Extremely short lived illness

[frugalnacho]

I was just thinking that as terrible as this pandemic is, I haven't been sick since February.   Prior to that I was getting sick approximately every 2 weeks, mostly from my 2 year old son who was attending a preschool and getting sick constantly.   But since the original lockdown in March no one in our house has been sick at all.

Except on Friday I got sick.  I had the day off, so I took a nap after lunch when my son took his nap.  I woke up from nap feeling a bit off.  My muscles ached, and it was that special ache that you only feel from a cold/flu illness.  Then I started to feel nauseous.  I took some excedrin and ibuprofen.  Then within a half hour the aches cranked up to about a 10.  I got wicked chills.  Goosebumps all over, and I couldn't get warm.  I turned the furnace up about 5 degrees, put on a hoodie, and wrapped myself in an electric blanket on high, but still felt chilled to the bone and couldn't stop my teeth from chattering.   The aches were terrible and were about as intense a bad case of the flu - enough to bring tears to my eyes.  I loaded up on the maximum daily dose of excedrin and ibuprofen and skipped dinner, and just sat in my electric blanket on the couch for hours.  Then about 4-5 hours after they started, they just kind of faded away.  I thought maybe it was the ibuprofen kicking in, and was amazed because I know it works, but it's never worked that well for getting rid of pain for me.   After about 6 hours I was feeling much better, and made and ate almost an entire box of macaroni and drank a gatoraid.  And that was pretty much the end of it.  I took some tylenol PM to make sure I slept, and I've been feeling just fine ever since.  Super intense, but super short lived. 

My wife thinks I was just over exaggerating and being a baby.   I felt it though, and the pain was very real.  The goosebumps and teeth chattering were involuntary.  I never got a fever.  I checked it multiple times, including before ever taking any medication.  It never spiked into fever territory, but did get up to around 99.1 or so, but my normal reading with that thermometer is around 97.5-98.   So maybe slightly elevated, but not fever, and maybe the drugs tempered it and kept it from going any higher.

I don't think it was the food because my wife, son, FIL, and MIL ate the same food as me and didn't get sick.  I also ate the same food later and didn't get sick again.  I never ended up throwing up either, just felt gross and nauseous.

I've felt like that before, when I had the flu, or some illness very similar to the flu, but I've never had it be so short lived.

What in the world was that all about? A 5-hour flu?

[Adventine]

How odd.

Have you considered getting tested for COVID?

[HPstache]

You should probably get a COVID test

[MrGreen]

I would definitely get a COVID test. Though that is incredibly bizarre that 5 hours and you're all good, for any illness. And I've never heard of drugs kicking in so many hours after taking them. Usually within 30-60 minutes is about as effective as they get. I could see a stomach bug going that way but if you didn't blow a toilet up then that's probably not the case.

[frugalnacho]

Yes I've considered it and have checked available appointments near me.  Demand is very high and spots are only able to be scheduled several days in advance.  First available slots are tomorrow.
 All the available time slots are right in the middle of the day when it's inconvenient to leave work though.  I would prefer to use a testing site close to my house, and not in the middle of the ghetto where my work is located.  I have never taken a covid test and to my knowledge haven't been exposed to anyone.  I wear a mask when I am around people at work, and to my knowledge we haven't had a positive case here in months.  The only people I associate with out of work for the last month or so is my wife, son, and my MIL.   Wife and son haven't interacted with anyone.  MIL is isolated and only sees us and her husband. 

[frugalnacho]

I would definitely get a COVID test. Though that is incredibly bizarre that 5 hours and you're all good, for any illness. And I've never heard of drugs kicking in so many hours after taking them. Usually within 30-60 minutes is about as effective as they get. I could see a stomach bug going that way but if you didn't blow a toilet up then that's probably not the case.

I took a single excedrin and a single ibuprofen at the onset.  Then about 1-2 hours later when it kept getting significantly worse is when I ended up taking a whole handful, like another 5-6 pills.  I felt them start to take effect within 30 minutes probably, but it was still bad.  That's usually my experience with nsaid, it will stop some swelling, and it will bring aches and pains down slightly, from a 10 to an 8 or something, which is what happened. Still felt like shit, but slightly less so. Then gradually over the next few hours it just tapered down to nothing.  I don't know if that was the drugs continuing to take effect, or the aches just naturally going away. 

[wenchsenior]

Definitely get a Covid test. The symptoms seem so variable from person to person. And influenza normally doesn't cause much nausea, though other viruses do.

I have experiences very similar to what you describe several times per month (in a good month).   More often if it is a bad month (I've had stretches of time where this was occurring up to 10 times per month).  It's been happening to me since puberty, so...35 years. 

In my case, it's a reaction to hormonal shifts. Any sudden shift in my estrogen level makes me very ill, with a slight fever, severe muscle and joint pain, and often puking-sick migraine headaches that feel like someone is stabbing an icepick through my eye and into my skull.  It comes on over just a couple hours, usually the warning is my skin 'hurts' or is sensitive, and I have stiff neck and shoulders. Then it hits like a freight train, usually lasts 18-24 hours, and goes away over half an hour like I never had it.  Ovulation is totally predictable when I'm off bcp...I'm going to be violently sick for a couple days for sure.  And usually slightly less sick at the beginning of my period, and a week later when my estrogen starts to kick back up again.

But...you are male, so probably not hormones, I'm guessing.

[HPstache]

Yes I've considered it and have checked available appointments near me.  Demand is very high and spots are only able to be scheduled several days in advance.  First available slots are tomorrow.
 All the available time slots are right in the middle of the day when it's inconvenient to leave work though.  I would prefer to use a testing site close to my house, and not in the middle of the ghetto where my work is located.  I have never taken a covid test and to my knowledge haven't been exposed to anyone.  I wear a mask when I am around people at work, and to my knowledge we haven't had a positive case here in months.  The only people I associate with out of work for the last month or so is my wife, son, and my MIL.   Wife and son haven't interacted with anyone.  MIL is isolated and only sees us and her husband.

You should not be going to work.  Don't you have like some sort of check-in process for your work where you have to say that you haven't had "any of the following symptoms" in the last 14 days, etc.?  Here's what ours says:

"Have you had any of the following symptoms in the past 14 days?
-shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

Or two or more of the following symptoms?:
-Fever
-Chills
-Muscle Pain
-Sore Throat
-New loss of taste or smell"

You had Chills and muscle pain... you should NOT be at work.

[frugalnacho]

Yes I've considered it and have checked available appointments near me.  Demand is very high and spots are only able to be scheduled several days in advance.  First available slots are tomorrow.
 All the available time slots are right in the middle of the day when it's inconvenient to leave work though.  I would prefer to use a testing site close to my house, and not in the middle of the ghetto where my work is located.  I have never taken a covid test and to my knowledge haven't been exposed to anyone.  I wear a mask when I am around people at work, and to my knowledge we haven't had a positive case here in months.  The only people I associate with out of work for the last month or so is my wife, son, and my MIL.   Wife and son haven't interacted with anyone.  MIL is isolated and only sees us and her husband.

