Diarrhea, Pain, Fatigue, and More

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

• Diarrhea
• Pain
• Fatigue
• Weight Loss
• Sores
• Symptoms Are Tricky
• More

Ulcerative colitis affects your colon, which is part of your digestive system. A lot of things can cause trouble in that general area, so how do you know what it feels like to have ulcerative colitis?

It depends on how severe it is, and on what part of your colon is affected.

Also, symptoms can come and go. You might not have any for weeks, months, or even years, and then they come back. Chances are about 50-50 that the effects will be mild.

Still, most people with the disease have a few common issues:

The most common sign is diarrhea with blood or pus in it. You might notice it in the toilet after you go. But it’s possible to have blood in your stool and not be able to see it.

If your disease is severe, the urge to empty your colon can come on fast and furious. You might be able to predict when it will happen. You might have to go to the bathroom soon after you eat. Certain kinds of foods, like spicy dishes or food with lots of fiber, might make it worse.

But other times, the urge to go is unpredictable. It can even wake you up when you’re asleep.

It might be tough to hold diarrhea in and make it to the bathroom in time. Sometimes you may feel like you still have to go even though you just went, like you didn’t empty your colon.

Find out more on what causes diarrhea.

Belly pain from ulcerative colitis can feel crampy, like a charley horse in your gut. It can happen before a bowel movement or while you’re going.

Other parts of your body might hurt as well. Some people with the disease have sore joints. Others’ eyes hurt when they look at bright lights.

Read more on joint pain with ulcerative colitis.

Ulcerative colitis causes several problems that can make you feel very tired:

• Nausea and loss of appetite keeps you from eating, which leaves your body low on fuel.
• Diarrhea and swelling in your colon make it hard for your body to absorb what it needs for energy.
• Bleeding in your colon leaves you with too few red blood cells, or anemia.
• You don’t get enough sleep because you get up often at night to go to the bathroom.
• You’re dehydrated because of diarrhea.

Know what to expect with ulcerative colitis and how to manage it.

Diarrhea, loss of appetite, and not being able to absorb calories from your food can make you lose weight. Learn more about the nutritional needs for ulcerative colitis.

Ulcerative colitis can cause canker sores in your mouth and sores on your skin. You might also get rashes. Read more about skin problems linked to ulcerative colitis.

What you have might not be ulcerative colitis. Many conditions make you tired. Other gut problems can give you diarrhea and crampy belly pain, like:

• Crohn’s disease, which causes pain and swelling in other places in your gut, not just your colon
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• An infection

The only way to know why you have symptoms is to see your doctor and get tested. If you already know you have ulcerative colitis, call your doctor if your problems get worse or don’t go away, even if you’re already getting treatment. Find out what your treatment options are for ulcerative colitis.

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Signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer

The signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer include indigestion, pain in your tummy or back, changes to your poo, losing weight without meaning to, and jaundice.

This page lists the symptoms of pancreatic cancer, and explains what to do if you are worried about any of these symptoms.

Pancreatic cancer affects men and women in the same way. Someone with pancreatic cancer may not have all the symptoms listed here, as the symptoms can vary for each person.

Pancreatic cancer often doesn’t cause symptoms in the early stages. As the cancer grows, it may start to cause symptoms. The symptoms may not be specific to pancreatic cancer, and they may come and go to begin with. This can make pancreatic cancer hard to diagnose.

These symptoms can be caused by lots of things other than pancreatic cancer. If you are feeling unwell and you have any of the symptoms on this page, speak to your GP to check if there is anything wrong.

The information here is about the most common type of pancreatic cancer, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Rarer pancreatic neuroendocrine cancers (also called pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours or pancreatic NETs) may cause some of these symptoms, as well as other symptoms.

What are the symptoms of pancreatic cancer?

Common symptoms include:

Indigestion causes a painful, burning feeling in your chest. It can also leave a bitter, unpleasant taste in your mouth.

