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I suffered a bout of e-coli food poisoning two years ago...

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Guest
Guest

I suffered a bout of e-coli food poisoning two years ago..apart from the awful vomiting and other effects, my stomach became so swollen I was unable to fit into my usual clothes. My stomach remained like this for EIGHT weeks. After several trips to the doctors I was told that my intestines were 'traumatised' by the infection which was why they had swollen up. I suffered excruciating pain and uncomfortableness for three months in total. Ever since then I have had IBS. I am firmly convinced that my gut has become more sensitive and reacts accordingly to food that doesnt like me. I am sitting here now, at work, with my skirt button undone and my swollen stomach causing me immense pain..all because I had a bowl of porridge for breakfast. So another food to add to my list of 'Foods to Avoid'. The other side effect of IBS is the urgency to rush to the loo..which is so embarrasing whilst at work or out socially. When I think about it, my mum had exactly the same problems as me, and I often used to snigger when she said 'I like beetroot (for example) but it doesnt like me'. I am now that woman. My list includes white bread, pears, apples, any kind of root vegetables, porridge(!), muesli, pasta, cereal bars,cucumber, lettuce, tomatoes, it goes on and on. Im 40 now and so have had this for two years (was diagnosed after my e-coli episode). The tablets from the doctor don't really do anything, and in desperation, I have been known to have a huge slug of brandy. I so wish I could do something to stop this but until then, I will carry on glugging the brandy:cheers:

[i:0c5b95e73f]This message was automatically imported from the original Patient Experience[/i:0c5b95e73f]

0 likes, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • Guest
    Guest

    Posted

    Hello,

    I read with interest and thought I had to tell you about the soluble fibre tips I have tried since reading it on a website. Before every meal I have a banan, pasta, rice, potatoes or something else bland that will make a slimy sbstance if dissolved in water, this helps sooth my digestive tract. I have found this helps me eat problem foods like bran etc that I previously couldn't eat. Give it a try and let me know how you get on, also try soya milk with the porridge smile:lol:

    [i:47a4f8e420]This message was automatically imported from the original Patient Experience[/i:47a4f8e420]

  • Pluckyfilly
    Pluckyfilly

    Posted

    I have had Campylobacter and have been so ill its almost unbelievable, any food I eat is like poison to me

    and your post has been most interesting, I have not been sick but I did have diarrohea I have seen my Dr

    many times and had blood tests also a stool test twice since the first diagnosis and now clear of infection

    but 10 minutes after eating I get so hot my head goes tight and I get a headache I seem to lose strength in

    my limbs I get palpitations and my ears scream at me, my chest goes really tight, I am asthmatic and diabetic also have primary billary cirrhosis and I am female 75 years of age, I have found all of this very scary and

    believe I should have been in hospital but when this was suggested the reply was definitely not! They do ask

    if I have any pain but apart from this nothing much has happened. I can't keep on like this, I phoned the consultant that looks after mynliver

  • Pluckyfilly
    Pluckyfilly

    Posted

    I will add for anybody interested, the consultant said because I have this liver problem the bacteria will affect me twice as much as the average person and could take two months and maybe longer before I feel better. I have been getting mild chest pain and did have a monitor fitted for 24 hours but have to wait 10 days for the

    Result, I have never had a heart problem until all of this came about. I am a bet up and go person but my day doesn't start before 10.30/11 as I am shaky on my feet and in fact when I get these turns I feel I am shaking

    internally, I am not living I am existing. Thanks for posting your health matter it has helped me enormously all my Dr says is something is going on but we do not know what!!!

