Gastrointestinal upset from a cold virus...

[AGM]

Hi there,

My whole family(3 kids and husband) has been sick with a bad cold for the past ten days and I was lucky enough to avoid it up until a few days ago when I started getting a sore throat, sneezing etc. As part of this they all had an upset stomach for a few days, with gassy, bloated abdomens and runny poos. Anyway, it seems I'm now experiencing that too and it is triggering me mentally as I am scared it will trigger full on D again, as when my LC started it was after a gastro bug.

Is there anything I can do to help avoid this? I'm already just sticking to my extra safe first foods. Can a virus like this (we think it is likely the RSV virus, as it has been going around the daycare and school and community) trigger a flare? On the other hand, can one experience gastrointestinal upset from something other than LC and it all goes back to normal afterwards like it would in someone without LC?

I guess I'm looking for some reassurance and also perhaps wondering if anyone has experienced something similar and it has all been fine again. This is the first major D I've had since starting the diet back in October, so it is a little scary. Although it feels different - no urgency and no undigested food, just irritated feeling in my lower abdomen, gassy and mushy poo.

Thanks
Alice

[tex]

Hi Alice,

Viruses are always worrisome for us. We're still susceptible to the same health challenges as the general public, despite our MC issues. Chances are, after the virus runs it's course, your digestive system will return to whatever your new normal happens to be. If you're back to your safest foods, you're already doing all you can to keep it from getting out of hand. I hope you recover soon.

Tex

[AGM]

Hi Tex,

Thanks for your prompt reply.

That makes me feel better. I'll focus on staying positive then and on returning to my new normal.

Alice

[AGM]

So, it looks like I am definitely in a flare!

I wasn't strict enough with sticking to my safe foods, as I was only going once a day and was thinking it would all right itself as I got over the bad cold. Well, last week it did start getting better, but then I had a glass of (preservative-free, organic) chardonnay last Thursday night and the next day I had abdominal cramps that I haven't had in months!! I'd forgotten that still wine does not agree with me and well, pretty stupid drinking anyway. I continued to make a few stupid mistakes, eating some of my vegan ice-cream, still having my piece of dark chocolate each day and then on Saturday we went to the beach and stayed out much longer than planned which meant I ran out of food and we had fish and chips - gluten free with a dedicated fryer, but still...you can't trust that and also they put some GF flour on the grilled fish and I don't know what it was (corn? tapioca?). Well, things got worse still - lots of pain, smelly gas and definite mush on Sunday. Last night (Sunday) I had to go again and it was yellower again like at the beginning of all this for me. Yesterday I also ate half a sausage which was a mistake (gas within 30mins) and pork belly for dinner (way too much fat) and I cringe just writing this. If someone told me they'd eaten all this stuff I'd say....well, no wonder you've got D, bloody hell!! But it seems I forget easily and find it hard to really go back to basics. Well, I have done so today after having to go to the look at 5am (explosively) and having quite a lot of lower abdominal pain/heat/discomfort.

Ugh, so here I am again and I really hope I can get on top of it quickly this time, as I have a lot of fear whispering stories in my ear like....what if it gets worse, what if your safe foods don't work this time...what if, what if....I am going to up my meditation and tapping too to help with the anxiety and stress over it. Oh and I think stress probably played a role, as I was really overwhelmed and exhausted with the whole family sick for several weeks and I was stressed about getting sick, as I suspected it might trigger this. Haha...looks like I manifested it!

Is there anything else I should be doing? I have a telehealth appt on Wednesday with my specialist and I was really looking forward to letting him know how well I was doing and how I was in fact healing via food (as he didn't believe that was possible). Now he is probably going to try and give me steroids!

Is this something I need to expect every time I get sick with something else? Or is it because I am still so early on in the healing (started the diet in Oct last year) and that perhaps I had become too relaxed with food too early (vegan ice-cream, fish n chips, homemade baked things, wine, etc)?

