A stomach virus exacerbated my existing food sensitivities

It’s the time of year when illness starts whipping through the school halls like wildfire. Recently, we’ve had students out with seemingly everything you can think of, including flu, bronchitis, pneumonia, standard colds, and stomach bugs.

As a teacher, I’m pretty well immune to most bugs after more than a decade in the classroom, but of course, I sometimes still pick one up. The latest round was a touch of the stomach virus that’s been making its way around, which added to how sensitive my gastrointestinal (GI) system already tends to be from my Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) and alpha-gal syndrome. Not fun.

Generally speaking, I’m quite lucky when it comes to stomach viruses. I rarely get the full effect; instead, I tend to have milder symptoms, like a churning and upset stomach with everything I eat. That can last for several days. Don’t get me wrong; I’d much rather have that than the “normal” version of a stomach bug, but my version creates its own set of issues, especially when combined with the multitude of food sensitivities I already have.

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I’ve had troubles with my GI system for years, but the underlying reason was never clear until my EDS diagnosis. Then it all made sense — and I’ve since learned that it’s an issue I share with many others who have EDS. Processed foods seldom sit well with me, and too much fried food can be a problem as well. I can have both in moderation. When I was a kid, for example, I could have either chicken tenders or french fries and not get a stomachache, but I couldn’t have both.

That’s remained the case as I’ve gotten older, and I’ve become more sensitive since being diagnosed with alpha-gal syndrome. Alpha-gal has nothing to do with my EDS-related food sensitivities. It’s an allergy to a specific protein found in food from all mammals (including beef and pork) or mammalian-derived items (such as gelatin). Keeping my GI system happy is a delicate balance.

When I was dealing with this recent stomach bug, everything I ate seemed to upset my stomach. I felt bloated, uncomfortable, and queasy. When my system is out of whack, my go-to foods tend to be fruit and bread. For whatever reason, those two items don’t usually bother me, even though most people run away from most fruit when they have a stomach virus. I don’t understand it, but I’ve learned the patterns and simply roll with them. If it makes me feel better and is reasonably healthy, I don’t question it!

After about five days of the virus, I finally started to feel better. I was able to eat more normally again, and I could branch out a bit on my food options.

Despite that, the illness was a good reminder that overall I tend to do better when eating items made from scratch; even when I’m not sick, foods with lots of preservatives just don’t sit well with me. And I never fry food at home; I only eat that as a treat when I go to Chick-fil-A or somewhere similar and have french fries with my grilled nuggets.

But this experience reminded me to reprioritize preparing healthy food on Sunday for the coming week, including snacks. It takes time, but it’s worth it considering how much better it helps me feel.

Note: Ehlers-Danlos News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Ehlers-Danlos News or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to Ehlers-Danlos.