HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Upset gut or UC while on vacation

Support Forums
>
Ulcerative Colitis
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 9/20/2016 2:45 PM (GMT 0)
Looking foot suggestions add I'm on a bit of a survival mode at the moment. I'm on vacation in Italy, one one been waiting to take for months. I've been in remission. Then got the nastiest virus/cold I think I've ever gotten about 2 1/2 weeks ago. The cold lingered on for well over a week, and turned into some sort of bronchial and sinus infection. I was about to leave on my trip ago agreed to a 5 day dose of antibiotics and a 6 day dose of steroids for the infection. I've used then both before with no upset to my UC.

Well of course I've been in Italy for 3 days now and yesterday morning I got so sick, nonstop diaharehea. 5 times in a few hours, I took half a Tylenol/codeine pill and was able to go tu Pompeii for the afternoon. This morning it was worse, 3 bathroom trips in an hour and horrible pain. No blood that I can see though. We has an hour bus ride to our next hotel on the coast so I took a while Codeine pill and that helped me make the trip. Ate pasta for lunch and so far ok just a little gut noise.

I took a cortisone enema last night. Brought then just in case luckily. Do I keep taking those? Keep taking a Codeine pill the next 5 days of my trip till I'm home? I didn't take the last antibiotic last night. My cold or whatever is finally gone. It sucks to be here and I can't eat pizza or gelato or drink limoncello for fear of getting sick now. I'm not sure if this is a UC flare up or just the antibiotic or what? I'm on vacation far from home though and I need to do whatever I can with what I have to make it through and somehow enjoy my trip. Any suggestions are welcome. I can't go to a Dr here but hopefully I wouldn't need to anyway.
Posted 9/20/2016 4:45 PM (GMT 0)
Hi....sucks when getting sick is so disrespectful of plans one has, and it never fails to disappoint.

I say yes...absolutely use the enemas...how many do you have and when do you leave for home?

What probiotics do you have? If you dont have any, get some....good ones.

If the tylenol with codeine helps, take one maybe twice a day to help you get through the worst of this.

Try pepto bismol a few times.

Do you take any fibre normally? If yes, take some there as well.

Eat lightly, not really high fat, but do enjoy foods....what goes in eventully comes out anyway. Unless you are getting worse, fever, unusually horrific smelly poo....you can hopefully maintain the status quo.

Keep us updated for sure!

q
Posted 9/20/2016 8:10 PM (GMT 0)
So far ok the rest of today. I had gelato and remained ok. about to eat cream pasta for dinner, similar to my lunch. Better than tomato I figured and lunch went down ok. I really, really hope I can have pizza again add I've been dreaming about it since in Italy last year. It does not get better than here!

I've got my VSL and Ultimate Flora with. Plus my hycosamine, TUMS, gas x, 4 more cortisone enemas. We are here till Sunday so I'll be short 1 enema. But I also have my mesalamine enemas with. And more than enough Codeine pills. Hopefully that will all be enough. I got to enjoy the rest of today here in Amalfi so I'll take it minute by minute and see.
Posted 9/20/2016 11:11 PM (GMT 0)
looking for suggestions: stop drinking tap water and ice cubes. drink only bottled water, bottled drinks (beer, wine), no fruit already cut up (might have been rinsed), no lettuce (rinsed), only eat cooked food.

Traveler's Diarrhea happens to many people, not just UC'ers. It's not that the bacteria is bad, it's just different than what your gut is used to and causes problems.

Good luck on the rest of your vacay.
Posted 9/21/2016 1:19 AM (GMT 0)
If you can get S. Boullardi - a probiotic - might help greatly.
Also have some activated charcoal if it is food related poisoning.
If it is digestion related then try some pepto Bismol .
Posted 9/21/2016 8:22 AM (GMT 0)
Ive only been drinking bottled water, although the tap water is supposed to be fine. Even the restaurants give you bottled water though. Not easy to buy anything in the little towns I'm in, so hopefully what I have will help. Guessing not food poisoning as this isn't a 3rd world country, guessing it was the antibiotics. I hope today is better than yesterday morning. We shall see.
Posted 9/21/2016 9:57 PM (GMT 0)
I always travel with prednisone just incase I flair while on vacation. Also, the antibiotics probably killed the bacteria causing your sinus infection but it also destroyed the flora in your gut too leaving your stomach susceptible to a flair. The same thing happened to me and I got a bad flair because I forgot to take a high probiotic (50+Billion). Now I always have to remember to take a probiotic when I take antibiotics.
Posted 9/21/2016 10:39 PM (GMT 0)
I actually already take 2 very high potency probiotic, VSL and Ultimate Flora Critical Care. I was going to bring Pred but totally forgot. My that I'd want to take it that stuff is horrible on the body.

Luckily today was a better day. 2 small BMs not formed but soft and not diarrhea. And I was able to eat everything I wanted to and even drink a little. Hopefully tomorrow will be good too. The cortisone enemas help but hurt so much when I use them I can barely keep them in. Nothing like the mesalamine ones which are easy to keep in. I had a good day today shopping, walking around a few towns and eating. 1 good day in Italy, let's hope for a few more.
Posted 9/22/2016 12:39 AM (GMT 0)
Sounds good....use the mesalamine then if you have them.

Enjoy the rest of your Holiday!

q
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply