Covid Recovery: How can I manage GI issues?

I have long Covid for 2 1/2 years, bur only lately realizing it is all Covid related. Lost 30 pounds, (down to 74 pounds) rarely left the house for two years, just too weak, too sick, and in so much pain. Mostly GI symptoms and stomach. The motility of my GI tract is all messed up and often my stomach just does not move the food. So I can eat only a little at a time and I get full (no appetite anyways). Also, my intestines freak out with food, diarrhea, bloating, cramping and lots of pain.
Digestive enzymes have reduced my symptoms so much.
Holozyme from the "Healthy Gut" company are the best and it is a good company.

Welcome @yasmineseropian. You'll notice that I moved your message about digestive issues post Covid 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 connect easily with other members experiencing similar issues and learn together what helps.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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