Indigestion can be a symptom of pancreatic cancer, but it can also be a symptom of more common problems and not due to pancreatic cancer. Speak to your GP if you get indigestion a lot, especially if you have any of the other symptoms here.

Tummy pain or back pain, or sometimes both, are common symptoms of pancreatic cancer. The pain may start as general discomfort or tenderness in the tummy area and spread to the back.

Some people have no pain at all, and pain can vary from person to person. For example, it may come and go at first but become more constant over time. It can be worse when lying down. Sitting forward can sometimes make it feel better. It may be worse after eating.

If you have lost weight without meaning to and have tummy or back pain, your GP should refer you for an urgent CT scan or ultrasound scan within 2 weeks.

Pancreatic cancer can cause diarrhoea (runny poo) and constipation (when you find it harder to poo). If you have diarrhoea for more than 7 days and you don’t know why, call NHS 111 or your GP. If you have lost weight and have diarrhoea or constipation, your GP should refer you for an urgent CT scan or ultrasound scan within 2 weeks.

Pancreatic cancer can also cause pale, oily poo. This is called steatorrhoea. Poo may be large, bulky, smell horrible, and may float and be difficult to flush down the toilet. This is caused by fat in the poo. It happens if pancreatic cancer has affected your digestion, so that fat in your food isn’t digested properly.

Losing a lot of weight without meaning to can be a symptom of pancreatic cancer. The pancreas plays an important role in digesting food and controlling your blood sugar levels. Pancreatic cancer can affect this and cause weight loss.

If you have lost weight and don’t know why, you should see your GP to find out what is causing this.

Your GP should refer you to have an urgent CT scan within 2 weeks if you have lost weight and have any of the following symptoms:

• tummy or back pain
• feeling sick or being sick
• diarrhoea (runny poo)
• constipation (when you find it harder to poo)
• or you have been diagnosed with diabetes in the last year.

If a CT scan isn’t available, you may be sent for an ultrasound scan.

Signs of jaundice include yellow skin and eyes. Yellow skin may be less obvious if you have brown or black skin, but you may notice the white part of your eyes looks yellow. You can see photographs of jaundice on the NHS website.

Jaundice can also cause dark pee, pale poo and itchy skin. Some people also feel sick, lose weight, lose their appetite, or feel tired.

Pancreatic cancer can cause jaundice by blocking the bile duct. The bile duct is the tube that takes bile from the liver to the duodenum (the first part of the small intestine). Bile is a fluid made by the liver to help digest food.

Jaundice can be caused by other non-cancerous conditions such as gallstones and hepatitis (inflammation of the liver), or other cancers.

If you think you have jaundice, go to your GP or A&E straight away.

Other symptoms you might get include:

Losing your appetite and not feeling like eating can be a symptom of pancreatic cancer, but it can also be caused by other things. Speak to your GP if you have lost your appetite and you don’t know why.

Diabetes is a condition where the amount of sugar in the blood (blood sugar level) is too high. The pancreas produces a hormone called insulin, which helps to control the blood sugar level.

Pancreatic cancer can stop the pancreas producing enough insulin, which can cause diabetes.

Symptoms of diabetes include:

• feeling very thirsty
• peeing more often than normal, especially at night
• losing weight quickly
• feeling tired.

Speak to your GP if you have been diagnosed with diabetes in the last 6-12 months and have any other symptoms listed on this page. You should also speak to your GP if you have diabetes that has become more difficult to control recently.

Your GP should refer you for an urgent CT scan within 2 weeks if you have lost weight and have been diagnosed with diabetes recently.

The pancreas plays an important role in breaking down food (digestion). It’s common for pancreatic cancer to cause problems with eating and digesting food.

Symptoms of this include feeling full up quickly when you eat, a bloated tummy, lots of wind, and burping. But these symptoms can be common problems and aren’t usually due to pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer can make you feel sick or be sick (nausea and vomiting). If you are being sick for more than 2 days and you don’t know why, call NHS 111 or go to A&E.