  • caro13
    caro13

    Posted

    Anyone like the top - oldest - post suffering gastro upsets like this should request a test for Coeliac disease by their GP. Gluten, which is in wheat flour, barley and rye is contained in so many foods that it can be this which is actually causing you to be ill....it is in gravy powders and sauces and many items are contaminated by wheat flour - porridge oats being a good example. It seems unbelievable to start with but once diagnosed officially you will be helped by www.Coeliac.org.uk - check this website for more information. Coeliacs are often anaemic and suffering from fatigue, joint pains, bloating etc before diagnosis....it is an auto-immune condition and can lead to very serious health problems if not medically diagnosed. It is also hereditary! Most people diagnosed with IBS are in fact Coeliacs! Insist on a test now - but you must continue eatng bread, pasta and other wheat flour containing foods for a month beforehand in order to get an accurate result. Make an appointment asap! After diagnosis you can get gluten free bread, flour and pasta on prescription. Believe me, the change is diet is life-changing! It is not a fad diet - it is the only treatment for a serious condition.
  • Bhealthy1
    Bhealthy1 Guest

    Posted

    Campylobacter infection - PLEASE CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR OR PHARMACIST ABOUT ANY MEDICINE AND PROBIOTICS MENTIONED BELOW, THEY MIGHT BE NOT SUITABLE FOR EVERYONE. 

    I would like to share my experience with campylobacter infection (food poisoning, usually from raw meat or poultry) I had last month from one of the take away places. It started off with sudden stomach pains and diarrhoea (light or green colour). Doctors could not figure out what it was and took 3 visits to GP and finally getting some tests done (which took long time too cause they have lost them!), so from my first visit on 13th of June I got my antibiotics erythromycin for campylobacter infection on 21st of July! Meantime I had suffered real bad reaction to most foods, i.e. Diarrhoea each day several times, stomach pains about half an hour after food, felt very weak cause I knew I wasn't digesting food very well nor did the water stay in my body. Took about week and a half off work (week with a sick note). Usually it lasts 2-5 days but the period of my sickness was 7-8 weeks. During the whole time I was taking Lansoprazole in the mornings as it appeared I had gastritis superfitsialis chronica with it as well (had to do endoscopy for this).... Then no-spa ('mebeverine' in UK, after food to relax my muscles. I also made sure I took acidophilus probiotic - 1 a day, every day ( got from Holland and Barrett and I have to say, it did help me big time), I think It helped with restoring or not damaging too much of my insides during this infection. Eventually I found out that Saccharomyces Boulardii probiotic helps especially well during diarrhoea, I found a packet in Holland Barrett called Bioglan Serious Help One-A-Day Biotic Balance Ultimate Flora (20 billion live bacteria which has both probiotics together), so I've switched to this probiotic only at the moment. However, if you are immunocompromised - do not take S.Boulardii probiotic, it could be very dangerous or even fatal!!! On the first day of erythromycin I felt much better, diarrhoea stopped instantly, but it did come back every 2 days for about a week and a half. I had to be very strict with what I ate: oats in the morning with blueberrys, cinnamon and honey, then banana about 10 am, something steamed for lunch and supper. I ate 4 times a day before the antibiotics, as they damage the stomach lining too. I made sure there was 3 hour gap between antibiotic and probiotic for both of them to actually work ( I usually took probiotic before bed so it would work over night). I did not drink any coffee or tea, had only water or camomile or peppermint tea during the whole time. Campylobacter made me also lactose intolerant (which I found out after eating ice cream on a very hot summer day.... Not a pleasant surprise), so I had only lactose free milk and yogurts for about three weeks, but i am back to normal now. I also took some multivitamins as diarrhoea flushes a lot of nutrition from your body. I made sure I went for even little walks on fresh air in the evenings as erythromycin doesn't agree with the sun or artificial UV rays very much. I also tried to have a siesta every day when I was off sick at home - you recover better in the sleep. So this is how I fought campylobacter infection.... I hope this might help some of you to fight it. Also please look out for any muscle aches or respiratory problems - ring your doctor straight away if you get them - these could be dangerous rare side effects. And please try not to cook for others for about 3 weeks after healing and stay away from pregnant women and anyone with weak immune system, as it takes 2-3 weeks to completely get rid of campylobacter. Best of luck

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