Covid Recovery: How can I manage GI issues?

Thank you everyone for your very helpful posts. I am a retired physician (retired because of health problems), 60 years old. I had COVID mid Feb, mostly with respiratory symptoms. My usually mild asthma was the worst it's ever been in my life, asked my MD for a nebulizer and got it, that helped a lot. Then my throat became extremely sore and my fatigue escalated suddenly, I told my MD it felt like mono, she said "no way" but tested me and yes, I was positive for mono! Thank you, COVID for "resurrecting" my mono. Apparently it can do this.

I started feeling better, then GI symptoms started up: gas, very frequent bowel movements, nausea, weight loss, feeling generally rotten. Thanks to these posts I'm guessing it's COVID again. I'll call my MD but suppose that I will just have to wait this out and maybe try some of your tips. What a mess!!

I had COVID in July 2022 and have experienced diarrhea ever since. My physician suggested a specific type of probiotic, and some other gut treatments, but the diarrhea has not really improved.

I have most recently read Dr. Davis’s book “Gut Health”, and am now going to try his recommendation for homemade yogurts.

Additionally, I have high cholesterol and an out of balance hypothyroid. To deal with that part of the issue I am using Zonya Foco’s “Eat Real” Cookbook 28 day Kickstart.

Some foods definitely trigger the worst symptoms. But I haven’t identified the specific foods well at this point. When the symptoms are intense, I have rumbling in the lower abdomen, bloating, and gas besides the diarrhea.

The diarrhea is low to moderate, but the bloating and gas will wake me up in the middle of the night.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

I had Covid for the second time in November and have had gastric issues since then. Intermittent diarrhea, abdominal pain and gas. My doctor feels helpless and has referred me to a GI specialist. I’ve taken steroids, antibiotics, lots of herbal remedies, probiotics, charcoal, OTC gas relief, but nothing has made a significant difference. I am trying the FODMAP diet which might be making a slight difference. It’s very debilitating and makes normal activities hard to navigate! But I’m hopeful that with so many of us presenting with these long covid symptoms, there will be more research and help available if we keep up the pressure! Good luck to you all.

I'm 6 months from second round of Covid. GI nightmare.
I basically been off carbs and proteins. When I eat them, everything is worse
I have finally been able to eat some seafood and fish without extra Sx. Going to a GI this week. Many long haulers with GI issues get help with antihistamines. Allergists domain. Helped me at first and then didn't

I had similar issues starting in October and switched to an IBS diet. Eliminated most dairy, beans and certain veges. Also went gluten-free and that has all helped. All labs came back normal except for some inflammation. I also increased probiotics altho prebiotics in tandem with the probiotic triggered it again. Hope you heal better.

Thank you. This is such a challenge!

Been there. Eating Activia yogurt AM and PM and taking loperamide HCL for cramping pain and diarrhea as needed, really helped me. Now, only occasionally I have cramping but no bloating or diarrhea. It is the spike lprotein attacking the lining of the gut. I still eat Activia twice daily to balance the gut bacteria. Good luck.

Per Dr. Vanichkachorn “While we are not sure yet, there are several possible ways the COVID-19 infection could cause gastrointestinal problems,” Dr. Vanichkachorn says. “For example, the lining of the gut has a large amount of the receptors that the SARS-COV2 virus uses to invade cells. The general inflammation caused by the infection can also disrupt the normal bacteria that live in the gut and stimulate some of the gastrointestinal system’s nerves.”

Prior to COVID my body would eliminate 2-3x a day, and my wife 1x a day. In 2011 I changed my nutritional intake to Dr. McDougall's 'Starch Solution', and within 9 months had I CURED my Pre-diabetes, weight declined from 275lbs to 180lbs, No HBPs, normal AC1, etc. and NO 'poisonous' AMA medications, ie. Metformin (FDA Recall). In the face of family diabetes, maternal grandfather. I have maintained this health level from 2011 to current day. My wife, being Greek is basically Mediterranean. She still consumes animal meat, and dairy, which create other medical conditions, due to her unwillingness to stop poising her system. 85% of all medical conditions are food related. We are NOT CARNIVORES.

