Can mono cause IBS or symptoms of it?

Posted , 7 users are following.

The last few days have been pretty rough between being so exhausted and weak I can barely walk sometimes to not being able to eat much because of dry mouth and nausea, but now I'm also experiencing symptoms of IBS and was wondering if anyone else has had this trouble. I've been having stomach cramps (mostly in the morning), some days I'll be constipated and other times I'll feel like I have to go even after I just went. I haven't been able to find anyone else with this problem so far with mono which is why I can't figure out if mono can cause this or if it's because of eating less or something else entirely.

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9 Replies

  • Posted

    Yes I have been sick to my stomach with IBS on and off for 9 months. I didn’t have this problem before this dam virus so I’d say yes it’s from Epstein Barr Virus. For me it’s bad every morning and goes away a few hours after I get going. Also my stomach is always rumbling and turning. But I will say it’s way better than it used to be along with the rest of the horrible symptoms this crazy virus brings. 
  • Posted

    Hi Alle. Yes yes for sure. From what I understand the virus can cause you to become temporary intolerant of things. Mine is eggs, wheat, milk and chicken at this stage. Think its because i was eating alot of these whilst really ill. 2 days after excluding these my ibs stopped. Only real way to know was my natural doctor did a blood test and the reaction markers came back off the charts. Been off these since may and haven’t had anymore ibs issues since. Everyone is different but if you can get a full intolerance blood test done it’s definitely worth it. Hope it clears up for you soon. Sending hugs
  • Posted

    Hi Alle,

    Oh goodness what an awful time you have been going through, please do hang in there and give yourself plenty of rest and recovery time right now, even if it means taking some time out from normal activities and routine, frustrating as it is. 

    I do hope these stomach symptoms and dry mouth and nausea settle down soon. I do agree with Dodge and Sweebee that these kind of things can certainly occur with mono, I have learned that nothing seems to be off the limit with this virus. Dry mouth is common with viruses for sure. Even if not able to eat as much right now if you could take some vitamins / supplements that might help boost you a bit. Something like peppermint can be a very good to settle the stomach, and definitely a probiotic tablet each day (or alternatively maybe eating a yoghurt or two each day which is full of probiotics) can make a big difference too I think. 

    Remember all this will pass Alle, you're in the worst phase right now and things do get better with time. I know it's horrible to deal with and cope with but be assured that these symptoms do sound consistent of mono, but of course it's always wise to check in with the doc and even ask for routine blood tests just to keep monitoring things, and hopefully they can offer some reassurance and give you some peace of mind. 

    Hang in there Alle, you ARE going to get better from this - it's a horrible virus but it doesn't last forever (I know it feels that way when going through it though). Just cope with a day at a time and be kind to yourself, remove stress as much as possible and drink plenty of water / fluids too especially if not feeling like eating much (but do try to eat a good diet if you can). 

    Craig

    • Posted

      Sorry David I meant to say in the last message agree with David and Sweebee not Dodge and Sweebee! My brain obviously wasn't working right when I wrote it!!! Hope you are doing well David. Craig

  • Posted

    Hey Alle- yep. I’ve had similar. It usually comes in waves for me. The IBS flares hit every two weeks or so.  I just started taking probiotics again a few weeks ago and it’s helped tremendously. The nausea is gone and intensional problems. I also suffered from gastritis right after getting mono and I take two tablets of DGL every morning and it totally helps. I’m on month 15 and yes it’s still a battle. Hang in there! I highly recommend a good probiotic that is refrigerated. 
    • Posted

      Hi Lisa,

      Goodness I hope that the horrible IBS you have been experiencing settles down, glad that the probiotics have been helping - they have helped me too. Is it best to keep them in the fridge? That's not something I'd heard before but always good to know if that's the case! 

      Hang in there Lisa, still believing you're going to get through this and that the worst of this is by and that over time your body resilience and strength is going to return. Thinking about you and sending healing hugs and best wishes smile

      Craig

    • Posted

      hi Craig! So good to hear from you! As always thank you for your encouraging words. Yes still battling – constantly in a sort of recovery and then relapse cycle. Still doing testing still trying to figure out what exactly is going on. I’m going to do another lyme test because my last couple were inconclusive. As far as the probiotics go- I was told that the best ones are the refrigerated ones because they keep the bacteria alive. So I didn’t want to take any chances and I order mine from Amazon and they come on ice!

      Really hoping that you are feeling a bit better and have some relief this week. I know how much you’ve been battling as well. Sending all my healing thoughts and hugs!

    • Posted

      Hey Lisa,

      Good to hear from you and thanks for the tips about the probiotics. I have them sitting in my room at the moment so maybe will transfer then to the fridge!

      Thanks so much for your encouraging words too Lisa means a lot! All the people on the forum here are just the best, such kind and supportive people - one day I hope God will bring us together to say thanks and keep encouraging each other, even if that's not until Heaven!

      Oh goodness you must be so weary Lisa everything that's been going on. It's so hard to go through that when you feel a bit better and getting hopes up and then it relapses a bit, it's a tiring cycle it really is. Thinking about you still, and I'm still believing that this is your year of recovery and that God is going to pull you through this. Hoping that the blood tests can put your mind at rest and offer some reassurance - remember this absolutely all could still be from the mono it is good at tricking your mind into thinking it's other things because it can be so intense and severe - but you're doing the right thing getting other tests done and really hope they can give a clear picture of what's going on and that is can give hope and encouragement. I for one still believe you are going to fully recover Lisa and that this up and down phase at the moment is the final throws of this thing before it's tossed out by your immune system once and for all.

      Hang in there and thanks for all your kind words - means a lot as always as been quite up and down myself lately - still keeping you in my prayers Lisa.

      Craig

    • Posted

      Just a quick one for everyone - three encouraging Bible verses that God has pointed me to recently, words to hold onto in moments of doubt and worry and fear (they have helped me a lot lately):

      "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done."

      "God can restore what is broken and change it into something that is amazing. All you need is faith."

      "If you want to know what God wants you to do, ask him, and he will gladly tell you, for he is always ready to give a bountiful supply of wisdom to all who ask him; he will not resent it."

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