You should not be going to work.  Don't you have like some sort of check-in process for your work where you have to say that you haven't had "any of the following symptoms" in the last 24 hrs, etc.?  Here's what ours says:

"Have you had any of the following symptoms in the past 14 days?
-shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

Or two or more of the following symptoms?:
-Fever
-Chills
-Muscle Pain
-Sore Throat
-New loss of taste or smell"

You had Chills and muscle pain... you should NOT be at work.

Nobody at this place takes it seriously.  They do a temperature check.  They also ask questions, but I can't answer any of them honestly because they include headache and diarrhea on the list.  I haven't had a 14 day streak free of headaches or diarrhea in my entire life that I can remember.

I have a test scheduled for tomorrow.

[HPstache]

Yes I've considered it and have checked available appointments near me.  Demand is very high and spots are only able to be scheduled several days in advance.  First available slots are tomorrow.
 All the available time slots are right in the middle of the day when it's inconvenient to leave work though.  I would prefer to use a testing site close to my house, and not in the middle of the ghetto where my work is located.  I have never taken a covid test and to my knowledge haven't been exposed to anyone.  I wear a mask when I am around people at work, and to my knowledge we haven't had a positive case here in months.  The only people I associate with out of work for the last month or so is my wife, son, and my MIL.   Wife and son haven't interacted with anyone.  MIL is isolated and only sees us and her husband.

You should not be going to work.  Don't you have like some sort of check-in process for your work where you have to say that you haven't had "any of the following symptoms" in the last 24 hrs, etc.?  Here's what ours says:

"Have you had any of the following symptoms in the past 14 days?
-shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

Or two or more of the following symptoms?:
-Fever
-Chills
-Muscle Pain
-Sore Throat
-New loss of taste or smell"

You had Chills and muscle pain... you should NOT be at work.

Nobody at this place takes it seriously.  They do a temperature check.  They also ask questions, but I can't answer any of them honestly because they include headache and diarrhea on the list.  I haven't had a 14 day streak free of headaches or diarrhea in my entire life that I can remember.

I have a test scheduled for tomorrow.

Ok.  If you're going to work like that... and lying about it, YOU are part of why this pandemic is spreading like wildfire.  Hate to say it, but for someone as COVID opinionated as yourself, to hear that you're going to work like after that is shocking to say the least.  Such a terrible idea... even if you come back negative.

[achvfi]

I once had similar experience many years ago, it started few hours before bed time. I was weak, shivering and couldn't even get out of bed to take sip of water. I probably had some fever.

And it was gone next morning. Just soo weird. Never had it since.

[frugalnacho]

Yes I've considered it and have checked available appointments near me.  Demand is very high and spots are only able to be scheduled several days in advance.  First available slots are tomorrow.
 All the available time slots are right in the middle of the day when it's inconvenient to leave work though.  I would prefer to use a testing site close to my house, and not in the middle of the ghetto where my work is located.  I have never taken a covid test and to my knowledge haven't been exposed to anyone.  I wear a mask when I am around people at work, and to my knowledge we haven't had a positive case here in months.  The only people I associate with out of work for the last month or so is my wife, son, and my MIL.   Wife and son haven't interacted with anyone.  MIL is isolated and only sees us and her husband.

You should not be going to work.  Don't you have like some sort of check-in process for your work where you have to say that you haven't had "any of the following symptoms" in the last 24 hrs, etc.?  Here's what ours says:

"Have you had any of the following symptoms in the past 14 days?
-shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

Or two or more of the following symptoms?:
-Fever
-Chills
-Muscle Pain
-Sore Throat
-New loss of taste or smell"

You had Chills and muscle pain... you should NOT be at work.

Nobody at this place takes it seriously.  They do a temperature check.  They also ask questions, but I can't answer any of them honestly because they include headache and diarrhea on the list.  I haven't had a 14 day streak free of headaches or diarrhea in my entire life that I can remember.

I have a test scheduled for tomorrow.

Ok.  If you're going to work like that... and lying about it, YOU are part of why this pandemic is spreading like wildfire.  Hate to say it, but for someone as COVID opinionated as yourself, to hear that you're going to work like after that is shocking to say the least.  Such a terrible idea... even if you come back negative.

Point taken about going to work after having chills/aches.   I really didn't consider this could be covid because it doesn't seem to match covid symptoms and I had no respiratory problems, but covid is weird and perhaps I should have exercised more caution, and I am within the 10 day cdc recommended isolation window.  On the plus side I do not interact with friends and family (other than wife, son, and MIL who all also isolate), have not been going to stores, and do not interact maskless with coworkers (and only come within 6 feet of them while passing).   When I do interact with coworkers I keep it very short. 

On the headache/diarrhea, I'm not sure what your point is.  Those are clearly unrelated to covid as I've had issues with them for 30 years.  If I answered that portion honestly I would not have reported to work a single day since March which is not realistic.   

[secondcor521]

I had a similar thing about two days ago, although not as severe chills.  In my case I thought maybe it was COVID (I'm on vacation in a country that doesn't take things too seriously), but decided after reflection and analysis that it was due to a couple of bites of undercooked chicken.

Was any of the food you ate recently undercooked meat?  Even if you and your family were eating the same thing, if you got a bigger or thicker piece of meat it could have been that theirs were cooked well enough and yours wasn't.

Just a thought.

And I agree with the upthread comment that you shouldn't go to work.  Even if you think the questions are BS and don't think it's COVID, the fact that you had this episode probably reasonably warrants staying home at least until you get the test result back (mine took 3 days).

[frugalnacho]

I had a similar thing about two days ago, although not as severe chills.  In my case I thought maybe it was COVID (I'm on vacation in a country that doesn't take things too seriously), but decided after reflection and analysis that it was due to a couple of bites of undercooked chicken.

Was any of the food you ate recently undercooked meat?  Even if you and your family were eating the same thing, if you got a bigger or thicker piece of meat it could have been that theirs were cooked well enough and yours wasn't.

Just a thought.

And I agree with the upthread comment that you shouldn't go to work.  Even if you think the questions are BS and don't think it's COVID, the fact that you had this episode probably reasonably warrants staying home at least until you get the test result back (mine took 3 days).

I think undercooked meat is unlikely.  I had nothing but turkey the day before and day of and everything seemed cooked fine.   I went back for more turkey on saturday and sunday with no issues.  I guess it's possible, but it seems unlikely to me.

