# Post Infectious IBS



## bluewave85 (Jul 11, 2014)

Hi there,

3 months ago I got a severe gastroenteritis after a night out eating sushi. I had diarrhea, low fever and felt sick for a few weeks.

Right now I feel much better but I still feel a burning sensation in my lower abdomen.

I don't have diarrhea anymore but my fecies sometimes tend to be more soft and smaller in diameter than they used to be before.

I did several blood tests and had an echography, doctors told me all my values are normal.

I was tested for anisakis, helicobacter pylori and results were negative.

I'm now waiting to find out my calprotectin values and next week I'll have a SIBO breath test.

Doctor told me I might have developed a PI-IBS due to viral gastroenteritis.

My biggest concern is that burning feeling which I have been having for 3 months and counting now.

I've noticed gradual improvement since 3 months ago but I still feel depressed due to this burning sensation which goes on and off.

Do you think the PI-IBS diagnosis is correct even if I don't have diarrhea?

Thanks,


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

PI-IBS can be any variation of IBS symptoms, it is not one pattern and one pattern only. You have change in the stool with pain/discomfort, that is IBS not just diarrhea. Any change in consistency and frequency counts.

Good news is sounds like things may be slowly getting better so hopefully that trend will continue. It takes a long while for PI-IBS to fade (a couple of years is not uncommon) so try not to get too down about it. I find focusing my mind on when things are better seems to help the body heal more than dwelling on how bad the terrible moments are.


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## zeroblue (Aug 7, 2013)

Kathleen M. said:


> I find focusing my mind on when things are better seems to help the body heal more than dwelling on how bad the terrible moments are.


Is this true?  I haven't been doing a good job at this i guess





















I have to start


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

I was in a clinical trial for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for IBS. It worked for about 70% of the people.

That is one of the things I did after I finally started having some good days.

Some people have a hypothesis that some of what is going on in functional disorders is that the feedback mechanisms that help a body part know what to do and when to do it is where the damage is. So the body part can do all the functions it should and has no big obvious scars or other things that should screw it up. But when it isn't getting the information it needs it does all the right things at all the wrong times and at all the wrong intensities.

So I think one possibility is how you are thinking can help the body try to re-establish those feedback mechanisms. I've generally had good luck with various mind-body types of work (I use biofeedback for migraines and can mostly avoid medications). If you focus on the things it is doing wrong that may help reinforce the wrong things. If you focus on the good and for me I get a "this too shall pass" attitude when it acts up that seems to help it calm down and behave better.

Certainly doesn't hurt to try, and it is free.


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## bluewave85 (Jul 11, 2014)

Thanks for your kind reply.

I'd like to add some infos to my story. Hope they can help.

I'm a computer programmer. I've been running my own business for 4 years now and almost took no holidays at all ( except for Xmas break ).

My diet was primarily made of junk food and carbs and didn't take enough time for myself and physical exercise.

Early this year I completed a big project which forced me to sometimes work from 6am till 9pm, including weekends. I was very stressed indeed.

After I completed that job my life seemed to be perfect as I felt very well about my professional achievement.

Then, all the sudden, I got the severe gastroenteritis I was talking about which apparently led me to the status I am now.

I guess I've learned a lesson here. I was wrong to put my job as first priority in my life without taking care of my health.

I'm still waiting for a few exams to be sure about IBS, anyway I think I can already write down a few pros and cons of my experience.

CONS:
- I don't feel 100% well. I have nausea, burning feeling, bloating and my feces are not as they used to be before.

- I sometimes feel depressed. First months were very bad but I'm now getting slightly better.

PROS:
- Fixed my diet and lost 10kg ( ~22 pounds ) already. I used to weight more than 220 pounds.

- Said goodbye to most of the junk food I used to eat and improved my lifestyle. Maybe if it hadn't been for IBS I would have never changed my diet and kept falling into a "downward spiral".

- With a bit of depression I could better relate to my brother which has been suffering of depression for many years. I feel more attached to him and my family now.
- Taking more time for myself. I go for a walk more often and try to relax with hot baths.

I'll keep you posted with more infos and about my progresses.

Many thanks to you all for the kind support!


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## bluewave85 (Jul 11, 2014)

Hi there,

I'd like to update my story with the results of the last exams I had.

- SIBO breath test is NEGATIVE
- I don't have Coeliac disease
- Calprotectin values in my stools are normal


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## mzaur (Oct 1, 2014)

Hey there,

How are you feeling now? I also seem to have post infectious IBS after a viral infection. It came out of nowhere and first few weeks were awful, but I'm slowly recovering. I had no appetite for the first 4 weeks and had really bad cramping/gas. Now it's week 6 and I'm eating again, but my intestines are still screwed up. Really hoping it doesn't take us years to get better!


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