On going bowel issues

Hi,

I was wondering if anyone could provide some insight into the following.

11 days ago, my wife became sick (vomiting) and some general aches and pains. This lasted 24hrs and then she felt weak for another 24 hrs, this is while we were in Melbourne on holiday and returnoing to Perth on the Wednesday of the same week. She though it was something she ate.

On the Wednesday morning, the day we were flying, I began getting some diarrhia, nothing serious just very minor cramping before movement and then some watery stool. Was fine all the way home and had a few occurrences the following day. On the Friday, it seemed to be a bit worse but nothing serious.

My question is, today is 9 days since that wednesday and I am still going to the toilet up to four times a day. On most of these occasions my stools have been inconsistent, not what I would call diarrhia but not what I'm used to. Also, at times i can see undigested corn, and red capsicum in my stool (i have been eating that lately). No blood is apparent.

Would it be reasonable to suggest I caught something from my wife (even though my 2 yr old son didn't get anything) and i'm still in the recovery stage? Or should I be concerned, ie. sudden change of bowel routine etc)

Im a worry wart and I have been drinking some alcohol as I am still on work holidays.


Any suggestions would be most appreciated.

Thank you,

Jamie

It is possible you caight something from your wife. Regarding seeing undigested pieces of corn and other things in your stool - corn is an insoluble fiber. That means it does not break down totally during digestion. With a normal formed stool you likely would not see the corn. With a looser stool it becomes more prominent. Per WebMD: "Insoluble fibers are considered gut-healthy fiber because they have a laxative effect and add bulk to the diet, helping prevent constipation. These fibers do not dissolve in water, so they pass through the gastrointestinal tract relatively intact, and speed up the passage of food and waste through your gut. Insoluble fibers are mainly found in whole grains and vegetables. Sources of insoluble fiber: whole wheat, whole grains, wheat bran, corn bran, seeds, nuts, barley, couscous, brown rice, bulgur, zucchini, celery, broccoli, cabbage, onions, tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, green beans, dark leafy vegetables, raisins, grapes, fruit, and root vegetable skins."

You might want to back off the insoluble fiber sources for a few days until your stools return to normal. If you continue to have stool changes then follow-up with your MD.