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QAFTER a meal at a restaurant I had a severe bout of food poisoning which made me very sick. I didn’t go to the doctor at the time as I thought it would pass but seven weeks on, I’m still not back to normal. What should I do to speed my recovery?

aFOOD poisoning can be caused by many different bugs, including viruses and bacteria but often the symptoms go away after a week or so.

However, about 10 per cent of people who have had bacterial gastroenteritis (from campylobacter or E. coli, for example) suffer from persistent bowel problems afterwards.

It’s often referred to as post-infective irritable bowel syndrome and symptoms can include bloating, unpredictable bowel motions and diarrhoea.

The exact cause isn’t known but it may be due to ongoing inflammation in the bowel or a change in the balance of the gut flora, the microorganisms that live in the bowel.

There is no specific treatment for this type of IBS but it may help to boost the “good” bacteria in your bowel with a food supplement such as Bimuno or a probiotic such as Symprove.

Keep a food diary too (taking a photo of your food with a smartphone is easier than trying to write everything down) noting if certain foods, especially in larger portions, make your symptoms worse. In most people