Relapse or IBS after drinking too much?

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firefly
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Joined: Thu Jan 31, 2019 7:37 pm

Relapse or IBS after drinking too much?

Postby firefly » Sun Feb 10, 2019 7:51 am

For context, I am a 19-year-old girl, 5'2 and weigh 43kg/95lbs (used to be 48kg/105lbs but still struggling to put on weight after c. diff), so it does not take much for me to experience the effects of alcohol. Drinking age is 18 where I live. I finished my course of Vancomycin end of June 2018, and am 7 months post c. diff. I get M sometimes when I eat my 'trigger foods', so I avoid eating those. I drink very rarely (3 times in the last 7 months) but snack lots and stay well-hydrated when I do. This always goes well for me.

This time was different. Friday 08/02 I went out not having eaten a very big meal beforehand. I had 5 standard drinks (spirits) and did not snack at all, nor drink enough water, something I know was irresponsible and dangerous. Sat morning 09/02, I experienced my first hangover, I'll spare you all the details. I had one bout of D and went to bed, and slept for most of the day. To eat, I had a few pieces of toast and some oatmeal.

Today (Sunday 10/02), I have had an urgent need to go 7 times in the frame of 6 hours, except it's just clear, almost watery mucus. I have put this down to 1) not eating much on Saturday, and 2) a bad flare-up of IBS. Except I have never had this much mucus w/o stool in one day, let alone any M after alcohol. I am also extremely bloated. I have taken some s. boulardii which always helps me with PI-IBS diarrhea, and other probiotics because I'm worried the alcohol disrupted my still-restoring gut flora, if that's possible.

I guess I am just looking for reassurance that this isn't a relapse of c. diff, that this is my body trying to recover after taking that much alcohol on an empty stomach? Or is it possible that some of the good flora was killed off that night, allowing any dormant c. diff spores to take over and cause an infection? I have not been in any health or aged-care facilities since June of last year, so I don't think I have been exposed to any large amounts of c.diff bacteria, except for what is in the general environment.

Has anyone else had a similar experience with c.diff recovery and alcohol, or know if this is a sign of a relapse? If it sounds more like IBS, why would there be so much more M than usual?

Thank you

Ril
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Joined: Sat Oct 27, 2012 2:45 pm

Re: Relapse or IBS after drinking too much?

Postby Ril » Sun Feb 10, 2019 12:23 pm

You are 7 months post c diff and have identified a very real reason for a severe bout of d.
I could not tolerate alcohol for almost a year post c diff.
If it were me I would make sure I stayed well hydrated with sports drink for electrolytes and ate small amounts of bland food throughout the day and just watched it for the next day or so. Having c diff at this point without a new exposure would be extremely unlikely and overindulgence in alcohol with a gut that is still irritated and trying to recover is extremely likely. The mucus is usually a sign of inflammation of the colon.

Alcohol is no friend to PI IBS, especially this early in recovery. Feel better!
Rita

NanciT
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Re: Relapse or IBS after drinking too much?

Postby NanciT » Sun Feb 10, 2019 3:00 pm

Hi

As Rita has mentioned, any alcohol is tough on the gut especially if you have Post IBS. I have not been able to tolerate any alcohol since CDIFF. I tried wine about 6months out and has the IBS really flare. Tried again at a year out, same issue.

I would wait and go very very slow at this. It take the gut time to heal

Feel better soon

NanciT

firefly
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Joined: Thu Jan 31, 2019 7:37 pm

Re: Relapse or IBS after drinking too much?

Postby firefly » Sun Feb 10, 2019 6:06 pm

Rita -
Inflammation of the colon, that would make sense, considering I get mucus after having mild D followed by constipation after eating a trigger food. I will stick to a bland diet for now. Thank you for your help!

firefly
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Joined: Thu Jan 31, 2019 7:37 pm

Re: Relapse or IBS after drinking too much?

Postby firefly » Sun Feb 10, 2019 6:15 pm

NanciT wrote -
Yes, I keep forgetting that my gut isn't quite the same as it used to be and that this is a new "normal" I'll have to get used to.
Before c diff, I would have a rainbow of fibrous vegetables on my plate and never have any issues.
Now, the smallest bit of broccoli (cooked), and other green vegetables are a trigger food for D and M, which is a shame as I only recently grew to like them!
Thank you for your reply


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