I felt nauseous, but I'm unsure if nausea was a root symptom, or just a manifestation of the aches/chills, and it never got so bad I had to take any medication for nausea, I just didn't feel like eating.  (When I get really bad headaches I also get nausea, but I'm pretty sure there is absolutely nothing wrong with my digestive track during those headache episodes and the nausea is just a side effect of a severe headache/pain)  I also have frequent and chronic diarrhea problems (dating back decades), but had no issues in that respect on friday.   Other than the slight nausea there were absolutely no digestive or respiratory symptoms. 

[secondcor521]

Have you considered trying a gluten free diet or perhaps an elimination diet to check for food allergies?  Headaches and diarrhea for decades is neither normal nor fun.

[HPstache]

Yes I've considered it and have checked available appointments near me.  Demand is very high and spots are only able to be scheduled several days in advance.  First available slots are tomorrow.
 All the available time slots are right in the middle of the day when it's inconvenient to leave work though.  I would prefer to use a testing site close to my house, and not in the middle of the ghetto where my work is located.  I have never taken a covid test and to my knowledge haven't been exposed to anyone.  I wear a mask when I am around people at work, and to my knowledge we haven't had a positive case here in months.  The only people I associate with out of work for the last month or so is my wife, son, and my MIL.   Wife and son haven't interacted with anyone.  MIL is isolated and only sees us and her husband.

You should not be going to work.  Don't you have like some sort of check-in process for your work where you have to say that you haven't had "any of the following symptoms" in the last 24 hrs, etc.?  Here's what ours says:

"Have you had any of the following symptoms in the past 14 days?
-shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

Or two or more of the following symptoms?:
-Fever
-Chills
-Muscle Pain
-Sore Throat
-New loss of taste or smell"

You had Chills and muscle pain... you should NOT be at work.

Nobody at this place takes it seriously.  They do a temperature check.  They also ask questions, but I can't answer any of them honestly because they include headache and diarrhea on the list.  I haven't had a 14 day streak free of headaches or diarrhea in my entire life that I can remember.

I have a test scheduled for tomorrow.

Ok.  If you're going to work like that... and lying about it, YOU are part of why this pandemic is spreading like wildfire.  Hate to say it, but for someone as COVID opinionated as yourself, to hear that you're going to work like after that is shocking to say the least.  Such a terrible idea... even if you come back negative.

Point taken about going to work after having chills/aches.   I really didn't consider this could be covid because it doesn't seem to match covid symptoms and I had no respiratory problems, but covid is weird and perhaps I should have exercised more caution, and I am within the 10 day cdc recommended isolation window.  On the plus side I do not interact with friends and family (other than wife, son, and MIL who all also isolate), have not been going to stores, and do not interact maskless with coworkers (and only come within 6 feet of them while passing).   When I do interact with coworkers I keep it very short. 

On the headache/diarrhea, I'm not sure what your point is.  Those are clearly unrelated to covid as I've had issues with them for 30 years.  If I answered that portion honestly I would not have reported to work a single day since March which is not realistic.   

I didn't mention headache or dh...  But I totally understand ignoring things like that which have been consistent through the year(s) on a COVID survey.  Sudden onset strange aches and chills, though?  You have got to take that seriously and wait for a test result IMO.

[frugalnacho]

Have you considered trying a gluten free diet or perhaps an elimination diet to check for food allergies?  Headaches and diarrhea for decades is neither normal nor fun.

Yes, have tried numerous things. Been scoped in both ends, had allergy testing, biopsies, had other testing for various diseases (celiacs, chrohns, etc), eliminated various foods with no success.  The GI specialist I saw many years ago finally threw his hands up and said "there is nothing wrong with you, you just have a lot of diarrhea.  You can take imodium ad to control symptoms, it's safe to take for long term use.  There is nothing else we can test for, and nothing else we can do for you, we've eliminated everything it could possibly be.  As long as it's not causing you significant pain or distress it is fine.  If it is, there is still nothing we can do about, unless it gets more severe then we can discuss effective medicine".   It does cause some pain and distress probably 3-6 times a month and I get stomach cramps and will have to poop a lot in a short window.  Self medicating with marijuana seems to help calm the muscles and reduce the cramps during those bad periods.  The rest of the time I just poop a lot, but without much pain or distress.  By a lot I mean in a typical day I probably poop around 5 times, sometimes more. And that is with me preemptively taking imodium every morning for the last 10+ years.  There is also no food that seems to constantly trigger it.  Some days I will have water and a banana, and somehow it turns into terrible stomach cramps and diarrhea.  Some days I'll eat a bunch of pizza, or something greasy like mcdonalds and feel perfectly fine.  It seems completely random and not tied to any specific type of food.  My wife occasionally gets it in her head that it is something specific, but her reasoning makes no sense.  "It's gluten! The gluten is causing it!" or "It's the dairy!".  "Then how do you explain me eating an entire large pizza and feeling perfectly fine? That's nothing but gluten, dairy, and grease, and I eat it frequently enough with no problems that it can't possibly be an allergy for me".

Headaches have been a dead end as well.  None of the doctors can actually find anything wrong.  MRI and CT scan are normal.  Blood pressure is controlled. 

I'd love to find an actual answer to the problem, but after dozens and dozens of appointments with various doctors and specialists no one has been able to actually identify the cause of either. 

And you all now know far more about me than you ever wanted to.

[des999]

those are almost exactly similar to what someone close to me had, and they tested positive for Covid.

I would highly recommend getting tested.  Good luck, and glad to hear you are feeling better so quickly (regardless of what it was/is).

[ChpBstrd]

Yea get the COVID test. Some people seem to experience the disease in waves. Your pain meds might have suppressed the symptoms and you could still be contagious.

If that's not it, you might have had the same weird short-term flu my kid and I had back in early February. Pretty sure it wasn't COVID because there were like 3 known cases in the US at the time, but it involved less than a day of intense pain and suffering with chills and then it was over. First the kid had it for a day, then I got it the next day after the kid was all better. Kid was literally jumping up and down on my head yelling "boingy boingy" and I couldn't muster the energy to move. It would hurt worse to make the kid stop than to just accept the jumping on my head. Don't drag this into your workplace either!

For the long-term problems, go on a very strict elimination diet with detailed journaling and have an immune reaction panel done. It could be your immune system reacts to something unexpected and unusual, like broccoli or tea. Usual suspects are gluten, corn, soy, seafood, nuts, dairy, etc. and they will f*** you up in mysterious ways.

[frugalnacho]

I have a test scheduled for tomorrow and I won't be going back in to work.

