Dealing with some nasty digestive issues (subjective, of course)

Hey everyone, Rachel Brooks63 here—your moderator. I’m looking for nothing but serious, helpful advice from you guys, because if not... well, expect a ban. 🤣 🤣 🤣

So, what's the deal? About two and a half weeks ago, I dealt with some nasty diarrhea. And when I say nasty --I mean seriously gross, basically spent the entire day living in the bathroom. After that, I went a long time—like, a really long time—without having a bowel movement. No urge, no pressure, no nausea, nothing at all. It was like my gut just completely 😁 shut 😁 down.
In the middle of all this, I also had that infamous Danone Activia incident. That didn't cause any immediate issues, but...

Then, on Friday afternoon, the diarrhea started back up. It wasn't quite as brutal as the first time, but it feels weird and honestly a little worrying. It just won't stop, and my stool just won't get back to a normal consistency...

I'm drinking tons of water (not planning on dehydrating myself!), and I ate normally this weekend (if you're curious about what I ate, you can check out the food blog 😁), but this whole thing is starting to bug me a bit.

So, I'm asking you—assuming the only issue is that my gut flora is totally trashed 😁, what's the easiest way to get things back on track? Maybe some yogurt? Some graham crackers and rosehip tea? Lamb with green onions?

At what point does this become concerning enough to actually see a doctor? How many days of diarrhea should I wait before making an appointment?

Thanks, everyone. 🙂

Seriously though, I'll be deleting any spam, my favorite little people... 🙂

Have you ever tried Linex tablets?

They usually do the trick for me....👍

Is that stuff available over the counter? 🤔

Yeah. Capsules. Pfizer 👍

Couldn't find anything on the US sites, so here’s what I found on the European one:

Linex® capsules contain freeze-dried lactic acid bacteria designed to keep your gut flora in balance.

Think of your gut as a tiny ecosystem. It’s filled with all sorts of bacteria—some are the good guys (like lactic acid bacteria) that help you out, while others are just looking to cause trouble. We call this whole mix your gut flora. It’s responsible for maintaining the pH balance your digestive enzymes need to actually do their jobs. If those good bacteria take a hit, things start going downhill fast.

WHEN TO USE IT
We recommend Linex® capsules for:

* diarrhea,
* bloating,
* and other digestive issues caused by bacterial or viral infections in babies, kids, and adults, or as a side effect of certain antibiotics.

It’s possible we’re looking at some kind of bacterial parasite or maybe even a viral stomach bug, though I honestly find it hard to believe it would drag on this long—I remember a similar situation happening with someone in my family once.
You should definitely get a stool sample tested just to be safe.

Go get a colonoscopy. Seriously—don't mess around with this one!

You’re basically assuming your gut 🙄 bacteria is totally wrecked.😁 But besides saying the diarrhea was "bad," how many times a day were you actually going?
And what did it
look like 😲 (color, mucus, etc.)?

When you say the diarrhea and consistency were "weird and worrying," can you be a bit more specific?
(Again, it really matters how many times you went and what your usual routine looks like.)

Look, regarding seeing a doctor, I personally don't think you need to rush out.😉If it were something seriously bad, you probably would've ended up in the ER during the first episode. You wouldn't just be dehydrated; your electrolytes would be so trashed that your body would basically force you to run to the doctor immediately.

As for food, I'm sure you know how to make a decent chicken noodle soup😉 without burning it.
The standard hospital diet usually involves dry toast, gelatin, chicken broth, and unsweetened tea.
After sticking to that for a day, things should start getting back to normal.

Michelle Cook83 said:Just go get a colonoscopy. Seriously, stop messing around!

A colonoscopy... just because I've had diarrhea for four days? 🤣 🤣 🤣

Man, I swear, I just love amateur medical students...

Charles Edwards8 said:I mean, besides saying the diarrhea was "bad," how bad are we talking—like, how many times a day?
what did it look like 😲 (color, mucus, etc.)

When you say "weird and worrying" diarrhea and stool consistency, can you clarify a bit??
(Again, it’s really important to know roughly how many times you went and what your normal consistency usually is)

Ugh, seriously... I was trying to avoid posting totally graphic descriptions of my bathroom trips to the group. But if you really want to know 😁 😁:

Like 2-3 times a day—pretty slimy and super watery. Yesterday morning I survived on just dry toast and tea, picked up some Linex (thanks Brandon Thomas89 👍) and some activated charcoal, so by evening I actually thought everything was totally fine... then I ate a tiny bit of actual food.

Needless to say, I was glued to the toilet by 2:30 PM 😁

Today is strictly dry toast, crackers, and starving to death. If this doesn't clear up by tomorrow, infectious diseases, here I come.

