MetaChat - AskDrMeCha

MetaChat is an informal place for MeFites to touch base and post, discuss and chatter about topics that may not belong on MetaFilter. Questions? Check the FAQ. Please note: This is important.

03 January 2007

AskDrMeCha I swore I would never ask for medical advice on the internet, but I'm at my wit's end and I already used my AskMe. Is it possible to be violently ill with a stomach virus for over a month?→[More:]I went to the doctor the Monday after Thanksgiving with flu-like symptoms. She took some blood, told me I had a virus, said it would go away in two or three weeks, and said there was no way to feel better in the meantime. I was sick for two weeks, thought I was getting better for a few days, and am now very sick again. I am trying to get a doctor's appointment asap, but I was looking for anecdotes in the meantime. Have you ever been sick with a virus for over a month? Is it true that nothing can make you feel better?

post by: Twiggy at: 14:26 | 38 comments

Yes, I have only one wit.

posted by Twiggy 03 January | 14:31

My experiences with viruses hasn't involved my stomach, but otherwise is similar.

If I were you, I'd work on strengthening my immune system. I'm all earthy-crunchy and shit, so I'd go to a holistic naturopathic doctor who can address your overall health, and not just your tummy virus.

In the meantime treat your symptoms as much as you can to make yourself comfortable.

Sorry you're not feeling well...

posted by Specklet 03 January | 14:32

I may sound like a dumb bunny, but I don't exactly know how to treat the symptoms. I asked my pharmacist if there was anything OTC that could relieve stomach virus symptoms, and he literally laughed in my face. Other than lots of fluids, soups, and rest, what do I do?

posted by Twiggy 03 January | 14:40

Take a good look at your diet. Are you getting enough of what your body needs? Are your symptoms only in the morning? Only after sitting at your desk? Only after eating? If pain, is it toward the top or bottom of your abdomen? Dull or sharp?

Also, when you say you have stomach flu symptoms, are you including the standard "48 hour bug" violence like vomiting and so on? If so, I'd definitely revisit the doctor. Or see a different doctor for another opinion.

(Sorry. I've given you mostly more questions.)

For now, see if you can up the electrolytes in your body. Fluids are fine, but Pedialyte works like gangbusters. Don't cut it with water, but nothing says you can't double-fist it with Gatorade -- which can be cut 50% with water to drop the sugar content.

posted by grabbingsand 03 January | 14:44

Sicker in the morning and daytime, better at night. Need to eat better, but it's hard with an upset tummy. Hungry a lot, though, even though I feel gross. Sometimes I'm starving, but I know that if I eat, it will be a bad scene.

Standard 48 hour drama on a lower level--one to three runs to the bathroom a day on average.

All over body pain, not made better with Tylenol.

I will pick up some Pedialyte. Thanks!

posted by Twiggy 03 January | 14:51

I am certainly not a doctor, but my stomach is very sensitive.

Try to avoid spicy, heavy foods which take longer to digest, acidic foods (tomatoes, salsa etc), coffee. Have some plain bread crackers (no salt) which help with too much stomach fluids, ice cream always helps me and coca-cola. Drink a lot of water but little by little.

Take some TUMS (very otc). I like TUMS because they give you calcium which women need a lot of. They help calm down the irritation.

On preview: I do not understand the all over body pain. Go see a doc.

A wild guess is that you had a stomach virus which is now gone but you are left with the stomach sensitivity. Certainly go to a doctor. And if the present one laughs at your face, well, laugh at his/her face too and find another one.

posted by carmina 03 January | 14:53

That's about it. Keep warm. Maybe some Tums or Pepto? Make sure you're getting enough electrolytes. (But don't drink straight Gatorade; cut it at least in half with water.)

Don't eat any sugar. Take vitamin C, garlic, goldenseal, and echinacea in moderate amounts. You can frequently find supplements that have most of these ingredients in a health food store. I'd also take a generalized homepathic remedy for the flu.