I didn't think it could be covid.  I bounced back so quickly that I didn't even give it much consideration, and didn't even bother posting this thread until days later. But in retrospect I should have exercised more caution. I feel irresponsible for coming in to work, and received some well deserved face punches.  I can make excuses, but I think the bottom line is I fucked up.  I should have scheduled a test sooner and not have come in to work.  I am an avid proponent of taking the pandemic seriously, and I think I have failed in this specific aspect.  I hope the cumulative effect of all my other efforts (social isolation, social distancing at work, wearing a mask, and practicing good hygiene) have mitigated potential risk to others. 

[wenchsenior]

Have you considered trying a gluten free diet or perhaps an elimination diet to check for food allergies?  Headaches and diarrhea for decades is neither normal nor fun.

Yes, have tried numerous things. Been scoped in both ends, had allergy testing, biopsies, had other testing for various diseases (celiacs, chrohns, etc), eliminated various foods with no success.  The GI specialist I saw many years ago finally threw his hands up and said "there is nothing wrong with you, you just have a lot of diarrhea.  You can take imodium ad to control symptoms, it's safe to take for long term use.  There is nothing else we can test for, and nothing else we can do for you, we've eliminated everything it could possibly be.  As long as it's not causing you significant pain or distress it is fine.  If it is, there is still nothing we can do about, unless it gets more severe then we can discuss effective medicine".   It does cause some pain and distress probably 3-6 times a month and I get stomach cramps and will have to poop a lot in a short window.  Self medicating with marijuana seems to help calm the muscles and reduce the cramps during those bad periods.  The rest of the time I just poop a lot, but without much pain or distress.  By a lot I mean in a typical day I probably poop around 5 times, sometimes more. And that is with me preemptively taking imodium every morning for the last 10+ years.  There is also no food that seems to constantly trigger it.  Some days I will have water and a banana, and somehow it turns into terrible stomach cramps and diarrhea.  Some days I'll eat a bunch of pizza, or something greasy like mcdonalds and feel perfectly fine.  It seems completely random and not tied to any specific type of food.  My wife occasionally gets it in her head that it is something specific, but her reasoning makes no sense.  "It's gluten! The gluten is causing it!" or "It's the dairy!".  "Then how do you explain me eating an entire large pizza and feeling perfectly fine? That's nothing but gluten, dairy, and grease, and I eat it frequently enough with no problems that it can't possibly be an allergy for me".

Headaches have been a dead end as well.  None of the doctors can actually find anything wrong.  MRI and CT scan are normal.  Blood pressure is controlled. 

I'd love to find an actual answer to the problem, but after dozens and dozens of appointments with various doctors and specialists no one has been able to actually identify the cause of either. 

And you all now know far more about me than you ever wanted to.

That's par for the course for irritable bowel syndrome AKA the diagnosis where everything else is ruled out.  IBS is actually very common.  I have it as well (along with the very frequent headaches mentioned in my previous post).  Was prone to diarrhea for decades, then everything changed in the other direction and that's been true for 10 years.  IBS appears to be attributable to abnormal neuro-muscular signalling in the gut, and/or abnormal pain processing function. It's not at all uncommon for IBS to be co-morbid with frequent headaches or other pain disorders like fibro.

[frugalnacho]

Yea get the COVID test. Some people seem to experience the disease in waves. Your pain meds might have suppressed the symptoms and you could still be contagious.

If that's not it, you might have had the same weird short-term flu my kid and I had back in early February. Pretty sure it wasn't COVID because there were like 3 known cases in the US at the time, but it involved less than a day of intense pain and suffering with chills and then it was over. First the kid had it for a day, then I got it the next day after the kid was all better. Kid was literally jumping up and down on my head yelling "boingy boingy" and I couldn't muster the energy to move. It would hurt worse to make the kid stop than to just accept the jumping on my head. Don't drag this into your workplace either!

For the long-term problems, go on a very strict elimination diet with detailed journaling and have an immune reaction panel done. It could be your immune system reacts to something unexpected and unusual, like broccoli or tea. Usual suspects are gluten, corn, soy, seafood, nuts, dairy, etc. and they will f*** you up in mysterious ways.

The symptoms have been gone for 4 days.  I woke up from a nap around 430PM, and descended into hell, and then was feeling fine playing xbox and eating a box of mac n cheese by 10PM. 

I have ruled out nearly all the usual items causing issues because the issue seems sporadic.  I have ruled them out when I've eaten them and not gotten sick.  Sometimes if I eat a bunch of pizza I will feel sick, but if I had some type of allergy or problem with a specific item I would expect it every time, so the fact that I can sometimes eat an entire pizza and feel perfectly fine rules out gluten and dairy in my mind.  Likewise for nearly every other food I eat.  Unless whatever is causing it only gives me that reaction some of time I eat and not others, but if that's the case I don't see how I could ever narrow it down to one specific item if that item is not consistently causing the issue.  There are also times when I won't eat anything different than what I have been eating for days, and suddenly get an episode.  Like I'll eat some food that I know doesn't get me sick, then the next morning I'll eat a banana and BAM stomach cramps and diarrhea.  But that food I ate never triggered it before.  And I eat a banana every day and it almost never triggers that, so I assume it's just coincidental timing. 

There has been a lot of discussion with GI drs, and tracking of food, and nothing has been identified.   And sometimes an episode will just happen with food I know doesn't trigger it.  It is strange, and almost seems unrelated to the food.

[frugalnacho]

Have you considered trying a gluten free diet or perhaps an elimination diet to check for food allergies?  Headaches and diarrhea for decades is neither normal nor fun.

Yes, have tried numerous things. Been scoped in both ends, had allergy testing, biopsies, had other testing for various diseases (celiacs, chrohns, etc), eliminated various foods with no success.  The GI specialist I saw many years ago finally threw his hands up and said "there is nothing wrong with you, you just have a lot of diarrhea.  You can take imodium ad to control symptoms, it's safe to take for long term use.  There is nothing else we can test for, and nothing else we can do for you, we've eliminated everything it could possibly be.  As long as it's not causing you significant pain or distress it is fine.  If it is, there is still nothing we can do about, unless it gets more severe then we can discuss effective medicine".   It does cause some pain and distress probably 3-6 times a month and I get stomach cramps and will have to poop a lot in a short window.  Self medicating with marijuana seems to help calm the muscles and reduce the cramps during those bad periods.  The rest of the time I just poop a lot, but without much pain or distress.  By a lot I mean in a typical day I probably poop around 5 times, sometimes more. And that is with me preemptively taking imodium every morning for the last 10+ years.  There is also no food that seems to constantly trigger it.  Some days I will have water and a banana, and somehow it turns into terrible stomach cramps and diarrhea.  Some days I'll eat a bunch of pizza, or something greasy like mcdonalds and feel perfectly fine.  It seems completely random and not tied to any specific type of food.  My wife occasionally gets it in her head that it is something specific, but her reasoning makes no sense.  "It's gluten! The gluten is causing it!" or "It's the dairy!".  "Then how do you explain me eating an entire large pizza and feeling perfectly fine? That's nothing but gluten, dairy, and grease, and I eat it frequently enough with no problems that it can't possibly be an allergy for me".

