Post-infectious IBS
#184967 - 06/09/05 05:33 AM
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I have had bloating and diarrhea for the last 5 weeks. It started after I ate some Tuna sushi. I had severe stomach pain an hour or so after eating the sushi and he diarrhea started a couple of days after eating the fish and my friend who ate the same thing also had symptoms. This week I had a stool sample which turned up no parasites or infections from the fish. My doctor says it is post infectious IBS. Does anybody know anything about this. I have had no vomitting but there has been alot of gas and bloating/distention. The gas and diarrhea are very foul smelling...this is getting old and a real pain in the ___.
Thanks,
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That's not very long btw! I have post-infectious IBS, but it's "proper" IBS if it can be called that. Some people get sensitive tums for a while after an infection (and docs sometimes call this post-infectious IBS) but it can then go away after a while.
You can't be properly diagnosed with IBS without alot more tests, including a colonoscopy (an expert would be able to look at the biopsy results from a colonoscopy and see the damage from a recent infection).
In the meantime, this diet will help with both the D and the gas, especially if you are very wary of IF. Immodium is fantastic and you can take it a preventative, but this is best done under doctor supervision (if you want to try it on your own, try starting with one tablet every morning and see how you do). Also, you probably need a course of probiotics to get your gut back on track. And fennel tea is great for gas and bloating.
Good luck.
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I'll add that my GI guy and even the Quest Labs parasite-testing forms say that at least 3 different stool samples at different times are recommended to be reasonably certain parasites can be ruled out.
You can pull some more info off the Board. If you Search on "parasite" (don't use the quotes) with no time limit, you'll get a bunch of hits. These will talk about types of parasites, treatments, and stool sample testing. You can also try Searching on "post infectious" (don't use the quotes) and you'll get some hits.
My opinion is that I'd be very uncomfortable accepting a diagnosis of post-infectious IBS without an awful lot of testing for parasites, infections, maybe even bacterial overgrowth of the small intestine (you can Search on that, too), especially if my symptoms started after eating raw fish. I'm not saying you don't have IBS, I'm just saying I would want to be absolutely certain there isn't something "treatable" still going on.
Regardless, however, Linz is right - the IBS diet could help and if it turns out you do have IBS, you'll be ahead of the game.
BTW, welcome to the Boards, although I'm very sorry you have a reason to be here.
HTH. Keep us posted. Take care.
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[Research tells us fourteen out of any ten individuals likes chocolate. - Sandra Boynton]
Edited by Sand (06/09/05 07:14 AM)
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I will go back to my GI and insist I have another stool sample to check for parasites etc...
I spoke to my friend who was with me that night and he said his symptoms have cleared up.
What about taking some form of non-absorbable antibiotics?
Thanks for all your help...
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Quote:
What about taking some form of non-absorbable antibiotics?
If you're talking about the bacterial overgrowth in small intestine treatment, you can check out these two recent threads:
Thread 1
Thread 2
As you'll see, the person who started the threads (BadlyDrawnBoy) had problems with this treatment, but someone who responded (e_mcmaster) has good results. They are both IBS-C, if I remember correctly, so I'm just really not sure what to say about this for D. If there is someone who's D who knows something about this, hopefully they'll chime in. You can Search the Research Library Board for this if you haven't already.
HTH.
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[Research tells us fourteen out of any ten individuals likes chocolate. - Sandra Boynton]
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You really to have all the tests done, not just another stool sample - the miss rate for parasites is very high so you'd need to have AT LEAST 3 done to have nay chance of getting a true result. You should have had blood work and a colonoscopy done before getting a diagnosis.
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colonoscopy....not looking forward to that. will that show evidence of an infection or parasites?
what type of blood work are we talking about?
maybe it has nothing to do with the tuna but that is very doubtful as within 1 hour of eating it both my friend and I felt really bad, in fact I experienced a feeling in my gut that I had never felt before, kind of a distention, pain, trouble getting a good deep breathe. the D started a day or so after that.
Today was a bad day as I have spent quite alot of time on the throne but the last 4 weeks have been not as bad , maybe 2 times per day but they are real soft and quite the foul odor.
What other tests would you do ...
Thanks very much,
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IBS is often started by an insult to the gut - and major food poisoning is definitely insulting!
Parasites are hard to find generally. As long as they take biopsies as part of the colonoscopy and you have good doctors available, they'll be able to tell whether there's still evidence of infection in your gut...my biopsies showed a recent infection even tho my stool samples were negative b/c I'd been prescribed antibiotics for something else - and that was 9 months after I got the stomach bug that started me off! 
They'll also be able to check you out for other stuff that has to be ruled out before a diagnosis of IBS can be given. It's all unlikely in your case, but better safe than sorry. Oh, and if they do biopsies, check that they check for microscopic colitis - do a search on this if you want more info. It's very rare, but a colonoscopy biopsy is the only way to check for it as far as I know.
Can someone else chip in on the bloodwork? I can't remember what I was tested for! 
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Other tests
#185366 - 06/10/05 07:00 AM
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Sand
Reged: 12/13/04
Posts: 4490
Loc: West Orange, NJ (IBS-D)
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I don't really remember either - my diagnosis sort of happened gradually in the course of other medical stuff. Here are links to 2 other pages in Heather's website that might help:
Diagnosis and Testing
Questions for your doctor
Also, I suggest you start reading "The First Year - IBS". It will give you an understanding of what IBS is all about which might help when talking to your doctor. You might be able to find a copy at your local library or you can order it from the Website or from Barnes and Noble or Amazon. The first part of the book is also on-line on this Website. Click here to start reading it on-line. (One caution: If you want to quote what you're reading to your doctor, quote the book, don't mention the Website. Doctors are often automatically sceptical of "I read on the Internet" - with good reason. Real published books they sometimes take more seriously.)
Good doctors: If you like and trust yours by all means stick with him - good IBS docs seem to be hard to find. If you eventually decide you need more or better help, here's a post of good IBS docs. They're thin on the ground but there might be one in your area. And if the doctor you're seeing now proves to be a good one, please add him to the list.
One last suggestion - kind of a standard one with me. Ask you doctor(s) for copies of your test results - lab work, parasite tests, colonoscopy reports, whatever. I just think it's a good idea to see this stuff for yourself. I've never had any trouble getting this information from my doctors. (I'm in the US)
HTH. Keep us posted.
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[Research tells us fourteen out of any ten individuals likes chocolate. - Sandra Boynton]
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