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Covid Recovery: How can I manage GI issues?
Post-COVID Recovery & COVID-19 | Last Active: Sep 20 11:09am | Replies (260)Comment receiving replies
I got COVID back in February of 2020, before there were means to test. Since then, I have experienced a myriad of long-term issues. Most prominently, I've had breathing issues - chronic shortness of breath and chronic fatigue to the point of using my rescue inhaler multiple times a day, every day.
However, in the fall of 2021, I started having significant GI issues. I was bloated pretty much constantly, had diarrhea multiple times a day, and had indigestion to the point of tears on a weekly basis. At the urging of my doctor, I did the Low FODMAP diet to try and determine what was wrong with me. As a result, I found out that gluten was making me super sick. Now I'm not able to eat gluten.
It's very strange and not something I ever had an issue with before. Has anyone else experienced this?
Replies to "I got COVID back in February of 2020, before there were means to test. Since then,..."
Hi there,
I have had covid twice and my first case in October 2021 was not respiratory, but instead impacted my GI system and I developed a rash on my body, inside my mouth and in my throat. I also experienced heightened nerve sensitivity all over my body. I haven't been the same since. Prior to this, I had had some issues with my digestive system, brain fog, etc.... and through the elimination diet, I discovered a sensitivity to gluten and also lactose. Once I removed those, my body healed.... covid initiated something in me though and those, as well as many other problems arose and I'm still dealing with them. Along with severe gastrointestinal problems, I struggle with fatigue and at times particularly if my stress levels are higher, I experience numbness and tingling along the left side of my face, in my left shoulder, and down my left arm. I also have twitching in my left hand. I have seen an allergist who suggested a low fodmap diet and I'm now seeing a GI specialist. They just did an endoscopy and colonoscopy and detected thinning of my stomach. They took biopsies and they're considering if covid may have caused me to develop a stomach autoimmune disorder. Even with the diet changes, I have at least 2 days each week with stomach pain and diarrhea and sometimes more. I am now really allergic to tomatoes so I've eliminated those. They caused itching all over my body, followed by a migraine and then stomach cramps and diarrhea. I have been dealing with these issues for 2 years now and while I would love to say I'm getting better, I honestly think it's gotten worse. I'm hoping to discover answers soon and hopefully be on a path to healing.
I hope you have been able to recover and are feeling much better.
Be well!
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@jlsn1016, welcome. You'll notice that I moved your question about long COVID, GI and gluten tolerance issues to this existing discussion:
- Covid Recovery: How can I manage GI issues? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/covid-recovery-and-gi-pain/
I did this so you can easily connect with fellow members @liz58 @sieb369 @greg1234 @ineedanswers38 @jocelyneg @dorchesterboy @sunshinestateofmind who are also experiencing GI issues with long COVID.
jlsn, you mention the FODMAP diet. For anyone not familiar with FODMAP, here's a blog post about it.
- What exactly is the FODMAP diet? Dr. Wang explains https://connect.mayoclinic.org/blog/gastroenterology-and-gi-surgery/newsfeed-post/what-exactly-is-the-fodmap-diet-dr-wang-explains/
Has anyone else found their GI issues related to gluten or symptoms reduce when eating less gluten or eliminating it?
jlsn, luckily it is increasingly easy to avoid gluten these days. Have you found it a challenge to give up?