Chronic Diarrhea, potential IBS?? Advice please as doctors aren’t helping!

[whatevertogether]

Hi there,

I’m not sure if anyone can help me here but I’m struggling a lot with Diarrhea.

Since the first week of jan this year I’ve had an ‘urgent’ feeling of needing to go to the toilet. I’m a nanny and have to take the children to school at 7:40am and it’s usually around 8am mid-drive that it kicks in. Sometimes I have to turn around and run back into the house, sometimes I can talk myself out of it - depends on how urgent it is. When it’s really bad, I get hot on the inside and cold on the outside, and can’t figure out if I should drink water, open the window, or just let all he’ll break loose and just soil myself. So far, I’ve managed to avoid the soiling option.

I sometimes become really nauseous as well, but sometimes that comes on it’s own without the Diarrhea.

I was self-medicating with Imodium for the first two months, thinking I just caught a bug or something. Then it started getting worse and I was also constipated (from the Imodium) but still getting the urgency and sometimes Diarrhea would come through.

I’ve been to the doctor and had stool samples come back clear. They advised I shouldn’t take Imodium (day six without and struggling), I’ve tried Colpermin IBS relief and don’t feel they’re doing much. The doctor didn’t say much else to be honest, didn’t even hint at what they thought it could be.. so I’m not feeling confident in them right now.

From home, I’ve tried the following:

Waking up earlier and doing yoga to kick start - it’s definitely kick started but prolongs the ‘attack’.

Changing my water bottle.

Cut gluten out for 2 weeks.

Reduced tea and removed coffee/carbonated drinks for the past month or so.

I’m on day 2 of a dairy free diet to see if that helps, but not too sure when I should see results.

Also on day 3 of taking biomel, a dairy-free probiotic drink.

I’ve also started listening to anxiety relief music in case this is somehow factoring into the problem, though nothing in my life has changed, not even a tiny bit.

I’m having blood tests this Friday to test for bacterial infections or deficiencies.

Feel like I always want to cry out of frustration as it’s really interfering with my day-to-day life and all I really want is a solution.

If you’ve made it this far, thanks so much for your time, I’d really appreciate any advice at this point!

[Kentaro]

We all want a solution. That's why we are here.

Have you tried cutting back fats?

Bile acid diarrhea is famous about causing urgency and watery stools.

[whatevertogether in reply to Kentaro]

Hey thanks for the help!

I’ve not thought of cutting back on fats - though through the week I pretty much stick to meat and veg, or do they contain unhealthy fats that I’m unaware of?

[Kentaro in reply to whatevertogether]

This is not about the good or bad fats. It's about the bile acids. If you eat fat your liver will make bile acids. And if your body can't absorb them back then the excess bile acid reaches your lower colon and it will cause fluid to be pumped into your bowel which will cause diarrhea. Your gastro can test it if you want it.

[Hidden]

Stick with the dairy free I felt much better after about 4 days but if that don't work go on a !is fodmap. I ask think you should push for a scan to rule out anything else. Good luck !

[whatevertogether in reply to Hidden]

Hiya, thanks for your advice!

I think it’s starting to get better, I still have Diarrhea but it’s not as urgent as it has been!

I’ll try pushing for a scan when I next see the doctor, won’t be until I get my blood test results though!

I’ve looked into the FODMAP diet a little bit but have felt a bit overwhelmed by it, maybe it’s something I should look into more and become more aquainted with it.

Thanks again!

[IBSNetwork Partner IBS Network]

We would recommend that you get a formal diagnosis of IBS as the symptoms can mirror the symptoms of other bowel conditions.

[Ernest2]

Hi Whatever

Again its a short term one, but try Psyllium. You can get from Holland and Barret.

You can also buy it in the Fybogel product, but then it comes with artificial sweeteners that are I think banned in the a USA, and you dont need.

If you cant swallow the big Psyllium capsules then twist open and shake into warm water and wizz with a spoon. Take 30 to 60 mins before each of your three main meals.

Ask your GP about it and ask for a gastro referral. They probably will not have heard of psyllium.

My own view is IBS is not a proper diagnosis yet until medical science improves and gets to the bottom of the biome etc. ( no pun intended )

Do ask the GP for a proper referral ( I'm waiting for one myself).

Psyllium may hinder uptake of certain nutrients, so you might have to be careful long term. Thats a point I intend to ask about.

