Covid Recovery: How can I manage GI issues?

Posted by sieb369 @sieb369, Jan 3, 2022

It has been 5 weeks since my COVID symptoms began. I am well past the isolation date. I had nausea and diarrhea during COVID along with the usual symptoms of cough, fatigue, rapid heartbeat and sinus issues. I have felt like I was over this, but I began having GI pain in the last week. I feel as if my intestines are sore on the inside. I guess it is inflammation. Has anyone else had this and is there anything I can do to help it? Probiotics maybe?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Post-COVID Recovery & COVID-19 Support Group.

Profile picture for starpedtx @starpedtx

Same, but mine have been going on for 2 years. Dr thought it was Appendix, removed May 2020. No relief. Removed Gal Bladder Jan 2021. No relief.

The only relief I can find it a strain of marijuana that keeps the nausea at bay.

It is so weird. It is like sometimes I am hungry, but my body is revolted by the thought of food. I have pains in my upper left abdomen. If I do not have 4 to 8 bowels movements per day, it is none for 4 to 5 days.

I AM MISERABLE

Jump to this post

I am so sorry. I had Covid nearly 3 years ago and have been totally disabled since, mostly GI issues and for two years I went to a ton of doctors and had every GI test possible, nothing. I take really good digestive enzymes, lot's of pre- and probiotics, nutritional drinks since I can't eat and lost 30 pounds. NO sugar, that is for sure. For the ever so painful abdominal cramps I take Hyoscyamine and that helps some. The most helpful thing I found is Iberogast, a mixture of 9 herbs proven to help with IBS. Have that upper left abdominal pain, too. Turns out my gallbladder is super overactive, but they say the pain will not go away if I take it out.
I found that Sativa Cannabis helps me the most, but I cough so very much so I can't smoke everyday.
I am so sorry you are going thru all that, I know how very hard it is.

REPLY

Ask your doctor for Hyoscyamine, it releases the cramps a little. Chamomile tea also helps some.

REPLY
Profile picture for yasmineseropian @yasmineseropian

Ask your doctor for Hyoscyamine, it releases the cramps a little. Chamomile tea also helps some.

Jump to this post

I found that OTC Loperamide HCL, 2mg, stopped the cramping pain very
quickly. And then keep eating two servings a day of Activia yogurt a day.
If I forget the Activia for a day, the cramping and bloating starts up. My
Gut covid started in Sept '22, one month after having mild covid in August
'22.

REPLY

Probiotics seem to have helped me a lot, Lactobacillus Rhamnos, Bifidus. Plus. I take SEED, a pre-, pro- and post biotic that nourishes the microbiome, that is usually bad after Covid. 2first thing in the morning. High quality and good company.

REPLY
Profile picture for sunny8 @sunny8

It is hard to know what is a trigger. If sugar seems to be your trigger,
avoid it in excess amounts. I still consume Activia, and if I do not eat
it twice daily, I get mild gi bloating, cramping, lightening-like pains in
my gut. But nothing like the first 6 weeks. I just feel the spike protein
is still cycling, periodically.
Don't overeat. Eat 6 small meals. Lots of water, again in small, steady
amounts. Get your rest. Keep exercising, at least 30 min a day. Just
treat your body kindly. It will heal.

Jump to this post

That's a great response.

I have GI issue since Covid. I had a similar issue that flares my gut 10 years ago and it took a couple of years to regain balance.

What I noticed though was that one sure thing that worsens all issues is Anxiety. Once we start to over focus on a symptom it seems to get worse.

Acceptance was big step for me once I accepted I had an issue I couldn't THINK my way out of the my overall symptoms decreased. I still had flair ups with stress and the odd thing dietry but over all much better.

I intend to do the same with this. I will follow a good diet also until I get some balance back.

But for me reducing anxiety is a must.

REPLY
Profile picture for kitty2 @kitty2

Any one out there with long haul covid ulcerative colitis. This has been going on for a year now. Oral medication does not work. Two hospitalizations and I have so much inflammation in my colon, lab tests come back off the scale. They want to start IV infusions ENTYVIO which I am very nervous about. The fatigue is unreal, and I sleep so much. I have to work to support myself because this long haul covid has caused me to miss so much work and this has become a financial chaos for me. I do not do any activities with friends, as I fear getting Covid again. There is so much of it at work again. If anyone has any suggestions it would help. I live in Minnesota, Minneapolis area. The inflammation has also affected my back with a lot of pain and discomfort. Thank you in advance and Happy Holidays to all of you. Sincerely, Kitty2

Jump to this post

Hi,

I have GI issues from covid although I'm only one month down the RD.

