# Weight loss after stomach flu



## Little Hedgehog (Dec 2, 2008)

I took heavy, broad spectrum antibiotics for 10 days a few weeks ago which caused my gut flora to be wiped out.This gave me a stomach flu. I also have a C-Diff infection which fortunately is under control now (I'm still on a Flagyl treatment for it). I've basically eaten nothing more than toasts and some fish+rice for over a week straight. No candy, no chocolate, no heavy meals, no meat.It's only since a yesterday that I've started to eat "normally" again.But at this moment I'm having way more reflux than I usually have and I lost 6.5 lbs since my gastroenteritis... 6.5 is a lot isn't it? And I'm still feeling pretty weak.Is all of this normal? My bowels are stable and firm again since 4-5 days but the weight loss and weakness really bothers me. Am I simply still recovering? The problem is that I never was a fat person and gaining weight is for me defenitely harder than losing it.I was so happy to finally have a normal weight... but now I dropped from 188 lbs to 181.5 lbs. Makes me pretty sad.


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## BQ (May 22, 2000)

First off these


> No candy, no chocolate, no heavy meals


 are not good choices for ANYone with IBS. (actually one could argue that for anyone, even those without IBS!) (Lean meats and other proteins are ok)


> I lost 6.5 lbs since my gastroenteritis... 6.5 is a lot isn't it? And I'm still feeling pretty weak.


Kind of to be expected. You will gain your strength and weight back as you begin to normalize your diet. It will take time.. so patience is key.Whenever one has C-diff it almost doesn't matter what one eats. One is going to have D no matter what til the C-Diff is killed off. So it is always better to eat as normal a diet as possible. But let's hope you don't get it again. UNexplained weightloss is a concern. Restricting your diet as you have explains your weightloss, so no need for concern.


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

I had a GI bug once and my boss wondered if I was just goofing off until I came back to work and he could see how much weight I lost in my face.It is pretty normal to drop weight during an illness like that, between the not eating and the water losses. Once you get back to your normal diet that should stop or reverse.


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## Brianmay1975 (Apr 3, 2010)

Yeah, I lost a few kgs too, during a bad case of stomach flu one year ago. I don't know how many exactly, but thing is that I was unable to wear my new blue jeans, that I had just bought 10 days before getting the flu, because they had become hugely oversized all of a sudden. I couldn't believe I'd lost so much weight over the course of only one week. But it's understandable, as all I ate were some toast slices (and just a few bites of boiled carrots, rice or steamed chicken) and I had constant D all of the time. I remember I broke down into tears because I was so hungry, yet was unable to eat a thing...All, in all, due to two cases of stomach flu and to countless IBS flares, I've lost 17 kg in two years and a half. I didn't mind, as I overweight anyway and now I have a normal BMI for my age&gender, but I'm glad it finally stopped and my weight is finally stable.


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## Little Hedgehog (Dec 2, 2008)

Im gonna say this: stomach flu sucks big time.Yesterday I had that sensation of having a hot skin, but not feeling hot overall. The kind of thing you get when you got a fever. Except that I didnt have a fever and I suddenly felt very anxious for no apparent reason.Then this morning I was feeling fine but on the bus I siddenly felt like panicking. I have no idea why but I felt some mild nausea, but a sudden weakness and anxiety and I felt like having to take really deep breaths to calm down. This was odd because this morning when I woke up, I felt fine and I even felt my stomach was really empty (you know the feeling you get when you're really hungry).I don't know what causes this.Perhaps it wasn't such a good idea to do my usual workout on tuesday after all.


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## Little Hedgehog (Dec 2, 2008)

I'm sorry to sound whiney, but this worries me: it's been a week since my diet is more or less normal again yes I still haven't gained anything back. I've even lost a little. I really don't like this. I've had normal BM's for a week now and I'm eating normally again too but I still feel so tired and my weight is still declining... is this something to be worried about?I've had some blood test done a few days ago and it came back as normal. THere is no more traces of infection (but I'm still taking the Flagyl as the doc said I had to take it for 10 days)


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## BQ (May 22, 2000)

> is this something to be worried about?


 IMHO... No.I really think you are just fine. Some of us can take *months* to recover form a GI bug. Try to be patient and maybe stop thinking about your gut so much?? Sometimes if we let it consume us... it only makes everything worse.


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## sprigzie (Oct 26, 2011)

I had stomach flu a few of weeks ago. Lasted a week and I lost 10lbs. I am a 5"9 female and already only weight 9 and a half stone. Thought the weight would fly back on but still only put 2lbs back on in 3 weeks. Im sure I'll be back to normal eventually tho x


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