Problems with bowels after covid

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Caat55
Posts: 694
Joined: Sat Dec 23, 2017 6:01 pm

Problems with bowels after covid

Postby Caat55 » Tue Aug 24, 2021 11:30 pm

I was vaccinated in December and January as I am a therapist with kids. My family is very careful, follows guidelines, only gathered in small groups with vaccinated people and I never took off my mask in public places. My husband and I ate our first and only inside meal at an airport while waiting on a delayed flight, fours days later, sneezing, congestion. Used a home test left by a friend as a joke, covid positive. A test at health department confirmed covid. Fortunately, Very mild symptoms, lasted 36 hours.
Ever since though I am having issues with bowels, gassy, leaks like right after reversal. I know break through covid is still relatively rare, but I wonder if past treatment made me a higher risk? If the symptoms I am experiencing are part of covid stuff or just a coincidence?
Anyone have any thoughts, experience?
Do at 55 y.o. Female
Dx 9/26/17 RC Stage 3
Completed 33 rad. tx, xeolda 12/8/17
MRI and PET 1/18 sign. regression
Surgery 1/31/18 Ileostomy, clean margins, no lymph node involved
Port 3/1/2018
Oxaliplatin and Xeloda start 3/22/18
Last Oxaliplatin 7/5/18, 5 rounds
CT NED 9/2018
PET NED 12/18
Clear Colonoscopy 2/19, 5/20

roadrunner
Posts: 460
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Re: Problems with bowels after covid

Postby roadrunner » Wed Aug 25, 2021 12:26 am

I have seen information indicating that up to 57% of COVID patients (I think that’s symptomatic patients) have GI symptoms (though most put it at a smaller, but significant, number). It is therefore very possible, or even very likely, that the virus affected your GI tract. You didn’t say when you got sick, but recent Israeli studies show that people vaccinated in January and February have significantly lowered protection against infection compared to more recently vaccinated individuals. (Though strong protection against severe disease is longer lasting.) So all of this makes sense, and seems pretty standard. This, and potentially increased vulnerabilities from treatment, appear to make it important for cancer patients and survivors to get a booster dose of vaccine after 5 or 6 months. I hope your symptoms have resolved, or resolve shortly, as your body throws off the infection, as it appears to be doing, and as one would expect in a fully vaccinated individual.
7/19: RC: Staged IIIA, T2N1M0
approx 4.25 cm, low/mid rectum, mod. well diff.; lung micronodule
8/19-10/19 4 rds.FOLFOX neoadjuvant, 3 w/Oxiplatin (reduced 70-75%)
neoadjuvant chemorad 11/19
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ncCR 10/20; biopsies neg
TAE 11/20, tumor cells removed
Chest CT 3/30/21 growth in 2 nodules (3 and 5mm)
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O Stoma Mia
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Joined: Sat Jun 22, 2013 6:29 am
Location: On vacation. Off-line for now.

Re: Problems with bowels after covid

Postby O Stoma Mia » Wed Aug 25, 2021 2:15 am

I don't have much information relevant to your question, but I seem to remember that patients who have had pelvic radiation may experience long-term radiation after-effects years after the original exposure. Maybe what you are experiencing is a long-term radiation flare-up.

On another front, I hope you are keeping safe in the current spate of California wildfires. I think about you every now and then whenever I see the news headlines from California.

Take care ... and keep safe !!
Last edited by O Stoma Mia on Sun Aug 29, 2021 2:31 am, edited 2 times in total.

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CRguy
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Re: Problems with bowels after covid

Postby CRguy » Wed Aug 25, 2021 12:27 pm

Just as kind of an aside here :
Naturally occurring coronavirus infections typically affect either the respiratory system ( COVID ) or the intestinal system ( canine coronavirus ) and may have effects in both, as noted here. There are a whole range of coronaviruses affecting many different host species.
Interestingly, to me anyway, is the fact that in TCM Five Element theory, the Lung and Large Intestine are two complementary Zang Fu organ pairs
SO in that frame of reference it is not surprising at all that we would see both systems affected by these viruses !

Best wishes to all
CRguy
Caregiver x 4
Stage IV A rectal cancer/lung met
17 Year survivor
my life is an ongoing totally randomized UNcontrolled experiment with N=1 !
Review of my Journey so far

stu
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Re: Problems with bowels after covid

Postby stu » Fri Aug 27, 2021 3:43 am

Interesting! We are also seeing lots of double vaccinated people having a covid positive test but with mild symptoms ! I have not tested positive but felt viral and the same symptoms I had straight after being vaccinated. I think I have had previous exposure as both my son and I took covid toes back in Nov ! They went away quickly but despite a freezing Scottish winter they never returned ! Actually I know I had exposure as it was my sister and she was positive !
Has anyone had muscular pain since getting the vaccine?
I have hyper mobile syndrome so always had pain to contend with since giving birth , but this has amplified and suddenly becoming a bit stiff too! Maybe a complete coincidence but thought I would ask ! My bowels also have played up but switched to a low Foodmap diet has quickly calmed that all right down !