On preview: what grabbingsand said too.

posted by Specklet 03 January | 14:53

It's possible. I have bad luck with reinfecting myself with stomach bugs. Are you around anyone else with the same symptoms?

I thought I had the stomach flu over the holidays, but am now coming to realize that it is actually a third-trimester recurrence of morning sickness. Which leads, of course, to the delicate question: Could you be knocked up? Morning sickness can start before you even know you're pregnant.

Regardless of the cause, I recommend Ginger Chews, ginger beer, soup, and Preggie Pops. They can all help with nausea. But not eliminate it. When it comes to tummy trouble, there's not much to do but ride it out.

And I'm pretty sure carmina works for Tums.

posted by jrossi4r 03 January | 15:02

Yeah, and eat simply like carmina says. I'd do steamed veggies, broiled chicken breast, and some rice, millet, oatmeal, and the like. No dairy, spicy stuff, fatty stuff, salty stuff (watch the salt in pre-made soups) etc. Bland bland bland.

Sorry.

Poor jrossi too!

posted by Specklet 03 January | 15:05

Well, when I went to the doc after Thanksgiving, she was convinced I was pregnant. Gave me a pee test. Negative. Gave me a blood test. Negative. Finally admitted it was a virus.

I have a friend who nannied for a woman who thought she had the flu for six months. Went to doctor after doctor. Took a million pregnancy tests. All negative. Finally, they do an ultrasound, and she's pregnant. Sounds like an urban legend to me, but my own sister was six months pregnant without knowing it, so who knows?

posted by Twiggy 03 January | 15:25

Getting a second opinion from one of the best docs in the state on Friday morning. Thanks folks!

posted by Twiggy 03 January | 15:26

I'd suggest skipping the Goldenseal, or take very small amounts. In my experience, it's hard on a healthy system, let alone a sensitive one.

I hate that Goldenseal's often bundled with Echinacea, which, as I understand it, isn't nearly as potent. You can overdose on Goldenseal way easier than on Echinacea. (With echinacea you'll just get burps that taste like you've eaten your goat's alfalfa pellets for dinner.)

posted by small_ruminant 03 January | 15:30

Good point, s_r. It's not good to take either one of those herbs for more than a couple weeks at a time; they will lose their potentcy and you can strain yer system with them...

posted by Specklet 03 January | 15:36

Is there a possibility that you might have Giardia? Whenever someone says something like "Stomach problems" coupled with "over a month," a parasitic infection is a distinct possibility. Giardia is not uncommon and produces the symptoms you describe.

posted by Miko 03 January | 16:05

All over body pain

This suggests another possibility to screen for: Lyme disease. Two of the typical symptoms are flu-like symptoms and body ache. I had it once, and ugh.

posted by Miko 03 January | 16:11

Miko's right. And not just giardia- there are zillions of them and they're not hard to get. Better yet, they're treatable.

posted by small_ruminant 03 January | 16:12

I have a 15 year old son to show for those negative pee & blood tests. Some people don't manufacture a lot of the pregnancy hormone early on. Not to wig you out or anything but. . . you're describing the first three months of both of my pregnancies.

posted by mygothlaundry 03 January | 16:25

My wife had something similar a few years back and it turned out to be HEPATITIS!!! Apparently there are something like 18 or 26 different types, but we only commonly hear about 2 or 3 that are contagious. She had one of the non-contagious versions, although they never figured out exactly which one. She ended up in the hospital at the time, but suffered no permanent effects.

posted by Doohickie 03 January | 16:36

immune system
stomach virus
pregnant
Giardia
Lyme disease
HEPATITIS!!!

Heh -- we are collectively doing a fine job demonstrating what happens when you get medical advice over the internets.

posted by Miko 03 January | 16:40

Sounds like leprosy combined with HIV. And probably a broken foot.

Just doing my part...

posted by agropyron 03 January | 16:47

We really should have a prize for the person who guesses correctly.