If you have lost weight without meaning to and have nausea or vomiting, your GP should refer you for an urgent CT scan or an ultrasound scan within 2 weeks.

Pancreatic cancer can cause blood to form clots in a vein. This is known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Blood clots often happen in your lower leg, but they can happen anywhere in your arms or legs.

Some people don’t get any symptoms of blood clots. Other people may have some pain, swelling or redness in the area of the clot, and the affected area might feel warm to touch. If you have any of these symptoms it’s important to speak to your GP straight away. These symptoms can be caused by other things, but it’s worth having them checked.

Sometimes, part of a blood clot can break off and travel to the lungs, where it can cause a blockage. This is called a pulmonary embolism (PE). This is serious and may cause sudden shortness of breath or chest pain. It’s important to see a GP if you have these symptoms. Or go to A&E if you can’t get in touch with your GP.

Fatigue is when you feel very tired all the time, even if you rest. It can be exhausting and draining.

If you have fatigue and you don’t know why, speak to your GP about what may be causing it and if there is anything that can help.

Less common symptoms

There are also some less common symptoms of pancreatic cancer. These include a fever, shivering, and generally feeling unwell or not quite right. Some people also feel like they can’t swallow their food properly. This may be because the cancer can make you feel full quickly when you eat. Depression and anxiety without any obvious cause may also be a symptom.

What should I do if I have symptoms?

If you have jaundice, go to your GP or A&E straight away.

If you have any of the other symptoms and you don’t know why you have them, go to your GP or contact NHS 111. NHS 111 will give you advice and arrange for you to talk to a doctor if you need to.

Give the GP or NHS 111 a good description of your symptoms. Mention anything unusual, even if you are not sure if it’s relevant. Read more about visiting your GP. You might find our tips for talking to your GP helpful.

It’s important to remember that having these symptoms doesn’t always mean that you have pancreatic cancer, but you should get them checked out. These symptoms can be caused by more common things, or health conditions such as pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas), stomach ulcer, gallstones, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and hepatitis (inflammation of the liver). They can also sometimes be signs of other cancers, so you should always get them checked out.

If your symptoms get worse or you develop any new symptoms, you should always see your GP. If your symptoms don’t improve, go back to your GP and ask for tests to find out if there is any condition causing them. You could keep a diary of your symptoms to show the GP.

• What could be causing these symptoms?
• Are there any tests I should be referred for?
• How long will I have to wait for tests?
• If these symptoms don’t get better, how soon should I come back and see you?
• Is there anything I can do to help with the symptoms?
• Where can I get more information or support?

Personal experiences of symptoms

”My stools were pale and refused to flush. I didn’t think much of it as I didn’t feel unwell at all, but I decided to go and see the doctor just to be sure.’’

”I realised I was losing weight a lot quicker than I had expected, and I began to be concerned. I had also noticed my urine was getting very dark and I had a pain in my back, and my stools really weren’t normal – I just knew something wasn’t right.’’

Download or order our symptoms materials

Download our fact sheet to read more about the signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer.

You can also order free leaflets and posters to raise awareness about the symptoms of pancreatic cancer.

Download the fact sheet

References

If you would like the references to the sources used to write this information, email us at [email protected]

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the following people who reviewed our information on symptoms.

• Achla Damania, GP, Cheshire
• Ganesh Radhakrishna, Consultant Clinical Oncologist, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester
• Pippa G Corrie, Consultant Medical Oncologist, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (Addenbrooke’s Hospital) and Affiliated Assistant Professor, University of Cambridge
• Stephen Pereira, Institute for Liver & Digestive Health, University College London
• Weiqi Liao, Cancer Epidemiologist and Data Scientist, University of Oxford
• Willie Hamilton, Professor of Primary Care Diagnostics, University of Exeter
• Pancreatic Cancer UK Information Volunteers
• Pancreatic Cancer UK Specialist Nurses

Updated September 2022

Review date September 2024

Stomach hurts after coronavirus: what to do?