Headaches have been a dead end as well.  None of the doctors can actually find anything wrong.  MRI and CT scan are normal.  Blood pressure is controlled. 

I'd love to find an actual answer to the problem, but after dozens and dozens of appointments with various doctors and specialists no one has been able to actually identify the cause of either. 

And you all now know far more about me than you ever wanted to.

That's par for the course for irritable bowel syndrome AKA the diagnosis where everything else is ruled out.  IBS is actually very common.  I have it as well (along with the very frequent headaches mentioned in my previous post).  Was prone to diarrhea for decades, then everything changed in the other direction and that's been true for 10 years.  IBS appears to be attributable to abnormal neuro-muscular signalling in the gut, and/or abnormal pain processing function. It's not at all uncommon for IBS to be co-morbid with frequent headaches or other pain disorders like fibro.

Yeah that sounds about right.  It appears unrelated to my diet, or at least to any specific food.  Obviously eating an entire pizza, or a bunch of greasy fast food or something usually doesn't go that great for my bowel, but there are more than enough times I have eaten that without triggering anything to lead me to believe there is no specific ingredient in those foods that my body is allergic to.  Most of the time I am fine, I just poop a lot.  I believe I have pooped 3 or 4 times so far today, but it's not causing me pain or anything, just a rumbly stomach and frequent pooping. 

[ChpBstrd]

I have a test scheduled for tomorrow and I won't be going back in to work.

I didn't think it could be covid.  I bounced back so quickly that I didn't even give it much consideration, and didn't even bother posting this thread until days later. But in retrospect I should have exercised more caution. I feel irresponsible for coming in to work, and received some well deserved face punches.  I can make excuses, but I think the bottom line is I fucked up.  I should have scheduled a test sooner and not have come in to work.  I am an avid proponent of taking the pandemic seriously, and I think I have failed in this specific aspect.  I hope the cumulative effect of all my other efforts (social isolation, social distancing at work, wearing a mask, and practicing good hygiene) have mitigated potential risk to others.

The problem with the internet is there's no way to reward people for honesty, frankness, or accountability. For what it's worth, thanks for taking responsibility for something. It's a rare behavior.

Now make a list of everyone you came within 6' of for at least 15 minutes, or shared room air with. Be ready to call them tomorrow if necessary.

[simonsez]

Have you considered trying a gluten free diet or perhaps an elimination diet to check for food allergies?  Headaches and diarrhea for decades is neither normal nor fun.

Yes, have tried numerous things. Been scoped in both ends, had allergy testing, biopsies, had other testing for various diseases (celiacs, chrohns, etc), eliminated various foods with no success.  The GI specialist I saw many years ago finally threw his hands up and said "there is nothing wrong with you, you just have a lot of diarrhea.  You can take imodium ad to control symptoms, it's safe to take for long term use.  There is nothing else we can test for, and nothing else we can do for you, we've eliminated everything it could possibly be.  As long as it's not causing you significant pain or distress it is fine.  If it is, there is still nothing we can do about, unless it gets more severe then we can discuss effective medicine".   It does cause some pain and distress probably 3-6 times a month and I get stomach cramps and will have to poop a lot in a short window.  Self medicating with marijuana seems to help calm the muscles and reduce the cramps during those bad periods.  The rest of the time I just poop a lot, but without much pain or distress.  By a lot I mean in a typical day I probably poop around 5 times, sometimes more. And that is with me preemptively taking imodium every morning for the last 10+ years.  There is also no food that seems to constantly trigger it.  Some days I will have water and a banana, and somehow it turns into terrible stomach cramps and diarrhea.  Some days I'll eat a bunch of pizza, or something greasy like mcdonalds and feel perfectly fine.  It seems completely random and not tied to any specific type of food.  My wife occasionally gets it in her head that it is something specific, but her reasoning makes no sense.  "It's gluten! The gluten is causing it!" or "It's the dairy!".  "Then how do you explain me eating an entire large pizza and feeling perfectly fine? That's nothing but gluten, dairy, and grease, and I eat it frequently enough with no problems that it can't possibly be an allergy for me".

Headaches have been a dead end as well.  None of the doctors can actually find anything wrong.  MRI and CT scan are normal.  Blood pressure is controlled. 

I'd love to find an actual answer to the problem, but after dozens and dozens of appointments with various doctors and specialists no one has been able to actually identify the cause of either. 

And you all now know far more about me than you ever wanted to.

That is actually fascinating.  I'm glad you've looked into it to the degree you have.  I get headaches when I'm hungover or haven't eaten in a really long time.  I'd say maybe a few times a year?  Diarrhea is pretty rare now as adult (maybe once a decade?) though I might be using an outdated definition (having a watery stool 3x in 24 hours).  A single episode as a result of eating way too much spicy food I wouldn't count it.  Am normally a 2x a day defecator myself.

I would have no clue about how frequent they are or how many people experience them.  The variability of humans is really something.

Pretty awesome to hear about your responsibility in getting the test.  It's been an inconvenient year in many ways!  I think you usually have to pay, but there is also an antibody test that can tell if you had covid previously (if already recovered completely from a spell).  You might have to wait a few weeks from now but that could give you more information regardless if you test negative for covid tomorrow.

[Dicey]

Have you considered trying a gluten free diet or perhaps an elimination diet to check for food allergies?  Headaches and diarrhea for decades is neither normal nor fun.

Yes, have tried numerous things. Been scoped in both ends, had allergy testing, biopsies, had other testing for various diseases (celiacs, chrohns, etc), eliminated various foods with no success.  The GI specialist I saw many years ago finally threw his hands up and said "there is nothing wrong with you, you just have a lot of diarrhea.  You can take imodium ad to control symptoms, it's safe to take for long term use.  There is nothing else we can test for, and nothing else we can do for you, we've eliminated everything it could possibly be.  As long as it's not causing you significant pain or distress it is fine.  If it is, there is still nothing we can do about, unless it gets more severe then we can discuss effective medicine".   It does cause some pain and distress probably 3-6 times a month and I get stomach cramps and will have to poop a lot in a short window.  Self medicating with marijuana seems to help calm the muscles and reduce the cramps during those bad periods.  The rest of the time I just poop a lot, but without much pain or distress.  By a lot I mean in a typical day I probably poop around 5 times, sometimes more. And that is with me preemptively taking imodium every morning for the last 10+ years.  There is also no food that seems to constantly trigger it.  Some days I will have water and a banana, and somehow it turns into terrible stomach cramps and diarrhea.  Some days I'll eat a bunch of pizza, or something greasy like mcdonalds and feel perfectly fine.  It seems completely random and not tied to any specific type of food.  My wife occasionally gets it in her head that it is something specific, but her reasoning makes no sense.  "It's gluten! The gluten is causing it!" or "It's the dairy!".  "Then how do you explain me eating an entire large pizza and feeling perfectly fine? That's nothing but gluten, dairy, and grease, and I eat it frequently enough with no problems that it can't possibly be an allergy for me".