I did however have similar issues after a previous virus. These were very sore insides, constipation, diarrhea, terrible bloating cramps, fatigue etc.
I was genuinely at my Watts end and contemplating suicide!

And then the peny dropped. My anxieties were compounding things massively. Like you I was avoiding people in fear of becoming ill. Searching the Internet and never really getting a conclusive answer etc etc. I did other things like feel my stomach, or sit with my arms fold over my stomach.

All these things in the end meant my mind was pretty much totally focused on how I felt .

What I needed to do was ACCEPT the way I felt and put it into perspective. Once I stopped over thinking it and the anxiety and all its gut burning chemical subsided it gave my stomach chance to heal.

I did other things also like taking antacids and slight changes in diet. But if you think about it you can take as many gut healing cures as you like ........ but if you have Anxiety sneaking in through the back door of the mind it's always going to undermind the healing process.

Dr Claire Weeks
You can find her stuff on YouTube. She practised in the 50s, 60s, 70s snd 80's.

She gives great insight into anxiety.

Also avoiding friends etc will leave you depressed. Its the moments of distraction that act as stepping stones out of minds.

Hope this helps sorry if I rambled.

REPLY
Profile picture for yasmineseropian @yasmineseropian

Probiotics seem to have helped me a lot, Lactobacillus Rhamnos, Bifidus. Plus. I take SEED, a pre-, pro- and post biotic that nourishes the microbiome, that is usually bad after Covid. 2first thing in the morning. High quality and good company.

Jump to this post

Same. I do seed and another one together first thing in am.

REPLY
Profile picture for sunny8 @sunny8

I found that OTC Loperamide HCL, 2mg, stopped the cramping pain very
quickly. And then keep eating two servings a day of Activia yogurt a day.
If I forget the Activia for a day, the cramping and bloating starts up. My
Gut covid started in Sept '22, one month after having mild covid in August
'22.

Jump to this post

Same. Mine started exactly 2 weeks after very mild case Covid. Weird huh?

REPLY

I have had constipation issues for almost 5 months now. I rely on Miralax, Benefibre, & enemas. It seems like our dignity is taken away. We cannot eat, cannot sleep, and there are too many symptoms to manage at one time. I am so tired of hearing, “I’m sorry, but I don’t know anything about long haul COVID”. In fact done people have never even heard the term “long haul”. The nurse that works at my insurance company asked me, “what is long haul? Is it like UHaul?” Are you kidding me?
RR

REPLY
Profile picture for RR @rachelr

I have had constipation issues for almost 5 months now. I rely on Miralax, Benefibre, & enemas. It seems like our dignity is taken away. We cannot eat, cannot sleep, and there are too many symptoms to manage at one time. I am so tired of hearing, “I’m sorry, but I don’t know anything about long haul COVID”. In fact done people have never even heard the term “long haul”. The nurse that works at my insurance company asked me, “what is long haul? Is it like UHaul?” Are you kidding me?
RR

Jump to this post

It's so unfortunate that our world has become so cold hearted now a days. Some will never seem to understand the frustration we endure on a regular basis. I am right there with you. I will say this, My gutt Dr. did a series of exploration tests last week. 5 in all. They have me taking Lenzess and it does help with all the symptoms, but mind you I was nauseous, vomiting and constipated for over a month. I had rectal bleeding and when he looked inside he seen these spots that look like a water blister. He has sent them off to Pathology, so we are waiting for those results to come back. In the mean time. I am eating things I can tolerate. It's called Gastroparesis diet. He has partially diagnosed me as having Grade 2 Gastroparesis.
I will never fully recover, but at the same time we don't have a clue what the cause was. But I have went a whole week with only vomiting 2 times. Instead of 4+ times a day. Still have a long road a head and pray we all can get the help diagnosis we need to treat us so we can all have a better quality of life. God bless.

REPLY
Please sign in or register to post a reply.