# Post Infectious IBS--Newly Diagnosed



## Suzy876

I'm hoping that this helps someone on this board and maybe share similar experiences with others and how they've dealt with it/their prognosis.My story started back in October when I came down with some sort of stomach virus/food poisoning one night. I spent the night going to the bathroom every five minutes to have watery spurts of diarrhea and I dry heaved a couple of times, but nothing would come up...by early the next morning I started feeling better, however something didn't feel right. I thought this was normal after the night I had had and so I remained on a liquid diet for a couple of days and then introduced solid foods, but the diarrhea continued (although definitely not as bad as it was). I would feel incredibly full after eating, have bad gas gurling (it felt like grand central station was parked in my stomach) and very powdery diarrhea. A week after my illness, I visited an emergency clinic, who told me I was still dealing with gastroenteritis, to go home, and come back in a week if it continued. They also recommended I take Florastor. I started taking the Florastor and for a few weeks everything seemed to come back to normal (I was still feeling full and gassy, but at least there wasn't anymore diarrhea. After three weeks, I decided to try getting off of it. That was a mistake...my symptoms returned. This time I went to a real doctor who thought I might be dealing with some sort of bacterial infection so she prescribed Cipro and Florastor for another month after that...if the symptoms continued, I would return for some stool sampling. The Cipro seemed to calm things down a bit, but I had restarted the Florastor. For another month, everything seemed normal and then I tried getting off the Florastor again...Again the same problems returned...gas, bloating, sometimes getting such bad stomach cramps that I would find myself in the bathroom sweating until I had a bowel movement. My bowel movements looked like a bunch of fat ribbons in the bottom of the bowl. I returned to the doctor who took a stool sample for parasites and ova...the results came back negative. She referred me to a gastroenterologist. The gastro listened to all of my symptoms and told me that he thinks I have post-infectious IBS, that it is a common occurrence, and that it spontaneously resolves in half the cases. He said he didn't want to do invasive procedures just yet and so he put me on Flagyl for a week and then told me to take Florastor in combination with Intensive Bowel Support. He also advised that I keep drinking a combination of Chamomile/Anise tea (put both tea bags in together with some honey). I don't know if it's the piece of mind that has come with having a diagnosis, or that this combination of stuff is actually having an impact, but my gas/bloating and cramps have reduced. I take Florastor at 7AM and 5PM and then an Intensive Bowel Support right before bed. There is still cramping and there is still gas however. I guess what I'm trying to find out is...have there been cases of IBS-PI disappearing and does this sound familiar to people who do suffer from IBS-PI?


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## maitland

Suzy876 said:


> I'm hoping that this helps someone on this board and maybe share similar experiences with others and how they've dealt with it/their prognosis.My story started back in October when I came down with some sort of stomach virus/food poisoning one night. I spent the night going to the bathroom every five minutes to have watery spurts of diarrhea and I dry heaved a couple of times, but nothing would come up...by early the next morning I started feeling better, however something didn't feel right. I thought this was normal after the night I had had and so I remained on a liquid diet for a couple of days and then introduced solid foods, but the diarrhea continued (although definitely not as bad as it was). I would feel incredibly full after eating, have bad gas gurling (it felt like grand central station was parked in my stomach) and very powdery diarrhea. A week after my illness, I visited an emergency clinic, who told me I was still dealing with gastroenteritis, to go home, and come back in a week if it continued. They also recommended I take Florastor. I started taking the Florastor and for a few weeks everything seemed to come back to normal (I was still feeling full and gassy, but at least there wasn't anymore diarrhea. After three weeks, I decided to try getting off of it. That was a mistake...my symptoms returned. This time I went to a real doctor who thought I might be dealing with some sort of bacterial infection so she prescribed Cipro and Florastor for another month after that...if the symptoms continued, I would return for some stool sampling. The Cipro seemed to calm things down a bit, but I had restarted the Florastor. For another month, everything seemed normal and then I tried getting off the Florastor again...Again the same problems returned...gas, bloating, sometimes getting such bad stomach cramps that I would find myself in the bathroom sweating until I had a bowel movement. My bowel movements looked like a bunch of fat ribbons in the bottom of the bowl. I returned to the doctor who took a stool sample for parasites and ova...the results came back negative. She referred me to a gastroenterologist. The gastro listened to all of my symptoms and told me that he thinks I have post-infectious IBS, that it is a common occurrence, and that it spontaneously resolves in half the cases. He said he didn't want to do invasive procedures just yet and so he put me on Flagyl for a week and then told me to take Florastor in combination with Intensive Bowel Support. He also advised that I keep drinking a combination of Chamomile/Anise tea (put both tea bags in together with some honey). I don't know if it's the piece of mind that has come with having a diagnosis, or that this combination of stuff is actually having an impact, but my gas/bloating and cramps have reduced. I take Florastor at 7AM and 5PM and then an Intensive Bowel Support right before bed. There is still cramping and there is still gas however. I guess what I'm trying to find out is...have there been cases of IBS-PI disappearing and does this sound familiar to people who do suffer from IBS-PI?


