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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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What Causes Gastroenteritis?

Hi,I ve had diarrhoea for 8 days now, including passing just mucus on several occasions, my appetite is slowly improving and I have had no fever to speak of.It began with a lot of abdominal discomfort and nausea, which has lessened as the days continued. For the last couple of days, I ve had a funny, fluttery feeling in my chest along with my heartbeat thudding in my back.I ve been to two doctors and they both have said its a long-lasting case of gastroenteritis, but I m still worried.
posted on Mon, 2 Jun 2014
Twitter Sun, 22 Jun 2014 Answered on
Twitter Mon, 23 Jun 2014 Last reviewed on
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Internal Medicine Specialist,  's  Response
Hello,
8 days are too many for the usual cases of gastroenteritis. If my patients have ongoing symptoms and no signs of improvement after a couple of days then I suggest stool tests. A stool culture is imperative but other tests can be useful as well like testing for red blood cells and signs of inflammation and also for parasites depending on your history.
Since your symptoms are getting better, your worries should be lessened. I still have to say though, that your doctor should evaluate the complete history and physical examination in order to tell you if you need more tests or not. Important factors include the prior antibiotic use, contact with sick individuals, travel abroad, personal hygiene etc.
I hope you get well soon!
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What Causes Gastroenteritis?

Hello, 8 days are too many for the usual cases of gastroenteritis. If my patients have ongoing symptoms and no signs of improvement after a couple of days then I suggest stool tests. A stool culture is imperative but other tests can be useful as well like testing for red blood cells and signs of inflammation and also for parasites depending on your history. Since your symptoms are getting better, your worries should be lessened. I still have to say though, that your doctor should evaluate the complete history and physical examination in order to tell you if you need more tests or not. Important factors include the prior antibiotic use, contact with sick individuals, travel abroad, personal hygiene etc. I hope you get well soon!