My money is totally on me and MGL.

posted by jrossi4r 03 January | 16:47

Holy crap! Go away for a little while to be sick, and you come back to a thousand different deaths staring you in the face. This is fun, but also why I don't ask for medical advice online often.

Pregnant would be awesome. It's not hepatitis, because I've had both the A and B vaccines (I love me cheap Mexican food). Ticks are unlikely, as I am not an outdoors type. Any type of parasite would FREAK ME OUT!!!!!

posted by Twiggy 03 January | 17:06

Any type of parasite would FREAK ME OUT!!!!!

Hate to break it to you, Twigs, but that's what pregnancy is--a large scale parasitic invasion.

posted by jrossi4r 03 January | 17:07

As bets are being placed, I promise I will report back Friday. Unless it's something embarrassing.

posted by Twiggy 03 January | 17:07

I dunno jrossi. agro's broken foot thing sounds pretty probable.

On preview: don't worry, Twiggy, just get that second opinion. And have the doctor take a look at your foot.

posted by Specklet 03 January | 17:08

Ooh, ooh, it could be IBS. If you want lots of "OMG I'M GONNA DIE" suggestions, use WebMD's syptom lookup. It's awesome, for us complete hypochondriacs.

posted by muddgirl 03 January | 17:30

I promise I will report back Friday. Unless it's something embarrassing.
To be honest, we really aren't interested unless it's something embarassing.

posted by dg 03 January | 18:01

Thanks for backing me up on the broken foot thing, Specklet. Everyone was ignoring it, and I was all, "Have these people never broken a foot? It's totally just like that!"

posted by agropyron 03 January | 18:54

I'll back you up too, agropyron. According to the BF, everything is the HIV. But you have to say 'hiv' not H.I.V. Otherwise it just sounds silly.

posted by youngergirl44 03 January | 20:31

If I was in your situation, I would go to the emergency room immediately. It doesn't even sound like the doc you went to before was sure that you had a virus, only that she ran out of other ideas.

posted by bingo 03 January | 20:44

youngergirl, me and my friends do that, too!
Although occasionally, if feeling festive, we'll blame things on "the herp" and not hiv.

Also, thirding (or whatever) preggers.

posted by kellydamnit 03 January | 22:58

Ah! The herp!

posted by youngergirl44 04 January | 01:07

quite recently, there has been an unusual amount of people in wisconsin (and elsewhere) getting teh norovirus.

Norovirus — also commonly called Norwalk and Norwalk-like virus — is a common cause of diarrhea and vomiting worldwide. Illness can be caused by a number of different noroviruses (so antibiotics won't help), and a person can be re-infected. It also doesn't favor a particular age group.

also, it could be bird flu.

ianyd

posted by Wedge 04 January | 04:29

Twiggy - if nothing else, you have a list of stuff for the doc to check out for you.

My vote is for IBS.

posted by deborah 04 January | 12:43

Who knows if anyone will check back, but I'm not pregnant. Lots of tests in the works, X-rays, CT scans, others that will not be mentioned due to extreme grossness. Doc says it's probably not cancer.

Sadly, due to an unrelated medical issue that has coincidentally resurfaced, I will probably not ever be able to bear my own children.

posted by Twiggy 05 January | 17:02

I'm very sorry to hear that, Twiggy.

posted by agropyron 05 January | 17:17

dontcha worry, baby bunny. Life is beautiful and enjoyful with or without children. Of course you can always adopt if you are so inclined. Look at what all the famooses are doing.

Take care of your stomach. You must be under a lot of stress which does not help gastrointestinal stuff. many hugs.

posted by carmina 05 January | 17:23

Oh Twiggy. Sorry to hear it could be something genuinely icky. Keep us posted, OK?

posted by jrossi4r 07 January | 23:12

← Hey! Lookit the cool stuff/art on notcot.org. || My oh my the things Canadians do well. →

HOME || REGISTER || LOGIN