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Perhaps this will get some more research into IBS treatment going.

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Ummm… IBS can be constipation as well. Mine is. The article makes it sound like their group of IBS patients all had the runs.

What were the two drugs they marketed in the early 2000's? I think they were Lomotil and Zelnorm, and at least one was taken off the market. They definitely need more research into better drugs.

IBS is a pretty blanket term anyway meaning they dont know whats causing it for the most part.

What I’m not sure about long Covid is whether or not it meaningfully differentiates in quantity or severity from chronic post-viral illness caused by other viral infections. Have there been studies on that? I’m not a skeptic or anything and I realize long Covid is real and manifests in all kinds of unpleasant ways but I’m wondering how it compares to post-flu chronic symptoms like cough or fatigue or stomach issues.

Hijacking your comment to say that my IBS started when Covid did. I could barely leave the house for nearly 3 years. A stupid probiotic from Costco fixed me about 75%. It was bad. Think pressure washer. I still can't handle milk at all, but I like black coffee, so no big loss.

Which probiotic did you use from Costco that helped?

Probably florastor

Zelnorm was taken off the market because it thickened the blood and caused serious cardiac issues in a couple people.

As far as I know, it's still available with a special waiver but only for women for which no other drugs work.

Aside from the, you know, killing people, it was an amazing drug.

Never had stomach issues my whole life. Would go so far as to say i could almost eat anything guts of steel. Since covid absolutely trash. Had reflux for 13months Couldn’t drink coffee at all or anything slightly acidic. Much better now after another year of supplement regime from specialist doctor but even now ill still get mixed up stomach from anything that isnt super fresh. In a way its good as I am much more produce and health food oriented but i travel a lot and am now realizing how much of the regular day to say worlds food is barely food!

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what supplement regime did you use?

I’ve had loose stools for a year or two prior to covid but a couple weeks after I had it I got back to normal. Maybe it works both ways.

Not ibs or COVID specific, but at my hospital we have something called Banatrol that helps with diarrhea from a variety of causes. Anecdotally I can tell you it tastes good mixed with chocolate milk (lactose free for me).

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Curious, do you take vitamin D supplements?

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Same. And never before I had Covid.

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I used to drink a lot vitamin d supplemented milk and I get enough sunshine. I have never shown Covid symptoms even when both my little kids tested positive.

I had ibs for about 3-4 weeks after covid. It luckily went away on its own, but it was not a symptom I was expecting to have to deal with.

I see. My IBD started recently as well. I discovered vitamin D helped alleviate some of my symptoms. This is probably because I never go outside anymore.

It’s an interesting correlation that certainly deserves additional study. I’ve had COVID twice but was never hospitalized. Since then, I had to go through a regimen of Prilosec (pump inhibitor) for nasty heartburn and recently went to the doctor for what I would consider IBS. I’d love to hear how others are treating their IBS, other than simple changes in diet

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Yep. For me it was basically just 'It is not killing you. We can't find any allergies or hormonal issues or anything else. So... here is a diagnosis. Have fun.'

I'm still pretty lucky with my IBS. But damn does it suck on some days.

Same here for me. Got me eating a lot better, even though my diet was never particularly bad. I've also found some food ingredients that I just can't tolerate anymore. Covid is freaking wild.

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The annoying thing is no one believes that a stomache ache could keep you from doing stuff. Everyone gives flak about it, glad working from home is being normalized.

Yeah before covid I had no issues, now it's like I'm 80 and I'm not even 30

https://www.healthline.com/health/histamine-intolerance#causes

Helpful article about this condition.

It's not really a simple change, but going vegan has helped my digestive issues. Born with gerd and IBS too and they're the best they've ever been. Or least bad.

it sounds like you and I have the same thing and got it around the same time. I have acid reflux every day no matter what I eat and have developed GERD as well. If I drink coffee or beer I get much worse acid reflux for multiple days in a row after consuming the beverage. I didn't have any of these problems before getting COVID.

This is interesting same here seems like almost everything I eat suddenly I’m in the bathroom all day I’ve had to miss work because of it. I basically can only eat meat rice and avocados at this point

Meds. After covid I was diagnosed celiacs and ulcerative colitis (ibd) now will be on meds for that

Got covid then towards the end of it my symptoms changed and I started seeing blood in bm. now I am diagnosed with celiacs( gluten intolerant) and ulcerative colitis (ibd).

I don't have a gallbladder, so I have intermittent GI issues anyway. But LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING about how awful it was during the week I was sick with COVID. I >!only vomited once!<, but that was enough to put me off eating very much for the rest of the week. It was a disaster for at least a month afterward.

Activia fiber has been my best friend for a while now.

My personal long Covid journey involved MCAS drugs (famotidine, ketotifen), low histamine/auto-immune protocol diet followed by pre and probiotics based on 16S testing (mine had Prevotella copri overgrowth). Over time you can reintroduce foods until gut issues are resolved.

I've always had IBS but didn't realize that it wasn't "normal" until I was an adult. I was always on the constipated side but learned to mediate it with peanuts and other roughage (if I ate a handful or 2 of nuts or some corn and bingo; back to a BR pattern!) I went to Scotland in 2019 and ate what I think was some undercooked scallops. I've had issues with intermittent sandy diarrhea, cramping and anorexia since. I've had a normal colonoscopy, normal lab work and tried 2 courses of Xifantin (an antibiotic, cost $750 a course). I had minor improvement (less days of diarrhea & cramps) but I don't plan anything for mornings and can count on 1-2 every 2 weeks or so with a day's worth of cramping, gas, diarrhea and anorexia. The other days are better, but not symptom free.

I avoid raw veggies, fiber and too much fruit & veg together in a day, but it remains unpredictable, and I have no idea what sets me off most days.

So far as I've known, I never had Covid, but it was brewing about the time I came home, and I was touring all over Scotland. But I CAN say, for me, it all started with the scallops.

I'm very glad I'm retired now and can run my day around my colon (mostly), but it does impede my activities.

I tried OTC bioflora replacements (which have little evidence that they work), fiber supplements and kept a food diary for a while, but it seemed to make little difference. It's hardly the end of the world (and I have lost a few pounds), but it is a PIA. In more ways than one.

I had IBS-like symptoms appear at the start of 2022 out of nowhere. It was especially bad for two months, and my doctor even said it could have been caused by covid. Even without any symptoms of it, he suggested that asymptomatic covid could cause that in people (though I guess it would be a symptom if that were the case).

I've never had any covid symptoms that I was ever aware of, but no idea if I did or did not get it and it was just asymptomatic. I guess I should get one of those antibody blood test thingies.

Edit: Oh also I don't really like meat anymore. Last year I just sort of... stopped liking it. Dont crave it. And things with meat that I used to like I dont anymore. IDK why, wonder if any relation to all of this.

I had (have) a post-viral sequelae from a swine-flu infection in 2010, so I'm very aware of the possibility of a post-viral syndrome from other viral infections and I've wondered the same.

I think the biggest difference is the sheer number of infections. Even if COVID causes no greater percentage of sequelae, 10% of COVID infections is orders of magnitude greater than 10% of influenza infections.

That’s a good point. I had a post viral illness from the flu in 2017 that lingered for at least six or seven months. It sucked. I imagine the scale of infections here are a big contributor.

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Yeah, same for me. I'm lucky, mild symptoms, but sometimes... my God.

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