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Stomach Flu With Celiac

hunter6009

By hunter6009
in Coping with Celiac Disease

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hunter6009 Rookie
hunter6009
Posted

Hi all! Been a while since I've been on here....I was diagnosed almost 2 years ago and have had no issues since then after going gluten free. It was nice! Prior to then I recall having GI viruses that would take MONTHS to "go back to normal" from and that was what ultimately prompted me to seek treatment and discover I had celiac.

Fast forward to last Saturday when I caught another lovely GI bug going around. Saturday was awful....fever and running to the bathroom. Fun fun! It's now Thursday (124+ hours later) and I am STILL having bathroom issues even though the GI bug is now gone. And I'm freaking out! I can remember what this felt like....it literally is like my body can't remember how to go back to normal so for months I just have chronic diarrhea (usually just in the morning until about 10am). But it's debilitating. I can hardly leave the house until then. I am chronically fatigued and dehydrated. And I always feel nauseous. I do NOT want to head back down this road. I figured after healing my colon and going gluten-free this would never happen again.

Does anyone else have this problem? Do you find getting a GI virus worse when you have celiac?

I'm on Flagyl right now, but I don't think it's helping :(

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BabsV Enthusiast
BabsV
Posted

Fast forward to last Saturday when I caught another lovely GI bug going around. Saturday was awful....fever and running to the bathroom. Fun fun! It's now Thursday (124+ hours later) and I am STILL having bathroom issues even though the GI bug is now gone. And I'm freaking out! I can remember what this felt like....it literally is like my body can't remember how to go back to normal so for months I just have chronic diarrhea (usually just in the morning until about 10am). But it's debilitating. I can hardly leave the house until then. I am chronically fatigued and dehydrated. And I always feel nauseous. I do NOT want to head back down this road. I figured after healing my colon and going gluten-free this would never happen again.

Does anyone else have this problem? Do you find getting a GI virus worse when you have celiac?

Yikes! Sorry you aren't feeling well. Stomach bugs are the worst...I haven't had any stomach bug issues since my diagnosis (only 7 months ago) but I've weathered many different stomach viruses while living overseas. The ones in Russia were the worst -- other than Giardia they were always viral and I was always sick (diarrhea, cramping, gas, etc.) for 7-10 days. Doctors there wouldn't even look at you until you'd been sick for 7 days at a minimum. So it may just need to run its course. In those cases I just rested as much as possible and ate very little -- broth, white rice, bananas, pita bread (I wasn't gluten-free at the time!) I know some people say the BRAT diet isn't necessary but it always seems to help me get back on an even keel.

Also, are you sure it was a virus? Could you have eaten something that made you sick? I ended up sick from a strain of e. coli (from a pre-packaged meal I'd bought at the supermarket -- at least that is the only thing we could pinpoint that my family didn't eat and I was the only one who was sick!) that had to be treated with antibiotics.

Regardless, you MUST stay hydrated. That is the most important thing. Dehydration can cause fatigue and it can get bad quickly -- I almost ended up on a saline drip in Russia one time, the doc said that if I'd waited one more day I would have been in trouble?!?! I didn't feel THAT bad at the time.

And get to a doctor because this doesn't sound like one of those 24-hour bugs. Hope you feel better soon.

UKGail Rookie
UKGail
Posted

Um - I thought my whole life that I had a delicate stomach that caught every GI virus that floated by, and that in my later years this was exacerbated by migraines. Turns out it was the gluten. In the 6 months I have been gluten free (not as long as you, and I am still recovering and still learning...), I have had 2 such episodes. Both times were due to accidental minor ingestion of gluten. What you are describing seems to me to be a major glutening rather than a GI virus. How sure are you that you have or have had an infection? Could you perhaps have gotten some gluten somehow? Maybe you have also become more sensitive than you used to be?

Also, Flagyl is a hefty medication which can upset the balance of the intestinal flora, which probably isn't helping you either. If your doctor prescribed it, it looks like he thinks you have a bacterial/parasitical infection rather than a self-limiting viral infection. That can be pretty nasty. I've had several non-celiac friends who have recently had giardiasis which was treated with flagyll, and it took them all months and months to recover. They all also needed to adapt their diets and take probiotics to help them recover. Not fun.

Wishing you a speedy recovery.

heatherjane Contributor
heatherjane
Posted

I had a 24 hour bug last week - not gluten related. Make sure you're drinking your fluids! (Gatorade is gluten free.)

Cara in Boston Enthusiast
Cara in Boston
Posted

I find that after I am sick (or the kids are sick) that there seems to be an imbalance in the intestinal flora. Maybe try finding a good gluten-free probiotic?

Also - coconut water (not coconut milk or a sugary coconut drink - just plain coconut water) is FANTASTIC for staying hydrated. Better than OTC electrolyte solutions and sugary Gateraid or other sports drink.

Cara in Boston

  • 2 years later...
shirleyb Newbie
shirleyb
Posted

I just got  over the flu, the worst I have ever had.  Now, it is taking me forever to get my energy back.  On top of that I have lost 5 pounds.  I am very underweight, so this is not good.  I have been drinking lots, and trying to eat enough, but still very weak.  I have been gluten free for 1 year,  Also casin and egg white allergy.  Any ideas on a faster way back to health.

cyclinglady Grand Master
cyclinglady
Posted

It just takes time! Sorry, I wish I had a better answer for you.

Eat and get plenty of rest. I recall one bout of flu where I stayed in the guest room and my family tossed in food and water bottles! I had fever for seven days. At one point I was able to shower and I was so exhausted that I went back to bed.

Your weight should come back as your appetite improves.

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sunny2012 Rookie
sunny2012
Posted

I agree. It seems that my stomach never really healed OR perhaps it is the constant assault on the immune system BUT I will get the same stomach flu and have it last twice as long as others.

kareng Grand Master
kareng
Posted

I just got  over the flu, the worst I have ever had.  Now, it is taking me forever to get my energy back.  On top of that I have lost 5 pounds.  I am very underweight, so this is not good.  I have been drinking lots, and trying to eat enough, but still very weak.  I have been gluten free for 1 year,  Also casin and egg white allergy.  Any ideas on a faster way back to health.

 

IF you actually have the flu - 

My big healthy son, without Celiac, got the flu.  It turned into a sinus infection and an eye infection and took him a couple of months to be back to his usual self.  The flu can be really rough, and even life threatening, for everyone.  It does take a while to get over - but eating is important during and after to get your energy back.  

 

If you are talking about a stomach virus -  If you are able to keep liquids down - drink things with some calories - juice, Sprite, Pedialyte, Gatorade. smoothies.  Then start eating things like applesauce or rice.  Work your way up to eating again.

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