Refeeding after diarrhea

(Laurie) #1

Yesterday, right after supper, I had 12 hours of diarrhea and some vomiting. I assume it was some kind of food poisoning, or maybe I just ate too much. (The food was chili I’d made and put in the freezer. Usually I try for 2-cup portions, but this one was bigger.)

I’ve been drinking water and sleeping. Now it’s 21 hours after supper, and there is still a hint of diarrhea, but it’s almost gone. I’m wondering what I should eat when I feel up to eating. Obviously I won’t be doing BRAT (bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast).

How about boiled eggs with butter? Pork rinds with yogurt dip? Thank you.

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #2

Some cheese, perhaps? I also find cutting back on the salt a bit to be helpful, until the diarrhoea goes away.

(Robin) #3

I have to go bland during a diverticulitis flair… and of course they recommend BRAT. But I drink broth and start with Greek yogurt or cottage cheese. Not sure if that would apply to you though. Hope you feel better soon!

#4

Sorry to read this - I think when I had a bout of being unwell I eased back in with some scrambled eggs.

#5

Oh no, I hope you’re feeling better soon Laurie! I second the recommendation for broth perhaps some chicken broth with a bit of shredded chicken. If you feel up to googling “Egg Drop Soup” there are some easy recipes…

Also! Replenishing your electrolytes are quite important, if you have any supplements you can take (such as magnesium).

Get well soon!

(Laurie) #6

Thank you all for your suggestions, and for your kind thoughts.

Yesterday I needed to cook up some ground beef I’d thawed, and I ended up eating bits of that – a few ounces in a few hours. Maybe later today I’ll have one or more of the other things you suggested.

I hadn’t even thought of electrolytes. I do have some magnesium bisglycinate powder that I seldom take (hate the taste), so I took some of that this morning. Probably tomorrow I’ll feel well enough to go to the store, and I’ll see if they have potassium in the pharmacy section.

(Laurie) #7

It’s been more than 2 days. I’m not feeling very hungry, but whenever I eat anything – even a spoonful – it just goes right through me. Liquids seem okay though. I’m taking magnesium and some salt and baking soda. Tomorrow I’ll buy some potassium.

This is so weird. I never get sick.

#8

I experience diarrhea from too much sodium/magnesium.

The throwing up and diarrhea sounds like covid immediate viral clearance.

#9

When I had food poisoning last year (I’m not saying you have had food poisoning), I had exactly this reaction. It lasted for days - I’d probably neared the end of it, but I ended up taking immodium (loperamide).

That seemed to reset everything within a short period of time.

(Laurie) #10

Thank you @anon94382398 . It’s probably not sodium or magnesium, as I don’t take either. (I don’t add salt in cooking or at the table.)

Could be Covid related I guess. I am usually very careful, but I make occasional exceptions. I was in a neighbor’s car for an hour last week.

Finally, after 60 hours (2.5 days) I can eat without worrying. Because of resulting soreness and weakness, I’ll take it easy for a couple more days.

Thank you for your support.

(Jane) #11

You can Google food poisoning Canada to see if you have eaten any products they are monitoring. Doubful since you eat carnivore, but you never know.

Hope you feel better soon.

(Laurie) #12

Thank you, @Septimius. I do believe it was food poisoning. Too bad I didn’t know about Immodium before. It seemed that my body was still in “reject” mode long after the offending food was gone.

(Laurie) #13

@Janie Thank you. It was a bit hard to find using that search term. They call it “food recalls and alerts.”

If it was food poisoning, it was probably because of how I handled/stored one particular serving after cooking. The ground beef was from a 10-pound tube, and I didn’t have reactions to other servings from that tube.

#14

Yeah, that sounds very much like food poisoning.

I wish I’d thought to mention it as soon as you posted! I bought an extra pack for the cupboard; hopefully I won’t ever need it again, but I like the security of knowing it is there.

(Jane) #15

I agree with Septimus - Immodium AD is a life-saver! I never travel without it. You take 2 tablets right away and another tablet after every bowel movement (there is probably a daily limit but never needed to worry about it because the stuff works so good).

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #16

A friend of mine, who is a nurse practitioner, says that what people call “stomach flu” is not influenza, but food poisoning, which is far more prevalent than we realise. I’m glad you know it’s not from buying tainted food, but rather from improper handling after cooking. If you can figure out what went wrong (though you may never do so, of course), you would know what not to do next time.

(Laurie) #17

Yes, I was surprised to learn that in adults, influenza usually doesn’t involve the digestive system.

I don’t know what I did wrong. I do have training in food handling, and will try to be more careful. I am a “senior” now, and therefore “vulnerable.”