hi suzy876....yes i have had the flagyl treatment a few times and it takes a a week or two to recover back to normal ibs... if that makes sense to you. are you on a restricted diet or antidepressants to help ease the situation?


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## Suzy876

maitland said:


> hi suzy876....yes i have had the flagyl treatment a few times and it takes a a week or two to recover back to normal ibs... if that makes sense to you. are you on a restricted diet or antidepressants to help ease the situation?


Thanks for replying! Yes that does make sense..it's what happened after I was on the round of Cipro. No the gastro didn't put me on any kind of restricted diet. He asked me if there were any foods that tended to trigger my stomach to react and the only thing that PERHAPS had some sort of correlation to my bouts is tomatoes so I've been staying away from those (sad because I LOVE tomatoes). This is the really strange thing about my IBS--I eat everything...fried chicken, grilled cheese, ravioli, subs, dairy, etc....nothing triggers it per se...it's just an overall feeling of discomfort every once in a while. In that sense, I am very grateful, having read through other people's conditions and the hardships they face. It's just learning to deal with this new "normal", trying different things to see if they work, and hoping that because it is IBS-PI maybe it'll resolve on it's own one day.


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## clfergus

This is what I am hoping for as well. Have a GI appt on Monday. My issues started back in early January. I had taken 10 days of Doxycycline for a epiditymitis infection. Following that I had a chest scare where I was coughing up traces of blood so I had to get a Chest X-ray which came back ok. So I was given a ZEE-Pak for a sinus infection. Shortly after taking that is when my abdominal issues started. Gurgling, cramping etc...So far I haven't strayed too far into the Diarrhea realm. They are softer like piles vs water and go back to pieces after a few days. Its just a left abdominal pain occasionallly that has me worried. Anxiety def plays a part for me as well.


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## Suzy876

clfergus said:


> This is what I am hoping for as well. Have a GI appt on Monday. My issues started back in early January. I had taken 10 days of Doxycycline for a epiditymitis infection. Following that I had a chest scare where I was coughing up traces of blood so I had to get a Chest X-ray which came back ok. So I was given a ZEE-Pak for a sinus infection. Shortly after taking that is when my abdominal issues started. Gurgling, cramping etc...So far I haven't strayed too far into the Diarrhea realm. They are softer like piles vs water and go back to pieces after a few days. Its just a left abdominal pain occasionallly that has me worried. Anxiety def plays a part for me as well.


Hi clfergus!How did your GI appt turn out? After my diagnosis, my IBS seemed to improve...almost like the diagnosis calmed my mind and my GI tract as a result. My boyfriend also has IBS so it's comforting to be able to talk to someone that knows what I'm going through as well. I still get flare ups though. I recently went on a whirlwind trip and it has flared every single time I get on a plane.


