All contacts disappeared on iPhone - Can't restore from backup, iCloud now gone too

Just sitting and watching TV and having some minor text conversations on my phone (5S).. Next thing I know a message pops up without a name and the +1 area code an number.. The message is from the same person and number I was just texting. Strange I thought.. Pulled up my contacts and "no contacts" is displayed. Checked my settings.. iCloud contacts are still enabled.. reset my phone.. reset network settings.. nothing helped.. I thought, no big deal.. I backup every night.
First time restoring from backup, I saw all the contacts there and thought i was in the clear.. 10 seconds later, they disappear before my eyes! Getting very frustrated i tried an older backup. They don't even show up. I log into iCloud on my laptop and they are there for 2-3 seconds and disappear.
I've been using iPhone's since the original and have the new phone every year.. I pretty good with these phones, but this has me stumped/very frustrated. Has anyone experienced this or found a solution? I'm out all my contacts from the last 8 years.. Thinking I never had to worry because I've backed up!
Any help is greatly appreciated!!
Ryan

I don't think that is the case.. I noticed they were there when I would first complete a restore from backup but as soon as my apps started loading they would disappear again.
I got them back by immediately turning on airplane mode as soon as I completed the restore. I the turned off iCloud sync and selected keep contacts on this phone. turned iCloud back on and selected merge contacts.
First time I tried that it worked for a minute until the apps started to update again, I believe it might have been WhatsApp, then, what do you know, contacts gone again. I repeated the process and, this time, I deleted all my apps. Seems to be working ok now. All contacts have stayed.
Is it possible that an auto update for an app that accesses your contacts could have a bug that does this? Whatever it was, I am very glad I got them back.
Ryan

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