What Can I do to help myself?

[Yoga2flex]

I am looking for some help as I just don't know what to do next. I have been experiencing extremely loose stools for over a year now. I always need to go urgently sometimes several times a day and sometimes to my horror I find that I have leaked unknowingly. I consulted my GP in December 2016 which resulted in a hospital appointment. An internal investigation followed by a scan at the hospital came back clear. The follow up appointment at the hospital just resulted in me being told to take Imodium when the symptoms were bad. I am just SO fed up with coping with this. I have had an intolerance test privately which showed an intolerance to dairy so I have cut that out. I have tried cutting out wheat and gluten to no avail and am currently cutting out lentils and pulses but that is not making any difference either. I am assuming this is IBS although I have no abdominal pain and not had a diagnosis. Any suggestions gratefully received .

[Kittycat27]

Look up diverticulitis? and look up fructose or sugar intolerance too. Did they test for any parasites like giardia? have you had gastroenteritis? really feel for you. People just get on with their lives without any embarrassing digestive issues, makes me want to be reborn again - feel broken. I have post infection IBS-D.

[Ibs17 in reply to Kittycat27]

Hugs xxx it’s so frustrating as it isn’t seen as a real problem , health professionals just say take Imodium and put up with it.

[Yoga2flex in reply to Kittycat27]

Thank you so much for your reply. The scan I had showed no diverticula. The GP tested me for parasites but nothing found. I am so sorry for what you are experiencing and do hope you experience some healing soon.

[Lulububs]

Hey

I had same problem about 5 months ago have u heard of candida or sibo?

I had this,... all same symptoms but i was in pain to due to gluten intolerance i didnt know i had.

I took probiotics three times a day, digestive enzyme three times a day and a tablet called dida three times a day! Within two weeks it had sorted my constant pooping out and back to normal

[Yoga2flex in reply to Lulububs]

I haven't taken any probiotics so that is definately worth a try. Thank you so much for replying to my post.

[Lulububs in reply to Yoga2flex]

Try bioglan flora it has all the strains of probiotics u need for healthy gut. A good digestive enzyme good to as it will enable u to digest food easier and not poop it straight out. Also lots of fluids ( mainly water) will help u.

[Kampala in reply to Lulububs]

Hi Lulububs,

Which digestive enzyme you take.

Thanks

[Firinne]

Try the probiotic saccharomyces boulardii. I use the one from Optibac, it does help a lot, I find.

[Yoga2flex in reply to Firinne]

I am going to try a probiotic and see if that helps me. Thank you for replying to my post.

[Firinne in reply to Yoga2flex]

S. Boularrdi is specifically for 'firming up' stools but, yes, all probiotics will help the bowels.

[ronij]

Hi there I’m the same with loose stools for over a year - after a bout of Semonella - after 6 months had a colonoscopy and endoscopy which found nothing. Told to do the fodmap diet I cut out dairy wheat gluten most fruit etc - that made me worse as I kept loosing weight. I also don’t have pain. I’ve stopped worrying now and accept that my bowels have changed and anxiety can make it worse, I was a mess but I just had to start eating normal foods and putting on a couple of pounds makes me feel better good luck it’s crap - pardon the pun

[Yoga2flex in reply to ronij]

Thank you for replying to my post. I too have lost about 12 lbs since this began. Sometimes I just think "ok just except that my bowels have changed " but other days I think I cannot carry on like this it's just so.......well, I am sure you know what it's like to deal with!

[ronij in reply to Yoga2flex]

I sure do - the anxiety every morning and the urgency - I went on anti depressants cos I couldn’t cope with it - it took me nearly a year to get my appetite back - I’m finally just accepting it - hope you can accept it and just get on with life as the worry and anxiety doesn’t help - take care

[walkmiles]

I have been experiencing this too and have had all the internal investigations which resulted in a diagnosis of diverticulitis. I have also been caught out too or had to suddenly find a loo if i've been out. I woke up one morning to discover that it had happened during the night when i was asleep. what the docs were concerned about was my nerves and they arranged a MRI of my spine. there is a condition called cauda equine syndrome which affects the nerves in your lower back which may have something to do with these symptoms. I also have vitamin b12 deficiency. I have been getting physio for my back to try and keep my lower spine open. But i still get episodes when I suddenly need to go.

[Yoga2flex in reply to walkmiles]

Thank you so much for replying to my post. It came back from the hospital that I don't have diverticulitis. I find the leakage the most difficult to deal with as there is no warning! Also the urgency to find a loo if I am out can be a problem but it is impossible to hold on!! I do hope your back improves soon. Good luck

[ronij in reply to walkmiles]

Hi I like you and the other person have altered bowel movements and I had vit b12 deficiency too. That can be related to SIBO which they think I have now after Semonella poisoning

Not fun good luck

[etbmax in reply to walkmiles]

I have started to use tena pants or other makes and I always have a spare pair in my bag didn't want to wear these but I can now go out without worry as if you have a accident you can go get changed in toilets,since I started wearing these I have had a lot more confidence to go out and have not had any accidents always reach the toilet in time,also good for leakidge.

