Seeking a little reassurance (yes, I know!)

[emlica]

I know seeking reassurance isn't the way to go with HA, but I know some people on here will have had similar experiences so would be grateful to hear from them!

I've been having digestive issues since having a stomach bug at the end of June/start of July. Things *have* been improving, and I'd had 10 days - 2 weeks of thinking it was nearly back to normal. Even my period showing up didn't seem to have had its usual unpleasant effects. But then 4/5 days into my period, things seem to have gone downhill again. I can't identify anything I've done differently apart from taking painkillers (paracetamol and codeine) for my period pain - took the last of those on Monday. In my experience codeine usually causes a bit of constipation for a couple of days afterwards, and I'm guessing this might all be related. Previously my main dodgy digestive symptoms were mainly loose stools in the morning, and they'd really 'solidified' (sorry TMI) in the last 10 days or so, which was great. The last couple of days, I've had smaller (still fairly solid but a bit softer than previously) BMs in the morning, but have then had multiple episodes of quite bad gas and small BMs (again, fairly solid, though not really hard like rabbit droppings!) right up until a couple of hours after lunch, when things ease off a bit.

Might this be the effect of the codeine combined with a gut that hadn't completely recovered? Or - for those of you who've suffered longer term irritation after a bug, or post-infectious IBS, or whatever you want to call it - does this just sound like a pretty standard couple of 'off' days, just part of the normal course of getting better? As I said, I had close to 2 weeks with pretty good BMs, and to be honest, a week before that where there were definite signs that things were on the up, especially when I wasn't stressed about it (yes, I know - and now I am again, so it's not going to get immediately better again, right? :().

I know I need to try not to worry - easier said than done - so I've done the only thing that I know helps: I've made a phone appointment with my doctor (who I've seen several times since having the bug, she knows about my anxiety, and she's great), so that I can describe the symptoms I've been having and she can hopefully reassure me that it's just an episode of my guts being over sensitive for whatever reason and it'll be OK again soon. I bloody hope so anyway!

[vicky23]

hi, I liked and related to your (I know, I know) statements about seeking reassurance lol As much as we're not meant to ask for reassurance sometimes you just have to and that's ok I think I mean we're only human afterall and anxiety recovery is a journey.
Anyway, it could certainly be the codeine making you constipated and that would be causing the bad gas too. I've had IBS for years and for reasons that I sometimes can put my finger on sometimes not I have off days :/ So just take care of yourself do what you need to do that you've found helps in the past and wait for it to pass
Hope you're better soon
X

[emlica]

Thank you! I appreciate that Unfortunately I've had a bit of a dodgy morning again today, back to slightly loose BMs in the morning, ho hum. But yes, I have heard from other people with IBS that you just have bad patches and they do pass, so I guess it makes more sense to assume that's what this is, rather than a sign that things are going to go backwards, which is what I'm most worried about!! I don't even know if you could call what I have IBS - doc says it's that the stomach bug I had has upset things, and she has mentioned 'a little bit of IBS', which is apparently quite commonly triggered by a stomach bug. Plus I've also read that there's a really strong link between stress/anxiety levels and gut function, and unfortunately I have been very anxious on and off about what my guts are up to for quite some time - in fact, my 2 weeks of improvement really started with going on holiday, so I would presume relaxation helps! I also think my hormones play a role in some way as well, so ups and downs are to be expected on that basis, eh??