Diarrhoea for more than a week. When to call a GP?

[allshitsnolols]

NC for obvious reasons.

As the title says I've had diarrhoea for 8 days now. At times it's been the consistency of urine. I have considerable lower abdominal pain. I'm in my late 40s and otherwise healthy.

My appendix was removed in my 20s so it's not that.

Gallbladder removed 2 years ago and I've suffered with BAM since, which I'm told is quite normal but not too bad and certainly nothing like this.

I've taken regular prescribed dihydrocodeine every 4 hours and paracetamol for the pain. I don't get on well with Imodium because it can make me swing from diarrhoea to severe constipation, not now though. Now the Imodium is having no effect whatsoever. I've been taking dioralyte.

I've got no appetite. I'm going to the loo upwards of 6 times a day, including getting up in the night to go.

It's just me & DH at home, both WFH aside for going for our daily walk, a monthly trip to the supermarket and once a week or so to our local shop we've seen no-one.

We haven't had a takeaway for months, everything is home cooked. DH isn't showing any symptoms. I'm at a loss to know what's going on.

Worryingly I think I'm dehydrated at times. I can't seem to drink enough.

My questions are; should I call a Dr? What could this be?

If you have had this for so long with no signs of improvement, I would give your GP a call. You have nothing to lose.

With being on codeine based drugs you could actually be impacted with the watery faeces being all that can get passed. When that happens people can make it worse by taking things like Immodium.

Eitherways after 8 days I'd definitely say to call your GP.

I don't like to say this, as it sounds scaremongering, but there absolutely have been people whose COVID-19 symptoms have been mostly abdominal/digestive related.

Regardless, after more than a week you are definitely not in good shape and if you fear you're dehydrated it's probably a bit worse than you honestly realise.

Please see your GP.

I was just coming to say what NoSquirrels has.
Can be symptoms of Covid-19.

I think it's unlikely to be Covid if you don't also have a cough OR a fever OR a change in taste and smell

However , I'd definitely contact the GP tomorrow.

About four days ago

Torvean I'm as sure as I can be that there's nothing impacted, I had that previously post op and I remember what it feels like. It's not always entirely water like, sometimes it is and sometimes there's more errr texture. When I have tried to eat anything inevitably it goes through me fairly quickly and that changes things.

Yes I do have a temperature sometimes but I don't have any chest symptoms, I still have a sense of taste and smell.

I'm as sure as I can be that I had Covid at the end of March/early April, the cough was awful and my chest crackled when I breathed. I know that you can get it twice but if this is the second infection then it's nothing like the first. Besides, I haven't been anywhere to get it, we are still pretty much self isolating.

yes, get it seen.
change of bowel habits can be due to various things, from cancer to endo to food intolerance.

Ok, thank you.

Well that was unexpected.

Had a telephone appointment with my GP, she has referred me for a video appointment with a specialist and said that this appointment should happen within the next week or so. I've got contact details for the specialist's secretary.

In the meantime, regular codeine, Dioralyte, liquid paracetamol of the Resolve type.

Call GP back urgently if the symptoms worsen.