Headaches have been a dead end as well.  None of the doctors can actually find anything wrong.  MRI and CT scan are normal.  Blood pressure is controlled. 

I'd love to find an actual answer to the problem, but after dozens and dozens of appointments with various doctors and specialists no one has been able to actually identify the cause of either. 

And you all now know far more about me than you ever wanted to.

Wow, what a struggle! Just posting to say I wish you well.

[frugalnacho]

I'm on mobile so not quoting everyone.

The test is free. Your insurance company is required to pay for it. Something like $139.  If you don't have insurance then the federal government pays for it I think. Either way it's free to you whether you have insurance or not. I am in michigan.  I don't think this is the case for every state though.  A google search should lead you to a site to see if your state participates, and locations you can schedule a test.

The people I've been in contact for 15 minutes is just my household and my MIL. I share air with several people in the lab at work as well, even though I don't speak with them for 15+ minutes we still breath the same air from same hvac.  Easy list. 

[frugalnacho]

And I've had a low grade headache every day for...well over a year. I have one right now.  Very annoying. 

[the_fixer]

Yea get the COVID test. Some people seem to experience the disease in waves. Your pain meds might have suppressed the symptoms and you could still be contagious.

If that's not it, you might have had the same weird short-term flu my kid and I had back in early February. Pretty sure it wasn't COVID because there were like 3 known cases in the US at the time, but it involved less than a day of intense pain and suffering with chills and then it was over. First the kid had it for a day, then I got it the next day after the kid was all better. Kid was literally jumping up and down on my head yelling "boingy boingy" and I couldn't muster the energy to move. It would hurt worse to make the kid stop than to just accept the jumping on my head. Don't drag this into your workplace either!

For the long-term problems, go on a very strict elimination diet with detailed journaling and have an immune reaction panel done. It could be your immune system reacts to something unexpected and unusual, like broccoli or tea. Usual suspects are gluten, corn, soy, seafood, nuts, dairy, etc. and they will f*** you up in mysterious ways.

The symptoms have been gone for 4 days.  I woke up from a nap around 430PM, and descended into hell, and then was feeling fine playing xbox and eating a box of mac n cheese by 10PM. 

I have ruled out nearly all the usual items causing issues because the issue seems sporadic.  I have ruled them out when I've eaten them and not gotten sick.  Sometimes if I eat a bunch of pizza I will feel sick, but if I had some type of allergy or problem with a specific item I would expect it every time, so the fact that I can sometimes eat an entire pizza and feel perfectly fine rules out gluten and dairy in my mind.  Likewise for nearly every other food I eat.  Unless whatever is causing it only gives me that reaction some of time I eat and not others, but if that's the case I don't see how I could ever narrow it down to one specific item if that item is not consistently causing the issue.  There are also times when I won't eat anything different than what I have been eating for days, and suddenly get an episode.  Like I'll eat some food that I know doesn't get me sick, then the next morning I'll eat a banana and BAM stomach cramps and diarrhea.  But that food I ate never triggered it before.  And I eat a banana every day and it almost never triggers that, so I assume it's just coincidental timing. 

There has been a lot of discussion with GI drs, and tracking of food, and nothing has been identified.   And sometimes an episode will just happen with food I know doesn't trigger it.  It is strange, and almost seems unrelated to the food.

Have you tried taking acidophilus or a good quality probiotic?

I had similar issues for years, tried everything I could to figure out what was going on including elimination diets, had my gall bladder tested and nothing really helped or pointed to what it could be.

After taking acidophilus for a month or so things turned around for me and life is pretty good now. When it was recommended I pretty much rolled my eyes and discounted the advice but it worked.

The first week or so it jacked with my system but after that it was a huge change to where I eat and do everything I want just as normal. And normal is a great thing when you have been living the way you are I understand how it is.


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[frugalnacho]

I have not tried that specifically.  I tried a few different probiotics at different time with no success and abandoned them. 

[the_fixer]

I have not tried that specifically.  I tried a few different probiotics at different time with no success and abandoned them.

Might be worth trying it for a month.


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[20957]

My daughter had a fever and chills a few weeks ago, she was fine in the morning, sick in the afternoon and evening, tired in the morning, and fine again by the next afternoon. She had a rapid covid test that evening and a pcr test that came back a few days later. Both negative. There are still other random viruses around, that's the only thing her doctor could come up with. Maybe that's true for you too? I hope your test is negative.

[Daley]

I have not tried that specifically.  I tried a few different probiotics at different time with no success and abandoned them.

Might be worth trying it for a month.

Listen to this man's advice, and maybe consider taking a glass of psyllium with every meal, too, to try and slow things down. I learned the hard way that 30 days is kind of a necessity along with consistency with any gut tinkering, probiotics and prebiotics included. Before my celiac diagnosis, I'd half-assed tried going gluten free for a couple weeks and experienced no changes. It wasn't until I actually went hard-line, life-and-death, foodstuffs actually certified gluten free for a solid month that I experienced any significant changes, and those changes were so rapid and immediate that it was almost like a switch got flipped when it happened... but it still took a month to get there. Stuff takes time to heal and adjust to changes in the microbiome, because it's the one part of your body that never really gets a break.

Fasting can help speed that healing time up a bit by giving your gut a rest and potentially starving out some of the more pathogenic gut critters like candida that can run amok and throw things out of balance, but you have to be prepared and able to actually go the distance with a couple hard 72+ hour fasts, and it's still not a magic shortcut. After a hard reset like that, though, shorter 24 hour fasts can be more effective at doing similar if things start going hinky again.

[tygertygertyger]

Have you considered trying a gluten free diet or perhaps an elimination diet to check for food allergies?  Headaches and diarrhea for decades is neither normal nor fun.