You probably know how to make chicken noodle soup 😉 or you'll burn it.
The diet they usually give you in hospitals is dry toast, gelatin, chicken noodle soup, and unsweetened tea.
After one day on a diet like that, things should start to normalize.

I have never made chicken noodle soup in my entire life, but oh my god, thank goodness for cooking shows (my gastronomy professors would kill me if they saw this), but I've got the rest covered. I even forced myself to eat crackers, which I absolutely hate 🙂

You need to get on a diet... clearly something is going around lately.

Drink some rosehip tea and eat those plain toast slices—I think they call them rice cakes—you can find them at any grocery store. Stick to rice and chicken; everything should be boiled. Other meats are just too fatty. And plenty of veggies... also, given the diarrhea, stay away from dairy entirely, or you'll be running to the bathroom constantly.

Boiled fish is good too, if you know how to make it... 😁

Edit: Ah, I see you've already switched to dry toast... don't change back. Just stick to basic stuff like rice and chicken for now. You'll probably have to maintain this diet for a week or so.

Rachel Brooks63 said:Maybe 2 or 3 times a day, pretty loose, but honestly not that often. Yesterday morning I basically just survived on dry toast and tea. I picked up some Linex (thanks, Brandon Thomas89 👍) and some activated charcoal, so I thought I was totally fine until I actually tried eating some real food later in the day.

Needless to say, I was glued to the toilet by 2:30 PM. 😁

So, look—stick to the diet, keep knocking back the activated charcoal, drink plenty of tea, and just forget about "real food" for a few days. Once things start settling down, you can slowly bring in stuff like plain porridge, plain rice 😬, or other light snacks. Just think of it as a literal internal detox. 🙂
ps. Forget dairy exists for now.
😘

Skip the tea with anything added—no sugar or artificial sweeteners allowed here!
If you're looking for rosehip tea, the Russian brands are actually much better; if you like it, go ahead, though you might need to head over to a local herbalist or a specialty shop like Whole Foods to find the good stuff.
I’d steer clear of toast because it's usually packed with preservatives; instead, try some plain rusk or even just day-old bread from a local bakery like Panera or a farmer's market—avoid the processed stuff from the grocery store aisles since it's full of additives.
Is instant soup a good idea? Honestly, not always. You're much better off making a simple batch of white rice, somewhere between a risotto and a light soup, seasoned just with a bit of salt and some fresh parsley.
Boiled chicken breast
Beets, but definitely not the canned kind from a jar.
Boiled carrots

jadesailor14 said:beetroot, but not from a jar

but from where else? 🤣 🤣

So, here's my menu for today: some Two-Pak, those rice-based snacks they sell at Walgreens (like the Alnatura stuff), and herbal tea—honestly, that’s about the best thing I can manage for spring... no Russian tea, no sugar, nothing fancy.

We'll see about tomorrow, maybe some more rice or something...

Anyway, quick question—bananas? I know they usually cause issues, so I'm not sure how helpful they actually are in situations like this... 🤔

Bananas 👍 just eat them

Dark chocolate, Rachel Brooks63 😉

Honestly, when I’m just totally over my own body and feeling gross (even though I don't usually drink soda): Coca-Cola. It just wipes out all the bad stuff in your gut, I swear! 😈

velvetgull9 said:Dark chocolate, Rachel Brooks63 😉

🙂 I hate chocolate, I hate dark chocolate—I'll only admit that once every other hope has finally sunk...

Personally, whenever I’m just totally done with myself (and I don't usually drink soda), what helps me in those moments is a Coca-Cola. It just wipes out all the nastiness in your gut, I swear. 😈

Theoretically, I’d probably be sipping on a Coke by now too. But there's a catch... on Friday, just a few hours before the party started, I had one of those Diet Cokes. Now, I'm definitely not saying this isn't related, but I really don't want to risk making things any worse...

Rachel Brooks63 said:Where else would it come from? 🤣 🤣

micek
Just grab some beets at the farmer's market!
They’re those round, dark reddish-purple things—your grandma probably showed you what they look like.
Boil them up, but don't you dare peel them first, or the color will bleed everywhere!
Then just toss them in a salad (make sure to wash them!) with a little vinegar and salt, skipping the oil.

Standard Coca-Cola works too.
I'm not talking about that artificial diet stuff.

Try some fennel tea; it’s definitely bitter and smells a bit funky, but it really helps.
My dad dries out at least 20 pounds of it every single year so he can sip on it whenever his stomach acts up!

Rachel Brooks63 said:A colonoscopy just because I've had diarrhea for four days? 🤣 🤣 🤣

I swear, I can't stand these wannabe med students...

Look, I just don't want our favorite moderator to ban us!😘

gentlecanyon92 said:Just stick to eating 👍 bananas
.

As long as you don't go overboard!