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## water22

OMG what this sounds like is C diff it a bacteria over growth in the intestines caused by antibiotics DID any of you get tested for that? Florastor would of helped BUT CIPRO is a big NO NO flagyl is whats used to cure this ASKE sbout a stool test for C DIFF am not a doc but this sounds like what i went thru. Check with doc get a stool test for C DIFF.


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## kmkimball88

Suzy876 said:


> I'm hoping that this helps someone on this board and maybe share similar experiences with others and how they've dealt with it/their prognosis.My story started back in October when I came down with some sort of stomach virus/food poisoning one night. I spent the night going to the bathroom every five minutes to have watery spurts of diarrhea and I dry heaved a couple of times, but nothing would come up...by early the next morning I started feeling better, however something didn't feel right. I thought this was normal after the night I had had and so I remained on a liquid diet for a couple of days and then introduced solid foods, but the diarrhea continued (although definitely not as bad as it was). I would feel incredibly full after eating, have bad gas gurling (it felt like grand central station was parked in my stomach) and very powdery diarrhea. A week after my illness, I visited an emergency clinic, who told me I was still dealing with gastroenteritis, to go home, and come back in a week if it continued. They also recommended I take Florastor. I started taking the Florastor and for a few weeks everything seemed to come back to normal (I was still feeling full and gassy, but at least there wasn't anymore diarrhea. After three weeks, I decided to try getting off of it. That was a mistake...my symptoms returned. This time I went to a real doctor who thought I might be dealing with some sort of bacterial infection so she prescribed Cipro and Florastor for another month after that...if the symptoms continued, I would return for some stool sampling. The Cipro seemed to calm things down a bit, but I had restarted the Florastor. For another month, everything seemed normal and then I tried getting off the Florastor again...Again the same problems returned...gas, bloating, sometimes getting such bad stomach cramps that I would find myself in the bathroom sweating until I had a bowel movement. My bowel movements looked like a bunch of fat ribbons in the bottom of the bowl. I returned to the doctor who took a stool sample for parasites and ova...the results came back negative. She referred me to a gastroenterologist. The gastro listened to all of my symptoms and told me that he thinks I have post-infectious IBS, that it is a common occurrence, and that it spontaneously resolves in half the cases. He said he didn't want to do invasive procedures just yet and so he put me on Flagyl for a week and then told me to take Florastor in combination with Intensive Bowel Support. He also advised that I keep drinking a combination of Chamomile/Anise tea (put both tea bags in together with some honey). I don't know if it's the piece of mind that has come with having a diagnosis, or that this combination of stuff is actually having an impact, but my gas/bloating and cramps have reduced. I take Florastor at 7AM and 5PM and then an Intensive Bowel Support right before bed. There is still cramping and there is still gas however. I guess what I'm trying to find out is...have there been cases of IBS-PI disappearing and does this sound familiar to people who do suffer from IBS-PI?


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## kmkimball88

Suzy876 said:


