So I've now had diarrhoea for the last 6 days (can only be BB300 related), and I'm wondering... shouldn't it have cleared up by now?

I've also tried three full courses of immodium / varieties of which have had precisely zero effect. So I'm guessing whatever it is I have isn't just your garden variety stomach bug.

Anyone else ever had this after a ride? No river water either, aside from what got splashed up at me. I'm feeling pretty miserable, and I've lost about 10% of my body weight.

Think you need to go see your GP. Specimen I am affraid.
Don’t take immodium. Counter productive if infective.

Gasman wrote:Don’t take immodium. Counter productive if infective.

Interesting. Why is that?

I'd go see the GP. Maybe cow/sheep sub standard infected splash up? Forgot my glasses one sloppy ride and got terrible eye infection from it.

I'd not take immodium either, better to get it all out. Make sure you're getting enough fluid and electrolytes before you see the doc. I'm assuming you're not vomiting too?

Richard G wrote:I've lost about 10% of my body weight.

Id go and see a doctor if its been a week

Yeah, I've literally had to go and register (don't have a doctor yet at new address).

Got to try and phone them tomorrow morning for an appointment.

Main problem I have now is I can't eat anything. No appetite, and when i do force myself to eat it tastes all wrong. I literally went out and bought a bunch of stuff that the fatfighters thread would murder to eat but I don't fancy any of it. I'm able to drink more than I could though, which is something, though the more I drink, the more I have to get rid of...

I had Welsh Sheep Sh!t Guts (cryptosporidium?) a couple of weeks ago. Passed through in about 36 hours so sounds like you've got something more persistent parasite-esque.

As someone else said you should knock the Immodium on the head - it should only be used for short-term relief.

Richard G wrote:
Anyone else ever had this after a ride? No river water either, aside from what got splashed up at me. I'm feeling pretty miserable, and I've lost about 10% of my body weight.

I had a nasty bug after riding the SDW, unfortunately it hit on the journey home....vomiting all the way up the A34 and for 2 days afterward followed by a change of ends. It took 10 days to feel right.

I did think it might have been a virus from some of the water I filtered or food poisoning but apparently there have been some nasty stomach bugs around.

Not fun

Maybe not A&E worthy, but isn't there a walk in clinic anywhere on your area?

As per above...get off the Immodium. It's only good when you're in the middle of nowhere and don't have the option to wash your shorts 3 times a day.

10% of your body weight? Don't breathe in...you'll disappear down a crack in the floor. :)

Greetz

S.

I should note I tried it on day 1, day 3 and day 6 rather than being on it constantly.

Didn't even slow things down.

There might be a walk in clinic nearby. Main problem is that it's a bit of a struggle to go anywhere right now, unless I buy an adult nappy or something.

Edit - Also, the massive immune system suppression of 34 hours of riding / pushing / weeping without sleep probably accounts in part for why my body hasn't been able to deal with it. Getting up every couple of hours to uhh... use the facilities hasn't exactly helped me recover either.

I had similar after BB200 2014. But yours sounds worse so get down the GP/walk in pronto.

Richard G wrote:So I've now had diarrhoea for the last 6 days (can only be BB300 related), and I'm wondering... shouldn't it have cleared up by now?

I've also tried three full courses of immodium / varieties of which have had precisely zero effect. So I'm guessing whatever it is I have isn't just your garden variety stomach bug.

Anyone else ever had this after a ride? No river water either, aside from what got splashed up at me. I'm feeling pretty miserable, and I've lost about 10% of my body weight.

I had similar with a fever and headache last week on Monday after BB200, but it was more or less cleared up by middle of last week. I did drink a lot of sheep water and I wasn't very disciplined with the purification tablets this time. I've always gotten away with it in the past, but it got me this time.

Sounds like yours is something more persistent. I had parasites a few times whilst cycle touring Central and South America. It's generally not something that clears up by itself. We had to take some powerful drugs on a few occasions and it left us with mild persisting symptoms for months afterwards.

Important thing about loperamide (Imodium) is that at best all it does is stop the diarrhoea. It does not treat anything, simply disguises the symptoms of a disease.
Diarrhoea over 6 days associated with weight loss needs medical attention.
Given the conditions last weekend just about anything could have sprayed up into your face. Some of which may be serious if left untreated. You may of course simply be recovering poorly.
Having had symptoms for 6 days your illness by definition is not for the emergency department at your local hospital.
If you can't see your GP then phone 111 and they will direct you to the relevant local service.
I'd recommend you ring now if you haven't already.
(Ex RAF and current NHS ICU nurse)

immodium is like duct tape.

ive had guardia and a colleague had typhoid.

both times the doctor said - the worst thing you can do is immodium. Your body is trying to flush the bugs out. Immodium is not going to cure it , its just a loss prevention material till you can get the drugs that will cure it.

get to the doctors.

Rich, I suffered very similar symptons to you after the TCW double. Off work for a week and wiped out for 4 days with bad guts. I put it down to a bug picked up, and running my immune system right down to the wire.

Sadly they're not going to do anything for me until they get the results back on the sample. This illness has cost me a small fortune. =/

Hopefully you won't be tempted to use that nice new quilt before you get your tum sorted out. Then again there's no bottom to it, and it'd be quick to escape from anyway. Sorry Rich, black humour . Sorry you're still under the weather .

Richard G wrote:Sadly they're not going to do anything for me until they get the results back on the sample. This illness has cost me a small fortune. =/

That figures. At least you've given a sample in and if you do have something treatable it'll get sorted.
Rest and fluids/electrolytes for now.

Apparently it's Campylobacter, and annoyingly it's still going on.

Heh..."is a genus of Gram-negative bacteria". For a weight weenie like yourself, why does this not surprise me? :)

Greetz

S.

Its been doing it's best to make me "gram-negative".

Richard G wrote:Apparently it's Campylobacter, and annoyingly it's still going on.

Oh no still not any better. My wife was asking if I'd heard how you were doing just last night. Any idea where you picked it up from? We drunk from the same taps for the section we rode together and I'm ok so I assume it wasn't from any of them.

Don't add this one to the BB traditions of meeting me just after it's got dark and multiple times pumping up your tyre for a finish!

Are they giving you anything for that then, or is it just a case of waiting it out?

I can only assume it's something that got splashed up / onto my gloves and into my mouth when eating.

...and no, I'd rather not repeat this. If nothing else it's set back my training a decent way.

Edit - Supposedly antibiotics if it's gone on a long time, which it has. I have to call tomorrow to speak to a doctor.