I started the stomach flu (no vomiting, just sudden super watery diarrhea and extreme cramps/gas and nausea) 8 days ago... The worst of it lasted 2 days. As soon as I felt better I returned to my normal diet which I think may have screwed me over a bit but I was so hungry I just couldn't help myself. I ate a grilled chicken sandwich with cheese the day after the diarrhea stopped and my gas and cramps were back with a vengeance within 30 minutes. Two days after that I drank one glass of wine with dinner (I know, I know not smart) and ate some of a hamburger patty and my stomach cramped and gurgled horribly right after and the whole next day. I finally thought I was mostly back to normal on Tuesday, so that night I ate a bratwurst and also some cheese cubes. Well the next morning (yesterday) I was back to diarrhea! It was only once and I felt ok the rest of the day (which was yesterday). So yesterday I ate nothing but saltines, bananas, plain greek yogurt and pedialyte (and a few skittles) and today my stomach feels pretty good with just a tiny bit of gurgling here and there but then again I have eaten the above diet once again. My stool (ha tmi sorry) was completely normal today. So my question is, is this normal that my bowels and stomach are taking this long to return to normal and are still obviously irritated so easily? I will feel fine for a whole day so I try to eat something "normal" the next day and it tears me apart! How many days do I have to go with "feeling ok" until I know I am alright? I did go to the Dr. amidst this and they said I would just have to wait it out and that it could take awhile, but I have never had issues from gastroenteritis that lasted this long. They did a stool sample but it prob won't be back until Monday. I am dying for coffee, real food and for vegetables!! Thanks!
My daughter had this and it lasted a while. They didn't want to see her unless she had had it for more than two weeks. Try taking a probiotic like florastor and drink lactose free milk. It is going around.
Yup, it's normal. The stomach flu can flush all the "good" bacteria out of your digestive system making it hard to digest things. You can speed up recovery with a probiotic supplement.
OMG. You poor thing! I totally think it is because of the flu you had. You should always gradually go back to your diet---never full force like you did---b/c of these symptoms. Hang in there and do the BRAT diet for awhile til everything is back to normal.
It sounds normal to me.
If you took it easy on yourself and stuck with Pedialyte, Gatorade, chicken broth and jello for a few days you might have had less trouble.
Our pediatrician told us that once a gut is irritated it can stay irritated for a long time after the initial source of irritation has resolved itself.
Our son (he was a toddler at the time) had diarrhea for 8 weeks.
As long as you keep up with your fluids and keep your electrolytes balanced - eating solid food is not really that necessary.
So go very s-l-o-w-l-y.
Keep with a liquid diet for several days.
Then soft foods - mashed potatoes, rice, oatmeal, yogurt, soft boiled eggs.
Very gradually and slowly return to your normal diet.
If you try to speed this along you are only going to prolong the irritation.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/378339-diet-after-viral...
While I think it could be leftover from your flu, I also think you should consider a gall bladder problem. I had similar symptoms a little over a year ago. It kept getting diagnosed as food poisoning and sensitivity to beef. I cut all beef out and felt pretty good for a while. But then it came back with a vengence in January and after doing a CT scan found that I had a huge gallstone and mild appendicitis. I had both removed later that month and have been good. Don't want to freak you out, but I wish last August someone had suggested that possibility to me. Good luck and hope you feel better soon. Feel free to PM me on this.
C.
It sounds like you've developed a lactose intolerance. Very normal after gastric disturbances, especially as we get older. Go easy on the dairy products for a few weeks, gradually introducing them back into your diet. You can google it and get tips on what to eat/not eat.
It isn't always permanent and if it is, you can get lactose pills at the drug store that eliminates the problem.
I suggest that this is normal for the virus that's making the rounds this year. My daughter and her family and several of their friends are having the same experience.
I'm glad the doctor did a stool sample. This sounds like more than leftover flu symptoms. Not saying it is .... but this is how my Crohn's Disease started 25+ years ago. If the stool sample is inconclusive and this continues on much longer, get yourself to a gastroenterologist. Could be IBD, IBS, or Crohn's, or even a milk allergy that just popped up. Best wishes and feel better soon.
That you say that your stomach cramps were back with a vengance in 30 minutes makes me think that the problem is in your epigastric (upper gastric) area.
Are you having pain? Any nausea at all?
I'm wondering about your gallbladder.
