Living with IBS-C? Tell us about your experience. Take our survey here.

My Experience With COVID And IBS

Well, it finally happened. I contracted COVID at the beginning of this month. I felt it was important to share my experience with the community to share more info about COVID with those diagnosed with IBS.

COVID vaccination status and Crohn's disease

In discussing this topic, I also feel that it is necessary to state my vaccination status, as I find it is integral to my journey with COVID. I know this topic is quite controversial, but I think it is important that I share it. So alas, here we go.

I am not vaccinated. In addition to being diagnosed with IBS, I was also diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. Due to this diagnosis, my medical team is quite large and contains many medical professionals. Upon asking all of them their thoughts about the vaccine, I had polarizing responses. It was bizarre.  Some advised me to get it, and others advised me not to. There was no in-between. With the knowledge at hand and applying my research as well, I decided not to vaccinate.

Now that I got that out let's move on to my experience contracting COVID.

COVID symptoms

I knew something was up when I decided to head out for a walk in the blazing Florida sun, but I felt cold enough to wear a sweater. I found it odd, but it was also possible that I had a Crohn’s flare.

Soon after my walk, about an hour or so, I started with a fever. The highest it went was 102 degrees, and it came in waves, meaning I had periods where the fever would break, then return. I was thankful for the breaks, as I had some relief.

In addition to IBS, I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. Sadly I am used to fevers, so I wasn’t very miserable.  In addition, I had the following symptoms that lasted about 3 days: nausea, vomiting, fatigue, chills, cough with phlegm, and occasional diarrhea. Thankfully IBS didn’t act up except for a couple of moments of urgency with diarrhea, but nothing terrible whatsoever.

By day 4, I was functioning again and able to pick up and prepare meals around the house. What stuck with me, unfortunately, was fatigue. Before COVID, I had my fatigue pretty much under control. My energy levels were great, and I was able to function normally. After contracting COVID, the fatigue really set in and lingered for about two to three weeks. I still feel the effects a bit, although it has improved greatly. However, the week after testing positive, the fatigue was intense, and I couldn’t get through the day without a solid 2 or 3-hour nap. I was struggling majorly when it came to energy levels.

My IBS with COVID

Overall, I will share that I would describe my journey of contracting COVID as having a pesky flu.  Don’t get me wrong, when I was sick, I felt terrible. I was in bed and focused on using the humidifier, and nebulizer, applying Eucalyptus oil on my chest, coughing to get the phlegm out, and sleeping upward.

IBS didn’t throw me into a flare, and I was thankful I didn’t have to deal with that on top of the already unpleasant symptoms. In the end, 2 weeks after testing positive, I tested negative.

I hope this helps with adding more information to your box of tools. If you are compelled to share your experience, we are happy to hear from you as sharing is so important. Comment below!

By providing your email address, you are agreeing to our privacy policy.

This article represents the opinions, thoughts, and experiences of the author; none of this content has been paid for by any advertiser. The IrritableBowelSyndrome.net team does not recommend or endorse any products or treatments discussed herein. Learn more about how we maintain editorial integrity here.

Join the conversation

Please read our rules before commenting.

Community Poll

Has a low-FODMAP diet helped your IBS?