Most post-COVID symptoms are similar to those of COVID-19 itself. The top 5 most common residual symptoms of coronavirus infection are fatigue (58%), headache (44%), difficulty concentrating (27%), hair loss (25%) and shortness of breath (24%) [2]. Most often, post-COVID symptoms are associated with the lungs, cardiovascular and nervous system. Digestive disorders are less common, but also characteristic – they are noted in about 12% of those who have been ill [2]. In addition to abdominal pain, after covid-19may be disturbed by loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and bloating [2, 3].

Why does my stomach hurt with COVID-19?

Although COVID-19 is classified as a respiratory infection, it can also affect the digestive tract. ACE2 receptors, which serve as a gateway for this new coronavirus, are present not only in the lungs, but also in the intestines [3, 4]. Therefore, the virus can also cause inflammation there, which in some patients is manifested by diarrhea and abdominal pain [4]. In fact, we are talking about an acute intestinal infection caused by a coronavirus.

Possible causes of abdominal pain after corona are irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or functional dyspepsia after infectious diarrhea [3, 6]. The risk of developing IBS is especially high in the case of [4]: ​​

• prolonged diarrhea;
• antibiotic treatment;
• weight loss;
• stress.

This is common in patients with COVID-19 and diarrhea [4]. However, these functional digestive disorders usually have a favorable prognosis and their symptoms resolve completely after weeks or months [3].

Abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, and diarrhea can also be manifestations of dysbacteriosis, which often occurs against the background of COVID-19 [5, 6]. It has been proven that coronavirus infection can disrupt the intestinal microflora due to an increase in the number of pathogenic microbes and a decrease in the number of “beneficial” bacteria [6]. Restoring the microbial balance of the gut can help relieve residual symptoms.

When should you see a doctor?

Minor side effects of the digestive tract after suffering from COVID-19are usually successfully treated with over-the-counter drugs. But if the symptoms do not go away for a long time, it is better to see a doctor, even if you are not sure if this is due to a coronavirus infection [3].

In summary, COVID-19 can cause not only respiratory symptoms, but also digestive symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. In some patients, these disorders persist even after the end of an acute infection. The cause of their occurrence may be the consequences of intestinal inflammation and disorders of the intestinal microflora. Usually, abdominal pain and other digestive disorders go away on their own, but in case of prolonged and severe symptoms, you should consult a doctor.

References:

1. WHO Coronavirus (COVID-19) Dashboard https://covid19.who.int/
2. Lopez-Leon, S., Wegman-Ostrosky, T., Perelman, C. et al. More than 50 long-term effects of COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sci Rep 11, 16144 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-95565-8
3. Molly Chiu. Addressing post-COVID-19 gastrointestinal symptoms. July 16, 2021 https://blogs.bcm.edu/2021/07/16/addressing-post-covid-19-gastrointestinal-symptoms/
4. Dipasquale, V., Passanisi, S., Cucinotta, U. et al. Implications of SARS-COV-2 infection in the diagnosis and management of the pediatric gastrointestinal disease. Ital J Pediatr 47, 71 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13052-021-01020-9
5. What Causes Dysbiosis and How Is It Treated? Medically reviewed by Saurabh Sethi, M.D., MPH. Written by Tim Jewell — Updated on February 1, 2019 https://www.healthline.com/health/digestive-health/dysbiosis#symptoms
6. Nalbandian, A., Sehgal, K., Gupta, A. et al. Post-acute COVID-19 syndrome. Nat Med 27, 601–615 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-021-01283-z

Enterol 187 01.09.21

Post-covid in children the consequences of coronavirus

What complications does the new coronavirus infection in children after an illness and what pay attention – we analyze in the article.

