This can't be normal!
March 2, 2011 2:33 PM   Subscribe

This is the third time I've had a stomach virus type ailment since late December. This isn't usually something I have problems with, what could be causing a sudden "intestinal weakness" (so to speak)?

The symptoms are the inability to eat anything solid without immediately shitting it out in a liquid state. This is coupled with chills and a fever, at least for the first day or so. The first time I had it, it lasted for around a week and I took antibiotics, and a stool sample (which came back negative for any parasites or infections). The second time I tried to self-treat with Activia and an anti-diarrheal, which worked alright, and I was better within a day. This is around 2 weeks after my last incident, and I've tried what had worked before, but without much luck. I'm going to the doctor as soon as possible if it doesn't clear up (and depending on the advice of the thread, even if it does).

I've been under a lot of stress recently (graduate school and a break-up) and living in a slightly dirtier environment (a house with 4 other people in it) but this particular problem has just started recently. I've noticed that I've been sick more than usual, which I partially attributed to living with 4 other people who have lax standards of hygiene. Not much has changed, otherwise, or at least not that I can think of.

Could these be signs of a larger problem? Something internally wrong with my digestive system? I'm not even sure what to tell my doctor to get a good diagnosis. When I went to the University clinic the first time he shrugged it off as a 24 hour bug (which it was not) and just gave me over-the-counter medicine. I don't want to be taking anti-biotics every 2 weeks, if these incidents continue as they have been.

I haven't noticed anything to tie these incidents together, but now I'm starting to get paranoid about what I eat.

As I've said before this is a new occurence, and I'm not lactose intolerant. Can one have sudden-onset IBS?
posted by anonymous to Health & Fitness (21 answers total)
 
Immediate thoughts: get a blood panel. Do you have a history of celiac or other autoimmune disorders in your family? Secondly, you might need a colonoscopy to determine whether or not you have some sort of colitis. I assume that the stool sample involved checking the flora, and since you said that the activia is no longer working, you might consider acidophilus pills (you can get them at the health food store), as they are a little bit more effective.
posted by Gilbert at 2:43 PM on March 2, 2011


My only suggestion is to take a real pro-biotic, activa has been debunked, but it is very possible you are being infected over and over again because the good bacteria were wiped out by the antibiotics.
posted by boobjob at 2:44 PM on March 2, 2011 [1 favorite]


I've noticed that I've been sick more than usual, which I partially attributed to living with 4 other people who have lax standards of hygiene.

Food poisoning? Bad handwashing/dishwashing? Cross-contamination?
posted by fixedgear at 2:56 PM on March 2, 2011 [1 favorite]


Try putting a thermometer in your fridge. It may be cycling in the defrost mode for too long, and you may be getting some pathogenic bacterial growth on foods quicker than normal. Also, wash your veggies.
posted by kuujjuarapik at 3:02 PM on March 2, 2011


I think you need to see a GI specialist and schedule a colonoscopy, regardless of your age. As soon as possible. Chron's and ulcerative colitis come to mind as possible causes, and you don't want to sit around waiting for things to progress.
posted by phunniemee at 3:08 PM on March 2, 2011


I think you have answered your own question when you mention living with 4 others with bad hygiene. I think that most gastro-intestinal ailments in adults are acquired via the very unsavoury sounding 'faecal-oral route'. So, roommate uses bathroom-->roommate doesn't wash hands--> roommate prepares food that you later eat, or roommate touches cutlery in the cutlery drawer, or roommate shakes your hand (etc) --> and suddenly you are on the receiving end of whatever your roommate did not wash off of his/her hands. Prevention: excruciatingly careful handwashing on your part, wash your dishes and cutlery before you use it.
Also probiotics as mentioned above are a good idea -- the antibiotics you used the first time likely cleaned out your gut of its many types of protective bacteria, and it's time to repopulate!
posted by lulu68 at 3:11 PM on March 2, 2011 [1 favorite]


IANYD, but from the details in your post I would chalk it up to the all the stress you're experiencing. It can really do a number on you, even when you feel mentally okay.

Try taking some real probiotics for a while (acidophilus - either in pill form or as a drink, like Yakult or something) and see if that helps. Also, be stricter with yourself in terms of food routines. I often get digestive troubles when I'm stressed and the best cure I've found is making myself eat a banana every morning for breakfast.
posted by fight or flight at 3:36 PM on March 2, 2011 [2 favorites]


Giardia? You can catch it from pets and livestock as well as the more traditional method of drinking from contaminated streams. You have pretty classic symptoms. No real point in doing a lot of diagnostics, just take the pills and you'll either cured in 3 weeks it its not giardia.
posted by fshgrl at 3:38 PM on March 2, 2011 [1 favorite]


Given your past antibiotic use, you might want to ask your doctor to order a stool test for C. difficile. I work at a health department doing C. diff disease surveillance, and you'd be surprised how many younger people are getting it now (as opposed to the traditional hospital/nursing home patients). It's a nasty bug.
posted by Maarika at 3:42 PM on March 2, 2011 [1 favorite]


I'm not sure where you are, but there's been a butt-load (ha! get it?) of stomach bugs making the rounds here in Toronto. My husband has been hit three times in the last month, and he never ever gets sick. There still might be another factor at work, but this does seem to be a very bad year for such things.
posted by Go Banana at 3:42 PM on March 2, 2011 [1 favorite]


I found that I was a lot more vulnerable to stomach bugs, and that the stomach bug symptoms (vomiting/diarrhoea) and duration were a lot longer when I was taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

These can be over the counter or prescribed to reduce inflammation and as an analgesic reducing pain for arthritis, acute injury, menstrual pain etc.

