in the afternoon. No one else in the family were (or still hasn’t been) unwell so I put it down to my IBS even though these are not my normal symptoms.
I still had a little upset tum Wed morning but felt ok, then yesterday again I was loose when I went to the loo and felt bloated and full all day but mainly ok (ish) but this morning I woke at 4am with the most growling unhappy sounding guts and felt I needed the loo, nothing happened so I managed to get back to sleep but this morning at 7am I had completely watery stools and now feel off again.
I am pretty sure this isn’t IBS as I never had this but I’ve never had a bug come and go before and usually it only lasts a day or two.
Of course, I’ve been googling and have come up with all kinds of bacterial infections and worrying myself as I had a clear colonoscopy a month ago but worrying that I’ve caught some major infection in my guts.
Has anyone had a tummy bug wax and wane and last 4 days or more? Is there anything I could take to help it or should you just let these things pass?

I have sth similar going on at the moment - it's been coming and going for about a week. I saw the doctor today about something else and mentioned it to her, she said it just sounded like a bug and should pass. I also have ibs and it can be hard to tell but this has involved a weird mix of feeling sick and shaky along with bloating and diarrhoea.

Hope you feel better soon!

Well after two weeks of diarrhoea I had to give in a stool sample on Monday which confirmed I had a campylobacter infection. Even though I was finally starting to feel better by then the gp prescribed 7 days of antibiotics.

I think it's pretty common for these things to go on for a week or so but if it's still hanging around longer than that it might be worth speaking to the gp.

They can easily last several days.

Sorry you're feeling rotten, but I think you just need to stick it out.

Rule of thumb is see GP for change of bowel habit which has lasted 3 weeks or more. But go sooner if you have dramatic symptoms