> I'm hoping that this helps someone on this board and maybe share similar experiences with others and how they've dealt with it/their prognosis.My story started back in October when I came down with some sort of stomach virus/food poisoning one night. I spent the night going to the bathroom every five minutes to have watery spurts of diarrhea and I dry heaved a couple of times, but nothing would come up...by early the next morning I started feeling better, however something didn't feel right. I thought this was normal after the night I had had and so I remained on a liquid diet for a couple of days and then introduced solid foods, but the diarrhea continued (although definitely not as bad as it was). I would feel incredibly full after eating, have bad gas gurling (it felt like grand central station was parked in my stomach) and very powdery diarrhea. A week after my illness, I visited an emergency clinic, who told me I was still dealing with gastroenteritis, to go home, and come back in a week if it continued. They also recommended I take Florastor. I started taking the Florastor and for a few weeks everything seemed to come back to normal (I was still feeling full and gassy, but at least there wasn't anymore diarrhea. After three weeks, I decided to try getting off of it. That was a mistake...my symptoms returned. This time I went to a real doctor who thought I might be dealing with some sort of bacterial infection so she prescribed Cipro and Florastor for another month after that...if the symptoms continued, I would return for some stool sampling. The Cipro seemed to calm things down a bit, but I had restarted the Florastor. For another month, everything seemed normal and then I tried getting off the Florastor again...Again the same problems returned...gas, bloating, sometimes getting such bad stomach cramps that I would find myself in the bathroom sweating until I had a bowel movement. My bowel movements looked like a bunch of fat ribbons in the bottom of the bowl. I returned to the doctor who took a stool sample for parasites and ova...the results came back negative. She referred me to a gastroenterologist. The gastro listened to all of my symptoms and told me that he thinks I have post-infectious IBS, that it is a common occurrence, and that it spontaneously resolves in half the cases. He said he didn't want to do invasive procedures just yet and so he put me on Flagyl for a week and then told me to take Florastor in combination with Intensive Bowel Support. He also advised that I keep drinking a combination of Chamomile/Anise tea (put both tea bags in together with some honey). I don't know if it's the piece of mind that has come with having a diagnosis, or that this combination of stuff is actually having an impact, but my gas/bloating and cramps have reduced. I take Florastor at 7AM and 5PM and then an Intensive Bowel Support right before bed. There is still cramping and there is still gas however. I guess what I'm trying to find out is...have there been cases of IBS-PI disappearing and does this sound familiar to people who do suffer from IBS-PI?


my story is pretty similar. i went into new york city on a monday the last week of november. had a salad and that night i started having diarrhea. by that saturday i was in the hospital for dehydration and they put me on 2 strong antibiotics (cipro and flagyl). it made my symptoms worse. i was going up to 20x's a day. was back and forth at doctors office and had colonoscopy. they did a biopsy which showed some colitis in the colon and i went on another medication. things haven't changed. saw 5 doctors and was barley able to leave the house or take care of my son. i still have diarrhea everyday, but now it's about 3 to 5's a day with gas, bloating and my stomach is always angry. lost a lot of weight and changed my diet. starting taking some natural supplements, but i hope this goes away. i have never heard of Florastor, but i am going to check it out. my bowel movements have started to look like fat soft ribbions also, which is an improvement from the past few weeks. i really hope this goes away. how are you coping? i decided to start an anti-anixiety medication, lexapro, which i was told would help with my brain controlling my gut. i hope it helps


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## Pwincess

My story is very similar. I had a death in the family back in June. I thought I was going fine. In August I came down with a virus that gave me D. I called my Dr's office and was instructed about a low residue diet. 2 days on the diet and I was feeling better. They did not tell me that I should continue the diet and avoid dairy for a couple of more weeks so a week after I started feeling better, I went to a street festival, had all kinds of little snacks and within a couple of days the D was back. I ended up seeing a GI who put me on the low residue diet and ran all the regular tests (colonoscopy, stool, etc). They all came back normal. He diagnosed me with IBS. The only advice the GI gave me was to stay on the low residue diet. I continued to have symptoms on and off. My primary care dr. was sympathic but not at all helpful. It was through this support site that I started reading about Low FODMAPS. On my own, I got off all gluten and dairy and made sure I took a probiotic and calcium every day. It seemed like every two week I would have 4 days of D followed by C and then a week of normal. I went to a dietician and all she did was criticize the nutritional value of Low FODMAPS. About a month ago, I can't explain it, but I started to feel better. I started to experiment with gluten and some dairy and so far, so good. I think that even though the GI never told me, I had a case of PI-IBS.I am still trying to be really careful. I have decided to never go back to any fried foods or carbonated beverages. I am only eating small portions of fresh fruits and vegetables and am still keeping away from cabbage, onions, and peppers. Lessons Learned-1) Complete compassion for my fellow IBS suffers. Between the accidents, fatigue, and self pity, it was awful.2) I learned in the last couple of months not to be ashamed. Once I started to tell friends about my diagnosis, I was very surprised to hear who else was struggling with the same think.3) The more research I did, the more I read how disgusting any kind of fast food is. 4) Other than fast, and fried food all things in moderation.


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