I am still glad I took the vaccine and could be something else altogether!
Stu
supporter to my mum who lives a great life despite a difficult diagnosis
stage4 2009 significant spread to liver
2010 colon /liver resection
chemo following recurrence
73% of liver removed
enjoying life treatment free
2016 lung resection
Oct 2017 nice clear scan . Two lung nodules disappeared
Oct 2018. Another clear scan .

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O Stoma Mia
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Location: On vacation. Off-line for now.

Re: Problems with bowels after covid

Postby O Stoma Mia » Tue Aug 31, 2021 1:51 pm

O Stoma Mia wrote:I don't have much information relevant to your question, but I seem to remember that patients who have had pelvic radiation may experience long-term radiation after-effects years after the original exposure. Maybe what you are experiencing is a long-term radiation flare-up.

On another front, I hope you are keeping safe in the current spate of California wildfires. I think about you every now and then whenever I see the news headlines from California.

Take care ... and keep safe !!

rtomlin
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Sep 03, 2018 3:07 pm

Re: Problems with bowels after covid

Postby rtomlin » Sun Sep 05, 2021 6:39 am

Try Imodium if you haven’t already

Caat55
Posts: 694
Joined: Sat Dec 23, 2017 6:01 pm

Re: Problems with bowels after covid

Postby Caat55 » Sun Sep 19, 2021 8:23 pm

O Stoma Mia wrote:I don't have much information relevant to your question, but I seem to remember that patients who have had pelvic radiation may experience long-term radiation after-effects years after the original exposure. Maybe what you are experiencing is a long-term radiation flare-up.

On another front, I hope you are keeping safe in the current spate of California wildfires. I think about you every now and then whenever I see the news headlines from California.

Take care ... and keep safe !!

Thanks for the kind thoughts. It is scary here, our go bags are always packed.
Colon issues have at last settled down. My usual remedy is potatoes but that didn’t help with this. The gas was the worse. I feel lucky to have been so mildly affected.
My vaccinations are now 8 months old . I work with kids so I am staying masked so their sake. I shudder to think that had I not taken that home test would have returned to work and passed it on.
Be safe everyone
Susan
Do at 55 y.o. Female
Dx 9/26/17 RC Stage 3
Completed 33 rad. tx, xeolda 12/8/17
MRI and PET 1/18 sign. regression
Surgery 1/31/18 Ileostomy, clean margins, no lymph node involved
Port 3/1/2018
Oxaliplatin and Xeloda start 3/22/18
Last Oxaliplatin 7/5/18, 5 rounds
CT NED 9/2018
PET NED 12/18
Clear Colonoscopy 2/19, 5/20

Caat55
Posts: 694
Joined: Sat Dec 23, 2017 6:01 pm

Re: Problems with bowels after covid

Postby Caat55 » Sun Sep 19, 2021 8:25 pm

stu wrote:Interesting! We are also seeing lots of double vaccinated people having a covid positive test but with mild symptoms ! I have not tested positive but felt viral and the same symptoms I had straight after being vaccinated. I think I have had previous exposure as both my son and I took covid toes back in Nov ! They went away quickly but despite a freezing Scottish winter they never returned ! Actually I know I had exposure as it was my sister and she was positive !
Has anyone had muscular pain since getting the vaccine?
I have hyper mobile syndrome so always had pain to contend with since giving birth , but this has amplified and suddenly becoming a bit stiff too! Maybe a complete coincidence but thought I would ask ! My bowels also have played up but switched to a low Foodmap diet has quickly calmed that all right down !

I am still glad I took the vaccine and could be something else altogether!
Stu

I have thought about the low Foodmap diet, curious to see how you far. Might help the inflammation.
Susan
Do at 55 y.o. Female
Dx 9/26/17 RC Stage 3
Completed 33 rad. tx, xeolda 12/8/17
MRI and PET 1/18 sign. regression
Surgery 1/31/18 Ileostomy, clean margins, no lymph node involved
Port 3/1/2018
Oxaliplatin and Xeloda start 3/22/18
Last Oxaliplatin 7/5/18, 5 rounds
CT NED 9/2018
PET NED 12/18
Clear Colonoscopy 2/19, 5/20


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