[tex]

Hello Alice,

Sorry to hear about your problem. Yes, recovering from a flare that gets to that point can be difficult, so be sure you dot your i's and cross your t's when treating it. And yes, stress can cause relapses or make them worse. it takes adults 2 to 5 years for the intestines to heal from the damage caused by gluten. If you ever get to the point where you have been in remission long enough to do more healing, you'll be less likely to have a flare from a minor problem. It's repeated mistakes that usually cause more serious flares.

I hope you recover soon.

Tex

[AGM]

Ahhh....I am definitely good at repeating mistakes!! One day I will learn, hopefully sooner than later!

Thank you for your ongoing support. :)

[AGM]

Oh and one more question....would it still be considered a flare even though I have only been needing to go once or twice a day? I guess that is what kept me thinking that it wasn't a flare, as the pattern was different. Also the colour of everything was still "normal" (until last night).

[tex]

if you're having diarrhea, you're probably in a flare. If you're having normal bowel movements, you're probably not in a flare, unless you have some other symptoms that are typical of MC reactions for you.

Tex

[AGM]

Thanks Tex.

Good news for now, after a day of safe food on Monday and one Immodium tablet everything was much firmer yesterday and looking ok today, so my body is responding to the food - yay! I just need to keep it up. How long does one have to keep up just safe foods after a flare and do you have to reintroduce foods again one by one, or can you assume the foods that were already safe during the first trial period will still be safe? Obviously I will listen to my body and take it slowly, but I'm just wondering. :)

[tex]

That's difficult to say since were all different, but as fast as you recovered, you can probably go back to a cautious version of your old routine after about a week. Just be careful not to overdo anything for a while.

Tex

[AGM]

Thank you, that is encouraging.

I have another question. The other day I was reading a post here in which someone mentioned fat malabsorption and how it happens for everyone during a flare. I didn't really notice it the first time, but this time I've definitely noticed that my BMs have been sticky for a few weeks now. Yesterday I caved and ate some potato chips and two pieces of chocolate and despite still feeling great, my toilet trip this morning was much worse, looser and stickier (really stuck to the bowl). Obviously from the chips and chocolate.

Anyway, why does this happen during a flare and does it pass and is there anything I should be doing to help it along? I think the first time around I avoided the skin of chicken etc, whereas this time I've still been eating it and actually I ate quite a bit last night, so that probably contributed too. I think I will go back to no skin and start making more soups and steamed veggies rather than my daily roast veggies with a generous dowsing of olive oil.

[tex]

Fat malabsorption issues increase as damage to the small intestine increases. As the small intestine heals, fat malabsorption problems will be slowly resolved.

Tex

[AGM]

Thank you. I didn't realise the small intestine became inflamed too during a flare, although I should know that as I had lymphocystosis there too two years ago. Can this also happen with a normal virus, causing temporary fat malabsorption? My kids often get it for a few days when sick. And originally I thought these current symptoms were just from the cold virus, so I am thinking they are from a combination of a flare and the virus.

[tex]

Yes, any virus that affects the digestive tract, such as the flu, will also inflame the small intestine. In addition to fat malabsorption issues, the biggest problem that it will usually cause is a loss of the ability to produce certain enzymes that are necessary for the digestion of certain foods. For example, the first enzyme to go will be lactase, which is the enzyme used for digesting lactose, so that most people who get the flu will not be able to properly digest more than the tiniest amounts of milk and other dairy products that contain lactose.

Tex

[AGM]

Thank you, that is all very interesting.

I hope it heals quickly then, as for now I feel like it isn't healing as quickly as I'd expected. After the D stopping in just one day, I assumed it would be back to normal within a week, but it isn't at all. Formed, yes, but only semi really. Very soft still, not bulky, slim and lots of small pieces rather than one or two long bulky ones. This is getting to me again, because it makes me question what I'm doing and doubt if it is actually helping/improving.

And on top of that I somehow pulled something in my back last night and I'm in a lot of pain and unable to move properly today, which doesn't help my mood.