Yes, have tried numerous things. Been scoped in both ends, had allergy testing, biopsies, had other testing for various diseases (celiacs, chrohns, etc), eliminated various foods with no success.  The GI specialist I saw many years ago finally threw his hands up and said "there is nothing wrong with you, you just have a lot of diarrhea.  You can take imodium ad to control symptoms, it's safe to take for long term use.  There is nothing else we can test for, and nothing else we can do for you, we've eliminated everything it could possibly be.  As long as it's not causing you significant pain or distress it is fine.  If it is, there is still nothing we can do about, unless it gets more severe then we can discuss effective medicine".   It does cause some pain and distress probably 3-6 times a month and I get stomach cramps and will have to poop a lot in a short window.  Self medicating with marijuana seems to help calm the muscles and reduce the cramps during those bad periods.  The rest of the time I just poop a lot, but without much pain or distress.  By a lot I mean in a typical day I probably poop around 5 times, sometimes more. And that is with me preemptively taking imodium every morning for the last 10+ years.  There is also no food that seems to constantly trigger it.  Some days I will have water and a banana, and somehow it turns into terrible stomach cramps and diarrhea.  Some days I'll eat a bunch of pizza, or something greasy like mcdonalds and feel perfectly fine.  It seems completely random and not tied to any specific type of food.  My wife occasionally gets it in her head that it is something specific, but her reasoning makes no sense.  "It's gluten! The gluten is causing it!" or "It's the dairy!".  "Then how do you explain me eating an entire large pizza and feeling perfectly fine? That's nothing but gluten, dairy, and grease, and I eat it frequently enough with no problems that it can't possibly be an allergy for me".

Headaches have been a dead end as well.  None of the doctors can actually find anything wrong.  MRI and CT scan are normal.  Blood pressure is controlled. 

I'd love to find an actual answer to the problem, but after dozens and dozens of appointments with various doctors and specialists no one has been able to actually identify the cause of either. 

And you all now know far more about me than you ever wanted to.

A friend of mine has had digestion issues and pain for years also. Recently after LOTS and lots of tests, which have been somewhat inconclusive, his doctor suggested seeing a hypnotist. It seems the idea is that he has a lot of anxiety, and his body is permanently in fight-or-flight mode, which directs resources away from properly digesting food. He's seen the hypnotist a few times now. He didn't notice a benefit from the first session or two, but now says he's starting to feel better. We will see if he continues to notice improvement. (Also, the hypnotism seems more like a guided meditation than actually going under...) Quite random, but thought I'd throw that in here.

[G-dog]

I have had intense reactions to additives a couple of times. Once was to a Mike’s Hard Lemonade (or other flavor).  It was horrible, but over quickly.  I suspect it was sulfites, but could have been a dye or artificial flavoring.  I never tried testing things to figure it out.  This happening quickly enough after drinking, that I am pretty sure it was the trigger.

I had a recent episode with no obvious trigger.  Again very intense, but over quickly.

[mozar]

I have gotten the flu like this a couple times, intense symptoms for a few hours then it's all over. I'm surprised no one has has recommended this, have you gotten a flu shot?

For decades I had doctors tell me there is nothing wrong with me. I went gluten free to alleviate my fatigue. Gluten builds up in your system so it takes awhile to leave.

For your IBS and headaches I recommend drinking fresh celery juice every day. People also call it "juicing."
Movie about juicing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1z5WjjVL5c

If you're eating pizza and boxes of macaroni with any regularity your diet is very poor. It's hard to understand because it's the stereotypical american diet (s.a.d.), but you will feel so much better in the long term if you stop eating that stuff.

I have a sensitivity to phyto-estrogen (typically found in soy). It took me 6 months to  eliminate every single phyto-estrogen in my life. Even sunflower seeds and, as i sadly found out, donuts have them too. In my day to day life I don't feel magically better, but if I do accidently eat something I shouldn't, boy do I suffer.

[SunnyDays]

My guess is that your recent symptoms are likely a flu bug.  It can come on very quickly, so why can't it end quickly too?  But still treat it as though it might be Covid and do all the recommended things for that.  And just because you and everyone at work wears a mask, doesn't mean you can't catch something, it just reduces your risk.

As for your long-term symptoms, I would suggest pro-biotics too.  The "bad" bacteria can cause diarrhea and they also produce toxins which can cause headaches.  Do you have any history of antibiotic use?  I actually got C. Difficile from them, which was spectacularly nasty.  I ended up needing mega doses of probiotics to overcome it.  So if I were you, I would try them again for several months.  I used Natural Factors Acidophilus and Bifidus Double Strength (10 billion cells) 4 times a day.  You can also get it at 55 billion cells now so you only need one a day.  Cheap enough and does no harm.

[Sibley]

FWIW, a friend of mine tested positive for Covid over the summer, and what he reported wasn't all that dissimilar from what you did. I've also had various fast moving viruses over the years. Not everything is 5 days of misery, there are things that are simply 5 hours of misery.

[SimpleCycle]

I hope your COVID test comes back negative.  You did the responsible thing in getting it.

Has the GI ever suggested a low FODMAP diet?  I had very similar digestive symptoms for years and it turns out I am sensitive to multiple FODMAPs, which was why it was so hard to see the food/symptoms connection since FODMAPs are in lots of different foods.  FODMAPs are just types of carbohydrates found in food.  For me, I can handle a certain amount of them but too much overruns my ability to digest them.  Lactose and fructans (found in wheat, onions, garlic, and bananas) are my big triggers.

The full low FODMAP diet is difficult to follow, but the great thing is you’ll see results in two weeks if it’s going to help.  Seems like it’s be worth a try for a couple weeks.  This guide is from the university where the diet was developed. https://www.monashfodmap.com/ibs-central/i-have-ibs/starting-the-low-fodmap-diet/  Happy to provide more info/discussion if you are interested.

[Dicey]

My guess is that your recent symptoms are likely a flu bug.  It can come on very quickly, so why can't it end quickly too?  But still treat it as though it might be Covid and do all the recommended things for that.  And just because you and everyone at work wears a mask, doesn't mean you can't catch something, it just reduces your risk.

As for your long-term symptoms, I would suggest pro-biotics too.  The "bad" bacteria can cause diarrhea and they also produce toxins which can cause headaches.  Do you have any history of antibiotic use?  I actually got C. Difficile from them, which was spectacularly nasty.  I ended up needing mega doses of probiotics to overcome it.  So if I were you, I would try them again for several months.  I used Natural Factors Acidophilus and Bifidus Double Strength (10 billion cells) 4 times a day.  You can also get it at 55 billion cells now so you only need one a day.  Cheap enough and does no harm.

C-diff crossed my mind, too. MIL acquired it after being treated in hospital with strong antibiotics for a UTI. She has been using Lactinex with good results. It's non-prescription, but must be kept refrigerated, so it has to be special ordered at the pharmacy. CVS seems to have the best price. Oddly, they quote you one price, but it rings up almost 50% lower when you pay for it.  We do not have any affinity membership with CVS, but it happened again just yesterday.

Frugal Nacho, it sounds like you really have done exhaustive research, but maybe, just maybe, someone else's experience will provide a valuable clue for your situation. Perhaps that intense five hours will prove to be a blessing in disguise. I hope so.

[achvfi]

A remedy to try for long term conditions is to reduce or stop sugar intake and lower carbs and not snacking between meals.