Unfortunately, they can also erode your stomach lining (especially if used for a long time), making you more vulnerable to stomach bugs and ulcers.

Are you taking anything like this? Asprin, Nurofen, Diclofenac, Voltaren, etc?

If so, it might be worth taking a break for a month or two and seeing if things improve.

If your GP has prescribed them, please talk to your GP first before stopping them.
posted by Hot buttered sockpuppets at 4:22 PM on March 2, 2011


It could possibly be a food allergy. It could be something you've been eating all along that you've only now developed a sensitivity to. Cheese suddenly started having that effect on me when I was about 38 or 39. You could try keeping a food diary for a while and see of there's something you've eaten each time.
posted by MexicanYenta at 4:35 PM on March 2, 2011


There is a terrible GI bug going around. It's probably that.
posted by gjc at 4:49 PM on March 2, 2011


As I've said before this is a new occurence, and I'm not lactose intolerant.

You haven't been lactose intolerant. You can absolutely develop intolerance as you age. Now, I wouldn't necessarily expect the symptoms you describe from lactose intolerance, but you can't write it off because you weren't lactose intolerant in the past. I used to be able to gorge on dairy with no ill effects but now (for example) a pint of ice cream can cause me to spend an hour or two curled up in a ball on the bathroom floor.

Sounds like recurrent food poisoning but, honestly, none of us really has any idea. Could be a billion things.
posted by Justinian at 4:56 PM on March 2, 2011


a pint of ice cream can cause me to spend an hour or two curled up in a ball on the bathroom floor

I think a whole pint of ice cream would cause a lot of people to spend an hour or two curled up in a ball on the bathroom floor, and I don't think that lactose is the culprit.

I'm really, really surprised that no one else is stressing that you should see a gastroenterologist. I know I said it above, but I'm going to say it again. Go see one. Please. A family member of mine has some serious colo-rectal issues and their symptoms began very similarly.
posted by phunniemee at 5:02 PM on March 2, 2011


It sounds like norovirus to me. I don't think it would show up in a stool sample test, and it's incredibly infective and common, particularly in communal living situations. But I agree that you should see a GI specialist, too.

How is your handwashing routine? Do you wash your hands each time you use the bathroom, and before you eat? Are you sure you're washing your hands correctly?
posted by ErikaB at 5:52 PM on March 2, 2011


You threw away your toothbrush after the last time you got sick, yes? YES?
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 6:40 PM on March 2, 2011


I would scrub down your kitchen and bathroom surfaces often and wash your hands a lot, and correctly--every time you use the toilet or the sink or the kitchen sponge. Replace your sponges and toothbrush. Wash anything you eat or drink out of, including the water glass in the bathroom, every time you use it. Wash down your doorknobs and light switches and any other common thing you touch with a household cleaner that contains bleach. Microwave your kitchen sponges (wet, on high, for five minutes) to kill bacteria that can grow there.

The other issue is that your gut flora has probably not recovered. The problem with antibiotics is that they can kill off the good bacteria in your gut that help you digest properly (stress, of course, makes it worse). This is why you may be sensitive to foods you weren't sensitive to before. Acidophilus and plain yogurt may help, it won't hurt.

If it keeps happening, talk to your doctor again.
posted by thinkingwoman at 6:41 PM on March 2, 2011


oh, clean the refrigerator handles, too.
posted by thinkingwoman at 6:42 PM on March 2, 2011


Given your past antibiotic use, you might want to ask your doctor to order a stool test for C. difficile. I work at a health department doing C. diff disease surveillance, and you'd be surprised how many younger people are getting it now (as opposed to the traditional hospital/nursing home patients). It's a nasty bug.

Yeah, seconding C. difficile. You've been sick a lot? Were you on any antibiotics before this, even a few weeks before this, even for something unrelated? I got C. Diff after a round of antibiotics for a tooth abscess. It manifested itself as CONSTANT LIQUID SHITS which were orange and disgusting. If you got C. Diff and were prescribed any but the two antibiotics that successfully treat C. Diff (flagyl or vancomycin), or weren't on antibiotics long enough to successfully get rid of it, it's very likely you could still have it.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 7:39 PM on March 2, 2011 [1 favorite]


Food intolerance may be an issue. I went through a couple of years where I had that exact reaction any time I ate ground beef. It was miserable and baffling--then eventually I pinpointed ground beef as the common ingredient and I started avoiding it. It eventually went away (which was a relief) so the food intolerance wasn't permanent for me.

That's not a reason to avoid seeing the GI doc as above, and the other good advice you've gotten here :) Just something to consider if nothing else turns up.
posted by galadriel at 8:37 AM on March 3, 2011


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