# IBS or Stomach Bug



## Jo.1981 (Oct 29, 2007)

How do you tell if you have a stomach bug or whether your IBS is having a bad time? D twice in 3 days...I'm hoping is a sign of a bug.


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Usually when it is a bug I have diarrhea every 20-60 minutes that is very watery for anywhere from 12 hours to 5 days.IBS diarrhea is more like a couple of times in 3 days. However if this is new for you it could just be something you ate or random variation. Usually they need to see symptoms several times a month for 6-12 months before they call it IBS.Anyone can have occasional loose stools or occasional constipation (even without getting a bug). When it becomes a regular thing with abdominal pain then they start looking at IBS. Any of things that can cause loose stools in non-IBSers can cause loose stools in IBSers as well. It doesn't have to mean you are in some sort of extended period of worse than usual IBS.K.


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## Lillett (Jun 4, 2006)

I am in the same boat as you today. I have been doing quite well with the calcium. Yesterday I had two very large and painful bowel movements with urgency. Today I have went four times. All very soft but not watery with lots of gas and pain. For the first time in a long, long time I didn't make it to the bathroom and went in my pants. It happened when I was dropping my daughter off at school. It's terrible.


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## Jay1951 (Oct 31, 2007)

The Norwalk Virus as the stomach bug is known has a effect tottaly unlike IBS. You feel lousy, like throwing up and the BM's are all water, sometimes 30+ in 12 hours. In adults the BM's come first, then the vomiting starts 2-3 hours later. Next day it all winds down and you run a fever of about 100.5 to 101.5. The good thing is once you get it, you are good for about 3-4 years since your immune system builds up against it . The bug changes about every 3-4 years and there is no shot like the flu shot to stop it.


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