Just having good long gap in between meals can help improve your gut health and nutrient absorption. Which can affect your body in so many unimaginable ways. Good luck!

[PMG]

Yea get the COVID test. Some people seem to experience the disease in waves. Your pain meds might have suppressed the symptoms and you could still be contagious.

If that's not it, you might have had the same weird short-term flu my kid and I had back in early February. Pretty sure it wasn't COVID because there were like 3 known cases in the US at the time, but it involved less than a day of intense pain and suffering with chills and then it was over. First the kid had it for a day, then I got it the next day after the kid was all better. Kid was literally jumping up and down on my head yelling "boingy boingy" and I couldn't muster the energy to move. It would hurt worse to make the kid stop than to just accept the jumping on my head. Don't drag this into your workplace either!

This post and the OP's sound a lot like what my spouse experienced in February.  He was miserably sick from about 11 pm to 4 am.  Woke up at 8 am tired by feeling fine and went for his regular run.  But those late night hours were awful and terrifying. I think he threw up, can't remember now.  He was so cold.  Couldn't get warm.  Elevated temp but not quite a fever. Everything hurt. Struggling and pain to breath.  In retrospect I should have taken him to the ER but I had taken a sleeping pill and was struggling to make decisions!  I got him counting which kept him calm and breathing rhythmically and eventually he slept.  I made him go to the DR in the am where he tested negative for flu twice. 

We've been suspicious that he might have had covid, but it doesn't quite fit the symptoms I've seen listed.  He wasn't around many people then either and we live rurally, covid wasn't actually diagnosed here until end of April, though we do know a few people who tested positive for antibodies early on and tied that to illness they had in late December and January, so we are sure it was here before it was officially.

I'll be interested to hear the OPs test results.  Hoping for the best!

[wenchsenior]

I hope your COVID test comes back negative.  You did the responsible thing in getting it.

Has the GI ever suggested a low FODMAP diet?  I had very similar digestive symptoms for years and it turns out I am sensitive to multiple FODMAPs, which was why it was so hard to see the food/symptoms connection since FODMAPs are in lots of different foods.  FODMAPs are just types of carbohydrates found in food.  For me, I can handle a certain amount of them but too much overruns my ability to digest them.  Lactose and fructans (found in wheat, onions, garlic, and bananas) are my big triggers.

The full low FODMAP diet is difficult to follow, but the great thing is you’ll see results in two weeks if it’s going to help.  Seems like it’s be worth a try for a couple weeks.  This guide is from the university where the diet was developed. https://www.monashfodmap.com/ibs-central/i-have-ibs/starting-the-low-fodmap-diet/  Happy to provide more info/discussion if you are interested.

Yup, this is a standard diet rec for IBS.  Even my husband, who normally has a very stable digestive system, will occasionally be struck with diarrhea entirely due the large amount of fruit he has a tendency to consume. Add any dairy (like a fruit smoothie), and even he will get the runs.  I don't dare go anywhere near a fruit smoothie, though I can handle small amounts of fruit and dairy at a time.

[the_fixer]

I hope your COVID test comes back negative.  You did the responsible thing in getting it.

Has the GI ever suggested a low FODMAP diet?  I had very similar digestive symptoms for years and it turns out I am sensitive to multiple FODMAPs, which was why it was so hard to see the food/symptoms connection since FODMAPs are in lots of different foods.  FODMAPs are just types of carbohydrates found in food.  For me, I can handle a certain amount of them but too much overruns my ability to digest them.  Lactose and fructans (found in wheat, onions, garlic, and bananas) are my big triggers.

The full low FODMAP diet is difficult to follow, but the great thing is you’ll see results in two weeks if it’s going to help.  Seems like it’s be worth a try for a couple weeks.  This guide is from the university where the diet was developed. https://www.monashfodmap.com/ibs-central/i-have-ibs/starting-the-low-fodmap-diet/  Happy to provide more info/discussion if you are interested.

Yup, this is a standard diet rec for IBS.  Even my husband, who normally has a very stable digestive system, will occasionally be struck with diarrhea entirely due the large amount of fruit he has a tendency to consume. Add any dairy (like a fruit smoothie), and even he will get the runs.  I don't dare go anywhere near a fruit smoothie, though I can handle small amounts of fruit and dairy at a time.

One time I drank all of the milk and ate all of the flesh from an entire large coconut. As much as I love Coconut I will never do that again :)

Then there was that time as a kid we bought a Gallon of orange juice and it was so good I drank the entire thing on the way home from the grocery store. My grandma kept warning me to stop and I soon found out why...

Or that time that I found a chocolate bar in my grandma’s pantry and ate almost all of it before she came in and took it away from me.... turns out it was ex-lax

Ahhhh and the fresh bag of black cherries that I gorged myself on that summer.


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[frugalnacho]

I just got notice that someone in the same lab as me got a confirmed positive test yesterday. 

[ToTheMoon]

Oh dear.

When do you expect to receive your test results?

[ToTheMoon]

And I know you are probably freaked out right now.

Very good friends of ours went through this last week. They were very careful, but he got sick and tested positive. Luckily his wife (who had been sleeping right next to him and was home while he worked from home) tested negative, as did the kids. They are now all in isolation - he in the basement and his wife and kids on the main floor.

Crazy times.

I really hope that your test comes back negative, but if it does not, please do not take on the guilt that you have affected your whole family. Just get them booked in for tests asap!

[Dicey]

Oh, shit! Please keep us posted.

[rosarugosa]

Another IBS person here.  I definitely found that certain foods are triggers for me, but onions are the worst, and I avoid them like a vampire avoids garlic (another trigger, but not quite as bad, the whole allium family is best avoided).  It was a relief to read that onions are known to be one of the worst offenders for IBS and that I'm not just a crazy person.  But they are everywhere! You really need to read the fine print on prepared foods, salad dressings, tomato sauces, etc. etc.
Wishing you the best with both the short term and longer term health issues.

[RetiredAt63]

Another IBS person here.  I definitely found that certain foods are triggers for me, but onions are the worst, and I avoid them like a vampire avoids garlic (another trigger, but not quite as bad, the whole allium family is best avoided).  It was a relief to read that onions are known to be one of the worst offenders for IBS and that I'm not just a crazy person.  But they are everywhere! You really need to read the fine print on prepared foods, salad dressings, tomato sauces, etc. etc.
Wishing you the best with both the short term and longer term health issues.

I'm also IBS (not an official diagnosis).  Giving up coffee helped.  Many years ago I cut way back on carbs to control potential high blood sugar.  I've been using Sucralose for drinks instead, but am now on a 5 week trial without it.  Its a challenge, I've cut way back on tea and am substituting herbal teas instead.  When I was young I could eat anything.  I want my 20 year old body back.

If I have to give up onions and garlic I may just stop eating.  Life without them would be like life without chocolate.