[shaughnessy]

You have my sympathy yoga, get back to your Gp - if u read any of the messages on here you'll come to the conclusion you have to be a pest to get anything done- and explain again. Frequent loose stools can be a symptom of bile malabsorption which can be confirmed by a simple breath test then treated with meds. DO NO PUT UP with this, it can ruin your life. Best of luck x

[Yoga2flex in reply to shaughnessy]

Yes. I am definately going back to the GP now that we have a new one, We have been without an allocated GP for about 9 months now. I think there is this ingrained thing about not wanting to be a nuisance especially as the hospital advised just taking Imodium. Thank you so much for taking the time to reply to me.

[Judym]

I had similar symptoms last year numerous scans and other investigation eventually saw a gastrointerologist privately he suggested Symprove probioticcs .After 12 weeks my bowels were normal ,it's expensive but worth every penny I'm still taking a maintenance dose.Definitely worth a try but give them time to work. All the best.

[Yoga2flex in reply to Judym]

Thank you so much. I do value all the advice I have received from my post and am going to try a probiotic.

[cj20uk]

A FODMAP elimination diet helped me so it's worth asking if you can see a dietician to try that. Not all NHS dieticians are trained to do it (mine did a version of it, but I'd done a lot of research first so used a combination of what I'd learned and her knowledge). It is strict to start with it is worth getting help so that you are not missing out on vital nutrients.

Have a look at monashfodmap.com/ and kcl.ac.uk/lsm/research/divi...

The Monash university app is good - you have to pay but it is worth it

Good luck

[Yoga2flex in reply to cj20uk]

Thank you so much for your reply and I have just purchased the FODMAP app. The hospital did not offer a dietician appointment but will give this a try in my own and also revisit my GP. My daughter who is a nurse tells me it very difficult to get a referral to a dietician but maybe I just need to insist. Not easy for me as I just tend to accept and not make a fuss!

[cj20uk in reply to Yoga2flex]

I had a bit of difficulty getting a dietician at first. My GP thought that as I was slightly underweight, an elimination diet would make things worse, but I insisted that I felt the reason for my symptoms was because of something I was eating. In the end the dietician that I saw wasn't FODMAP trained, but did do a version of it.

There is a lot more information available nowadays though and provided you try to eat a varied diet and don't stay on the strict phase for too long, I can't see why you can't do it yourself.

The Low FODMAP UK group on facebook is useful too.

[dachshund]

I had these very symptoms for a long time including unknowing leaks when out, which are horri le. Have had all the investigations & tests. I do have diverticular disease. Prescribed Lansoprazole which I no longer take. What I do take and have been for many months now is Slippery Elm capsules, one before breakfast, one before evening meal. Symptoms vastly improved but can't prove the efficacy of the capsules! Do still have some symptoms and I find Immodium very handy to keep in my bag just in case. Maybe worth a try but do give them a 2-3 month trial.

[Yoga2flex in reply to dachshund]

Thank you so much for replying. I value your advice.

[Ibs17]

Hi have you switched to soya milk? And are you allergic to strawberries,bananas or latex? I was dairy intolerant for years, but did not realise because of allergies I could be allergic to the soya. I found out when I put myself on an elimination diet and reintroduced soya in the form of endame beans and was very ill. I then had diagnosis of diverticulitis. It’s horrid, people don’t understand how embarrassing it is and how debilitating IBS can be. I too have accidents and wear Tena pads just in case. You could try if you are in UK to be referred to the continence nurse, they are not just for incontinence of urine, or the elderly.They may be able to help.

[Yoga2flex in reply to Ibs17]

Thank you so much for replying, Yes, I have had soya milk since being advised to cut out dairy but I do prefer the taste of other plant based milks. I don't have diverticula as the hospital ruled that out. I also use pads when I have had leakage as I am so concerned that it's going to happen whilst I am out - as has happened!

[Lulububs in reply to Yoga2flex]

Hi yoga

I hear ur pain and i really think before u start anything else try a good probiotic ( i use bioglan flora as it has all the different strains of bacteria) and a digestive enzyme it breaks down fats and carbs that ur body trys to eliminate fast as it cant digest so that mayb why u poop so much it could b fat. I have gone gluten free and dairy free which has helped me but the supplements were the thing that changed my stomach totally.... try it for a month see how u go

[Yoga2flex]

Thank you for replying, I was advised to cut out all dairy, so have not had cheese, butter, spreads or milk. I buy either oat or almond milk but as I said in my post this has made no real improvement .