Wishing you well,

Ernest

[Lactosebitb]

In my opinion you are doing a lot of things right - I used immodium for years and it never helped so that is not a solution. The yoga is good as anxiety plays a role in making the attacks worse. Keep a food diary (its a drag but a necessity) and include comments about how you felt during that day. Lactose could well be an issue - see if your doctor will order the lactose breath test. I've been reading more about delayed food allergies - sometimes your body doesn't respond for 2 to 20 days to a food you've eaten. Apparently there is a test naturopaths use - there is a debate whether it has value/merit. It relates to IgA food reactions. I'm debating whether to give it a try so I can learn which foods cause issues. Its all about figuring out which foods you have to avoid. Good luck - and remember to try and breathe thru the episodes

[Ernest2 in reply to Lactosebitb]

That's real interesting and might explain why some of us got nowhere on FODMAP. Could you do a new post with links to best reading material if that is possible. Also have you read Michael Moselys "Clever Guts Diet" book and what do you think about Biome testing (Apart from its exoensive of course)

Ernest

[Lactosebitb in reply to Ernest2]

I made a separate post. I haven't read that book so can't comment.

[michael6789]

Hi.

Sounds awful and I know what you mean. That horrible hotness and then cold sweats and stabbing pains in your stomach is so horrible.

I now take probiotocs when I don't feel well and find they really help. Just finding what foods and drinks make it bad really helps so you can avoid them. I hope the tests can help but most of the time you just get told it's ibs. Why not test what triggers it to help us Hey! Hope your okay.

[Drawing28]

I had chronic diarrhea but have gone onto a fodmaps diet. It is usually hidden milk or whey powder or other dairy products that cause the most severe problems for me.

[Stuart24]

Hello, if you are all clear of parasites as the tests would suggest, then next sort out the timing of your eating and replenishing your vitamins. Get some good multivitamins (but ones without calcium/magnesium - you need to get these elements from your diet) and take them religiously one a day. Next sort out your eating and fasting periods. You need to fast to regularly clean out your small intestine, no eating in between, only water. Eat a good breakfast at say 7am or what suits you and then a good lunch at 12 o'clock. No food or sugar drinks in between. After lunch, no food until at least 5 pm, and eat well again. After that, no food or sugar drinks until breakfast the next day. You need the periods of fasting to enable your small intestine to be cleaned up by water and stomach acid. Feel the hunger, but do not respond to it - only with water. Do this for a week and you should be fine, but let us know how you get on. You get in a vicious circle with vitamin deficiency, and initial lack of vitamins affects your body, which then gets less effective at absorbing vitamins, so you get even worse. You need to break the cycle by bulking up your vitamins and taking a strict behaviour approach to eating. Go see your doctor again if this doesn't help.

[Star1993]

Hiya,

Went in to Holland and Barrett on weekend I have just started taking pure aloe Vera juice. And acidophilus vitamins to fight gut bacteria. Maybe give these a try??

All the best x

[Ernest2 in reply to Star1993]

I'm also on the Acidophilus but wonder once you have taken them for a bit whether they are required every day (unless your gut keeps killing them off). They are expensive. Tricky thing is I never get consistent results to convince me of anything.

Ernest

[Star1993 in reply to Ernest2]

I really don’t know either I just started taking them to see if it helps

[MargaritaNiko]

Hello, I’m so sorry to hear what you’re going through. I can relate as I have IBS-D and have had that before where I’m midway through a car journey and I get all hot and prickly with panic thinking I’m not going to make it in time! My advice is only from experience but I’d just be wary of cutting too much out or starting new things at the same time, I know you just want a solution but if you find something helps you might be unable to work out which thing it is that’s helping, and then have unnecessarily cut out something you can have if that makes sense? I’d make sure the GP rules coeliac out etc, for this you need to have gluten in your diet for them to test for an intolerance, I’d also recommend making a food diary and you can hopefully identify any triggers. I saw that someone mentioned FODMAP which is a great idea if you are diagnosed with IBS and want to give it a go, but you need to do this with the support of a dietitian not on your own so I’d ask the GP for a referral. If you have the food diary to hand and record your bowel movements in it etc then they’re more likely to take you seriously and refer you. Not sure if you’re suffering from any pain but would totally recommend peppermint tea as a general all rounder, and drinking less caffeine to see if it helps.

[maxyhealth]

Hi, I totally feel your pain. That is truly an awful situation. I was also going to advise you use probiotics. Perhaps the biomel was not quite effective. I think if all the tests came back normal, then probable you might need to balance the gut flora. Again, I would recommend probiotics and the most effective one I have come across has been Flourish Probiotics by Eu Natural. Made from a combination of friendly bacteria, this one actually delivers great relief and support to digestive, urinary tract and gut health.

Check it out and let me know what you think

[whatevertogether]

Hi all!

Thought I’d do a general update, thank you to everyone for your tips and advice.

So I’m a temporary patient currently as I’m from Hampshire but live/work in Kent. The dr here has done stool samples and blood tests (full blood count, thyroid liver and kidneys I think) and everything came back normal, so he went straight for IBS. He’s put me on 30mg of amitriptyline and it’s helped a little.

Ive since been to see my GP at home, and they’ve requested I have bloods taken again, including a check for coeliac disease. She’s also put me on the FODMAP diet, struggling to get my head around what I can and can’t eat but hopefully once I’ve got the hang of it I will see better results.

Thank you all again for your advice and help, I really appreciate it