Hello Lovely people
Does anyone else suffer from having to run to the toilet after you’ve eaten something?
Mine is getting beyond a joke now I ve even started to take loperamide to stop it .
It comes on sometimes without reason .
I eat a healthy diet …no meat dairy or gluten
Could it be my meds ? Rituximab and leflunomide
I actually called the doc …I was diagnosed with diticuitious a few years back .
Anyone have any advice ?
Thank you
I think Fifi2 you should talk with your GP and discuss your history . You say you have been diagnosed with diverticulosis previously and it may be you need further investigation.
Thank you for replying…yes I’ve spoken with doc and she is doing some tests just awaiting results
I balance out the tendency to frequent bowel emptying due to my medication with the codeine medication I take for pain relief. It was worse when I was on methotrexate than my present azathioprine - not quite as urgent!
Might be worth keeping a food diary to see if there are any particular triggers. I used to eat a very good diet high in fruit and veg but discovered that certain fruit (grapes, cherries, any skin on fruit and red wine) and veg (cauliflower in particular) and any type of beans or lentils caused me to have very loose bowels and stabbing pain in the lower intestine. I also found that cows milk was causing problems so changed to oat milk.It's a pain because I struggle to eat so healthily now but I have much better bowel habits. I don't know whether these problems are down to my meds because I take such a cocktail of drugs Mtx, Tcz, Diclofenac, tramadol, Amitriptyline but I have to balance my RA and OA pain relief with losing some foods from my diet.
I hope you get sorted soon as bowel problems can make life very miserable and restricted.
Thank you for replying I’m always on the look out re what I eat and what trigggers coffee is a no no for me .I did think I couldn’t eat chillies at one point then I had some and I was fine .
It’s getting ridiculous now whereby I’m not happy unless I am near a toilet .I even have to plan if I go out .If I do go out I rather not eat before hand just incase I have to run 🏃♀️
Maybe going to press for some antispasmodic drugs
Thanks again
Don't think it's the diverticulitis you would be just as likely to be constipated as running for the loo, just wondering if you have become Lactose intolerant like me, this happened to me practically overnight, I can't drink tea with full cream milk if I do stomach pains and running to the loo, I can't drink blue top, or green top I only have red top milk, if I go to a restaurant or cafe I ask for skimmed milk, I'm ok with cheese but not milk, I've suffered from RA for 30 years, suffered from diverticulitis for 15 years, good luck.
The milk think is weird isn't it? I can now only manage unsweetened oat milk, I tried the lactose free, soy and goats milk but they were no better than standard semi skimmed. I believe it may be due to the sugars in milk, I'm ok with cheese, just not milk!
Hi I can have problems with leflunomide 20mg makes me loose. I can get away with 10mg for a short while. I never have trouble with my bowels normally nothing upsets them. It was the leflunomide it cleared up as soon as I stopped taking the medication xxx
Oh that’s interesting thanks I have appointment soon with consultant …..
Yes on Lefluamide and metho.Had my dose of lef doubled but yes toilet is a problem .Have been checked by GP but no results.I spoke to rheumy nurse she says I can use Imodium if required but I try not to.Food doesn’t seem to make a difference,
I have a Radar key which I keep handy as you never know when it strikes!
Hi thereYes I'm having terrible trouble with exactly the same thing which has been gradually getting worse over several years. I've had a colonoscopy and there are no problems there. I have tried the Fodmap diet, various other food changes but nothing makes any difference. I'm at my wit's end ATM as it's getting really bad. I honestly think it's the Methotrexate but am loathe to stop it as it's working well on my RA.
It’s a real dilemma isn’t it ? I had a colonoscopy few years ago they removed some polops ( which were fine ) but did say I had diticulitous , which to be honest I didn’t pay much attention to as my RA and hip pain was the main problem at the time .During the pandemic I was shielding so toilet was always close by but as we emerge to going out as normal it’s became a real issue.
Seriously there is no rhyme or reason to it .
It can happen at anytime but more so when I eat food .
It’s come to the point where I won’t eat if I know I’m going out . I’ve also started to take immodium just to be on the safe side .
Just dropped off stool samples to hospital so I’ll have to wait and see what comes back …if anything.
I don’t want to give up my meds as I need them to function.
I feel your pain x
Thank you all for your replies ….it’s comforting to know it not just me that are having these issues x
My mum has this and she finds that certain foods can trigger it.
I find that eating a gluten free anything sets me running to the loo almost immediately are you on a gluten-free diet because of coeliacs? I do occasionally have issues with lactose but that’s usually when I’m on antibiotics messes terribly with my gut. I had bowel cancer in my 30’s and I was advised not to eat a high fibre diet because that definitely causes problems and also iron rich veg such as spinach. I hope you solve your problem but sometimes eating healthily isn’t always good for us. Well that’s my experience and i have lots of issues with needing to run to the loo over 20 years of it.
Lefunomide can cause this and was one if the common side effects I was warned about before starting.
Oh I didn’t realise that maybe I’ll see if I can reduce . To be honest I don’t tend to read side effects as I convince myself I’m going to get them all ! 
Thanks for your reply
Loosing hair
Irritable bowel and painful colon spasms
loosing my job due to ill health atos says otherwise
Bowel issues anyone?
Does anyone on similar meds to me for RA have Irritable Bowel Syndrome?
