Suffering From Watery Stools, Headache, Dry Cough, Low Appetite And Chills. Is This Due To Virus?

Posted on Sun, 1 Dec 2013

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Sun, 1 Dec 2013 Answered on

Mon, 23 Dec 2013 Last reviewed on

Question : 3 days ago woke up with acid reflux more than usual. i take protonix everyday. later in the day i couldnt eat much before feeling full or sick. later in the evening had lots of watery stools, chills, GERD. next day a litlle better, appetite still low, watery stools began later in the evening. today the chills are gone, the gerd is low, my appetite is better than yesterday. thought i was better until passing gas lead to more watery stools, some cramping. havnt had a normal bale movement since wednesday. been taking some imodium at night. is this a virus or soemthing else? also have been experiencing dry cough and some sinus headaches the whole time.

Answered by Dr. Praveen (1 hour later)

Brief Answer: Gastroenteritis seems to be viral origin Detailed Answer: Hi.Thanks for writing on XXXXXXX In my opinion watery diarrhea (with or without vomiting), headache, chills usually appear after 12 to 48 hours of exposure to gastroenteritis causing virus and subsides within 1 to 3 days. Imodium reduces the bowel movement and gives symptomatic relief.However normal bowel should restore within a day or two.Viral gastroenteritis resolve over time without specific treatment. Antibiotics are not effective against viral infections.Drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration. However, you may need a consultation with your doctor if you are having high fever, increasing bowel movement, tiredness etc. Hope this answers your query. Keep us posted for further queries.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vaishalee Punj