The article was checked by the pediatrician of the clinic Euromed Kids Likhacheva Maria Nikolaevna.

Everyone has heard the term more than once 52 complications after coronovirus infection ?

More and more parents are asking this question every day. They are concerned about the condition of their children who suffered from the coronavirus COVID-19.

Despite the fact that the child has fewer specific receptors on which the infection multiplies (i.e. the disease in most cases is milder than in older people), there are still certain consequences of even asymptomatic coronavirus in children.

In some cases, they may also appear six months after recovery .

Unfortunately, since this problem is still little studied, there are no accurate statistics and clear ways to deal with fasting syndrome in young patients.

For example, there is an observation that children aged 12 and older are more affected by this condition . But, as mentioned earlier, there is no exact data yet.

Now scientists and doctors around the world are investigating the so-called Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome / multi-inflammatory syndrome after coronavirus (MIS-C) .

MIS is a rare but very serious condition in a child associated with previous covid. Inflammatory processes can start in any part of the body including the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes, and abdominal organs. No one knows exactly the number of children who suffer from this disease at the moment, since this issue began to be raised quite recently.

Postcoagulant multisystemic inflammation (mentioned MIS-C) in children most commonly presents as follows:

• Abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea
• Temperature
• Chest pain and stiffness
• Fatigue and fatigue
• Headaches pain
• Insomnia
• Low blood pressure
• Neck pain
• Rash or skin discoloration
• Eye redness
• Lack of appetite
• Pain in muscles and joints
• Changes in smells and tastes

According to medical research regarding MIS-C, it was also revealed that the percentage of babies diagnosed with heart failure after suffering a coronavirus infection is quite high. They have an expansion of the coronary vessels, a decrease in the ability of the heart to pump oxygenated blood into the tissues of the body. Some children have developed myocarditis after coronavirus .

Based on real clinical practice, according to pediatrician pediatrician Euromed Kids , the above symptoms may indeed occur in younger patients who have had COVID-19.

We talked with the doctor about the most common complaints in children and tried to divide them into age groups.

In infants , phenomena of the so-called “post-covid” syndrome are quite rare. More often, as we said above, schoolchildren and teenagers suffer from complications after coronavirus.

During the summer period at the reception, as Dr. Likhacheva notes, she observed at least 20 children who were diagnosed with signs of the so-called “post-covid syndrome”.

The doctor notes that most of them are teenagers or children with chronic pathology, aggravated after suffering covid. Usually just this group is more prone to violations of taste and smell. As for children of school and preschool age, they often have a decrease in general immunity.

If your child has been ill with covid, has a fever or cough after the coronavirus, or if you are experiencing problems with other organs and systems, you should immediately contact a specialist. Even if the disease is mild, it is important to consult a pediatrician for timely diagnosis and, if necessary, treatment.

👉🏻 You can make an appointment with a pediatrician, an infectious disease doctor online on the website or by calling +7 812 331 00 00

An important aspect that will help prevent the severe course of the consequences of covid is timely diagnosis of post-covid complications and rehabilitation.

Rehabilitation of children who have suffered moderate and severe coronavirus requires special attention.

The recommended minimum that can be prescribed by a doctor to assess the effects of covid may include:

• Laboratory tests to assess the main indicators of the cardiovascular, renal systems and gastrointestinal tract.
• Functional studies (ultrasound of the heart, ECHO-KG, assessment of respiratory function, etc.)
• X-ray of the chest
• Ultrasound of the abdominal organs, etc.

only after consultation and careful examination.

Also, do not forget about the general rehabilitation of children after the coronavirus. In fact, even if a child had mild covid, doctors strongly recommend that parents pay attention to:

• Sufficient sleep
• Proper, healthy and balanced nutrition
• Compliance with the daily and rest regimen
• Physical activity (swimming pool, physiotherapy exercises, massages).

It is important to discuss the beginning of active physical activity and the child’s readiness for it after suffering from coronavirus with your doctor.