Both my wife and I avoided contracting COVID from the very beginning up til 12/26/22. I've had the COVID anti-viral vaccinations Pfizer, plus two boosters, including the most recent Omicron. My wife had the initial two shoots plus one booster. I and my wife contracted COVID on Dec. 26 2022, and have been experiencing the same GI symptoms including dehydration (cotton-mouth) 24/7, stomach pain due to constipation. We both had loss of appetite, fever, and fatigue the first 5 days of COVID, and were clear of COVID by day 10. I went from 2-3 BMs a day to 1-5 days of constipation, due to COVID, and my wife from daily BMs, to 1-5 days of constipation. Both of our daily water intake had doubled upon COVID and no change in constipation.

I met with one of our HCP (KP) GI specialist, who actually admitted that they have absolutely NO IDEA how to treat Long COVID. My main concern was for the constipation, and how the stoppage was possibly poisoning my system. All food rots.

I was prescribed LUBIPROSTONE 8 mcg TID, on 3/24/23. This was increased to 3x a day, 5 days after initial start. Neither I personal or any family member has IBS. Clearly the virus has effected the G.I. tract and inhibits it's natural lubrication of, and possibly it's peristalsis action of the colon.

So remember I shared one of the G.I. symptoms is dehydration. I observed after the first 24 hrs., the 2nd dose, of Lubiprostone, my 'Cotton-Mouth' had stopped. Still no full and complete B.M.'s, only a very small amount of liquid and loose fecal material is eliminated, and still not any where near my normal full and complete 2-3 B.M.s a day, prior to COVID infection.

I've returned to my starch based eating, which includes fiber foods, grains, legumes, vegetables, fruit and natural pre-biotics. I exercise 6 days a week. And this has not diminished the constipation.

My working theory is that, even if the initial COVID virus is gone, it has left behind a mutated form in the G.I. track. And continues to disrupt the gastrointestinal system’s nerves.

I'm at a loss of how to get my system back to prior to COVID, very frustrating!

ME too..had covid 12/19/21..still having a lot of diarrhea, gas, lots of rectal bleeding. Has anyone told you that you may have ulcerative colitis. I have been in the hospital twice..the meds do not work, many side effects and now they want me to have an IV infusion of a biologic drug, one of the side effects is hair loss as some of the writers on this site have experienced. Anyone getting some help out there for this?

Make sure the flax and chia seeds are not from China, Turkey, Africa, etc. They are contaminated with heavy poisonous heavy metals (cadmium-contamination-in-flax). You can NOT trust packaging! They will say "packaged in US", that is not the source of the item. I had to throw out 2 lbs. of flax seed from Amazon, even though it stated non-GMO, Organic, etc. Amazon does not give a rats-ass about you, only about corporate profits. You can check online regarding each countries heavy metals levels. Stay away from products from those countries.
Some of the most common food ingredients may be depositing toxic heavy metals into your body, contributing to the development of disease. Vegetable oils, food colors, corn syrups, and preservatives are the top sources of these ingredients—found mostly in processed food products—that will contribute to your body’s burden of heavy metal exposure. Although few studies have been conducted to determine the concentrations of heavy metals in food products, there seems to be some evidence to suggest the most common toxic heavy metals found in the food supply are inorganic mercury, lead, cadmium, and arsenic.
Why would FDA only look for organic mercury and not inorganic mercury, when the evidence suggests inorganic mercury is a widespread contaminant in the food supply?
Inorganic mercury in the food supply is an inconvenient truth. Fixing exposure to inorganic mercury is harder than simply reducing your intake of certain foods; however, reducing your exposure is still extremely important.
There are certain amounts of heavy metals, such as arsenic, lead, and mercury, that are allowed in these food ingredients. This does not eliminate the significant risk of heavy metal exposure—these metals are able to displace zinc from the metal carrier protein metallothionein (MT), and this can lead to zinc losses from the body. Zinc losses adversely impact health by creating inflammation and stress. Heavy metal exposures and/or low zinc status are associated with Alzheimer’s disease, autism, hyperactivity, pica, type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, and heart disease conditions.
The nuclear weapons tests of the United States were performed from 1945 to 1992 as part of the nuclear arms race. The United States conducted around 1,054 nuclear tests by official count, including 216 atmospheric, underwater, and space tests. Most of the tests took place at the Nevada Test Site (NNSS/NTS) and the Pacific Proving Grounds in the Marshall Islands and off Kiritimati Island in the Pacific, plus three in the Atlantic Ocean. Ten other tests took place at various locations in the United States, including Alaska, Nevada other than the NNSS/NTS, Colorado, Mississippi, and New Mexico.
Unfortunately our soils and oceans are heavily contaminated!