Can Norovirus infection symptoms persist beyond three weeks?

Hello doctor,

I am hoping you can help me out. I am a healthy 45-year-old female with no habit of smoking. Three weeks ago, our son began vomiting at night. It was happening every 15 to 30 minutes, so we took him to the ER, and the doctor told us that it was most likely a Norovirus infection because of the recent outbreak around our community. The doctor told us it is very contagious and not to be surprised if he had diarrhea a few days later. That same day my husband and I also began to feel nauseous. We all fell sick for a few days. On the 3rd or 4th day, our son got diarrhea. On the 5th day, my husband got a fever, body aches, and diarrhea. I had diarrhea the following day. My husband and son began to feel better after seven days, but our son was feeling tired for about 10 days. No one healed from this within 48 to 72 hours. It took us all at least a week to feel better. Here is my problem. I am still not feeling well. It has now been three weeks. I have seen my doctor twice. He suggested blood work and said I am fighting some infection. The reports showed high white blood cells and neutrophil counts. Everything else looked fine. He said my kidney function was good, liver enzymes were normal, and my thyroid levels were fine. I got an abdominal ultrasound and CT scan five months back, which was perfectly fine, so he did not suggest a retest. I had a colonoscopy a few years ago, and I was diagnosed with IBS (without polyps).

My doctor agrees with the ER doctor that we have had a Norovirus infection, especially since it is in the community and we all came down with it at the same time. My friend, who is a surgeon, also agrees with that. My doctor and the surgeon both agree that the virus has likely caused my IBS to flare up. I do not have many flare-ups, so I am not used to this. I usually get better from a viral infection within a week or so. As I mentioned, I had diarrhea on day six. I took Pepto-Bismol and did not have a bowel movement for five more days. When I did, it was diarrhea, and I had pain in my stomach (not bowels) with nausea. I took Pepto-Bismol again and did not have a bowel movement for the next seven days. I finally had one yesterday, and it was not diarrhea, but after that, my bowels became sore, and it has been the same for about 12 hours. My stomach is upset. I feel nauseous every day. Some days it is worse than other days. My stomach and bowels are gurgling a lot, and I am sure it is because of gastritis. Sometimes I even feel like I have acid reflux, even though I take Dexilant daily. I have lost my appetite, and there are days when I do not eat much at all. Many days I feel full, even if I have not eaten anything or only very little.

I take Zofran 4 mg on days when I feel very nauseous, and I use Pepto-Bismol if I have diarrhea or if I get bad cramps. I have taken COVID-19 tests, and they have all been negative. We have not traveled anywhere, and my medications or diet have not changed. My menstrual cycle is normal. My doctor and my surgeon friend feel it could take me a month to feel better. My doctor said to contact him in four weeks if I am still not feeling better. I am at a point where I feel like this is never going to go away. It is causing me anxiety. I do not know what to eat anymore or how much to eat. I am afraid to eat because I feel it will make me sick. My regular medications include Bisoprolol 5 mg for PVC, Wellbutrin 150 mg, Dexilant 60 mg, and Marvelon.

I have a few questions to ask, and they are:

1. Have you seen anyone dealing with Norovirus symptoms for three weeks or longer?

2. Do you agree with my doctor that this could take me a month to heal?

3. When I have pain in my bowels, can I use Tylenol for that? If so, can I still take Zofran and Pepto-Bismol at the same time?

4. What type of foods should I be eating? I have mostly stuck to a BRAT diet. I have been avoiding caffeine, carbonated drinks, and spicy or fatty foods. My surgeon friend told me to eat more fiber. I thought that seemed a bit extreme since I had diarrhea. Do you think I should eat fiber?

5. Can I have dairy? I would like to have yogurt, but I am afraid it will not suit me well.

6. I am concerned if this is a bacterial infection, but my doctor feels it is viral. He said my husband and son should not be better either if we all had the same bacteria. He is not going to test me for that (I guess until four weeks from now if I am still sick). I have a prescription for Penicillin that I did not use (it was given to me back in the winter in case I had strep throat, but I did not use it). Should I start taking it to see if it helps?

7. How can I treat my IBS? Is there any medication, or is it the only diet that can help? I have access to good health care, but I believe some medications that are available over-the-counter in other countries require a prescription here.

Thank you so much for your help.

Hello doctor,

Thank you so much for the reply.

Is it rare to have Norovirus symptoms this long, or is it possible? Would I still be contagious, or are these symptoms mostly related to my IBS now and not the virus? What type of fibers should I eat? Fruit and vegetables? Fibrous cereals? I am not exactly sure what will be fine for my stomach. So you do not believe this to be a bacterial infection? Is it most likely a virus, as my doctor said? I have not heard of Librax, but I could ask my doctor about it.

Thank you.