I had a confirmed case of UC and had my J Pouch done in 2012. I haven't really had many problems since then. But over the past year, something strange has been going on and I wonder if it could be COVID related or if that's just a red herring. These episodes have happened at least four times over the past year and a half. Stick with me - There's a lot to explain here:

Every few months, I get these weird episodes where I get extremely fatigued, suddenly out of nowhere, and totally lose my appetite and start craving nothing but extremely salty foods. And then, since I don't eat, my BMs become extremely watery from the lack of food, which causes me to lose a lot of salt and become dehydrated if I don't stay on top of it. I don't know if I would use the word diarrhea, because I'm not going an excessive number of times and I don't have urgency, but I guess you could technically call it that. I don't have any pain or nausea or anything. I don't typically get a fever when this happens.

But a few months ago, around April or May of this year, (2023) I did have a 100 degree temperature, just randomly for one day, seemingly for no reason. On the day that I had the random fever, I had no other respiratory symptoms or anything and I felt fine the next day. On that day, I didn't have the diarrhea or the low salt symptoms or anything.

The first time this happened in April of last year, I actually had to go to the ER for an IV bag because my salt levels dropped dangerously low. I tested negative for COVID both at home and at the hospital, so I thought I just had some weird stomach bug because I worked in the two year old class at a childcare center. I ate a ton of salt and increased my fiber intake and I was fine in a few days.

Then a few months later in July, I actually got COVID. I had a stuffed up nose and sore throat, and achy muscles, the typical respiratory virus symptoms. It didn't really affect me much, gastrointestinally. I made sure to stave off dehydration by drinking a ton of Liquid IV and eating regularly, even if I didn't feel like it.

Then a few months later in December of last year, (2022,) I had one of the weird episodes again. I started the day feeling fine, but then just got hit with a wave of fatigue out of nowhere over the course of about an hour. And I was having these weird cravings for sushi. I later realized it wasn't necessarily the sushi I was craving, but the salty soy sauce that comes with it. I actually had the urge to get a bottle of soy sauce from my refrigerator and drink some of it. And I hadn't even had any watery BMs yet, at that point. That's what was so weird about it. I didn't have a temperature and my COVID test was negative again.

Knowing what was coming, I made sure to load up on the Liquid IV. I was able to avoid going to the ER again because I drank a whopping 15 cups of the stuff in one day! I think I did have a sore throat and stuffed up nose, but not right away. About a week later, I was back to normal.

Now this seems to be happening again. Tuesday (10-3-22) I wasn't feeling right so I did a COVID test. It was negative. But yesterday, (Thursday,) I found out a co-worker who I had just had close contact with the day before, tested positive for COVID. I've been feeling extreme fatigue and it's really hard for me to eat anything because my appetite is 0. I'm not really having the weird salt cravings this time, but I think it might just be because I'm making an effort to eat a lot of salty foods before I have a problem. Also, last night, I think I may have had bloody diarrhea twice, but I'm not 100% sure that it was blood that came out of me. I did have strawberry syrup in the morning with breakfast and I'm praying to God that's all it was, but something I ate for breakfast normally wouldn't be in my system that late at night. I did another COVID test yesterday that was also negative.

But I wonder if it's possible that maybe I do actually have COVID and the test have just all been false negatives for some reason. I'm not having any respiratory symptoms, but I wonder if I have some weird variation that is affecting me intestinally without causing respiratory symptoms. Is that possible? Would it help if I got a PCR test, since all the at home ones I'm doing are the antigen test? I just find it suspicious that every time this seems to happen to me, it seems to happen right after I've been exposed to, or have good reason to think I may have been exposed to, someone with COVID.

The first time, I worked at a childcare center, which everyone knows is germ central. The second time, I had quit that job, but I was working a gig at a kids birthday party place right before I got sick again. And now I have a completely different job that doesn't involve kids, but this is happening again right after a COVID exposure.

I've talked to my primary care doctor about this, but he didn't have any good ideas and didn't really help me. I think he's just as clueless as I am. I don't know what I can do, other than just hope this doesn't happen again.

I have been vaccinated for COVID 3 times between 2021 and 2022, with the Moderna vaccine. Also, when I did test positive last year, it was with one of those test you have the plastic rectangular thing that tells you the results, like a pregnancy test. All the other test I've done that were negative were the other kind with the cardboard card that folds in half. I don't know if that could potentially make a difference. Is the plastic stick one a PCR test, or are all the at home ones antigen test?

btw, I actually never saw a gastroenterologist since my surgery, because I can't find any who take Medicaid in my area, that I feel comfortable traveling to on my own. I live in Central NJ and the only people I trust to touch my pouch are people at Mount Sinai in NYC, and getting there is not possible for me. The reason why is a long story and this post is already long enough.

I do see a primary care doctor for physicals every year and my blood work is always fine.