Chronic diarrhea for 6 months

Hi DonnaM2,

I have an autoimmune disease called Celiac disease.  So I feel your pain of chronic diarrhea and intestinal cramping and pain.

First of all if you have not you need to see a gastroenterologist - they are for bowel issues, which you have.  Chronic diarrhea is serious, you have lost weight and your health is suffering and if not now will suffer for it.

Before seeing a doctor go to the pharmacy and get some Imodium.  That should slow your daily movements hopefully. 

How many times a day do you go usually?  I am going to ask you some questions that are going to be TMI but you will have to talk to a gastro about it sometime, you don't need to talk to me about it but I want you to think about it.  When you take your poops, look at them.  Look at the consistency: are they watery, are there some firm parts to it, is there any clear, stringy and mucousy type pieces in them, is there any blood in it, does the food look digested, color of your bowel movements, etc.

Start writing a food diary of what you eat ALL the time.  Note when you ate, how much you ate, what you are eating, absolutely everything - drinking, snacks, medications, supplements, etc.

Chances are you are not digesting your foods fully or absorbing nutrients from your food thus the weight loss and with how many times you are going. 

Google a few bowel issue related diseases.  Celiac disease, Chron's and Colitis, Ulcerative Colitis, Ulcers, Diverticulitis, etc.  Along with googling them look at symptoms and signs.

Make sure you make that appointment, living with these issues are not fun and will not get any better.  Right now you and only you can and will need to be an advocate for your own health.  It takes a long time to get a diagnosis - it took me over 3 years and lived with it all my life. 

Good luck and post back to me anytime you have any questions or a new symptom pops up.  I am here and this is why the site is here.  PS gravol helps the nausea or ginger gravol or sucking on a piece of real ginger cut up small.

Hey
Thanks for your advice. I'll try to answer some of your questions.
I have been to the doctors and I've had blood and stool samples and they all came back normal. I'm going for a sigmoidoscopy next Thursday - nervous :(
I've tried imodium and they just bunged me up for days and I couldn't go at all which caused pain. I've tried fybogel and still the same.
I avoid spicy foods completely. Drink plenty of water and no matter what I eat, healthy or not it still happens.
I can go 7-10 times a day and about 3-5 times through the night.
It's awful and getting no sleep just makes me feel worse.
I'll try your tip about the gravol.
Thanks

And yes, I had a tiny bit of blood once. I told the doctor and he just noted it down. It's just not knowing what it is' is doing my head in :(

The sigmoid is not that bad - I honestly have had a lot of these type of tests and will continue. Never pleasant though. Has your doctor done a blood test for Celiac, it's a TTG blood test.
I feel for you and know what you are going through
Good luck

I finally got a diagnosis while my husband was studying nutrition for his elective in university. The prof was going over Celiac symptoms, which of course I had all of and asked if my doctor had done this test, I just said probably I've been tested for absolutely everything, at least to my knowledge. I asked my doctor, he checked all his tests saying he thought he had which he didn't and of course on a scale of where I was suppose to be about 25 I was sitting at 130 and of for more tests. BUT, I finally got my diagnosis, actually about 5 years ago today.

I'm not sure if they've checked for celioac but I will ask about it. I am so anxious about the sigmoid, are you awake? Does it hurt? :( thanks for all your help. Hope your okay!

Yeah, you are awake, if I remember correctly but they give you something to make you a little drowsy to make it a bit more comfortable. They will fill you with air which will cause gas after for some time but that is normal, kind of funny actually (I thought). It doesn't hurt it's just uncomfortable.

I had the same issue as you after a hospital stay of 5 days. After many Dr and ER vists to get help finally saw a GI Dr and he did a simple test and founf I had C-Diff a really bad bug that causes diarrhea that nothing stops. After a week of taking a medication he perscribed it was gone and is still gone 6 months later. Very simple lab test with immediate results for you and your Dr by submitting stool sample for lab test. Good luck

Hey I got told its Colitis but I'm not too sure it is that. I've wrote a new topic if you could have a look, thanks.

After 6 months and every test mentioned in other responses, I read that other people suffering this dilemma tried pure POM juice. I was prepared to give anything a try and OMG.... After trying it for 2 days ( just a small juice glass of it in the morning) I was back to being regular. Could not believe it. Unfortuantely my job requires travel and with carry on luggage I can't bring it. Can't always get to a grocery store to find it. When I am off it for 2 days .... my problem comes right back. It truly is a miracle juice as far as I am concerned. Whatever it has in it, wish there was a pill for ease of travel. May not work for everyone, but myself and many others have found success with it. Has to be 100% POM as in pomegranite juice

I have been having chronic diarrhea for the last 7 months up to16 times in 24 hrs at first but now 7 times a day. All test done shows no bacteria, celiac, colitis or parasite. I suspect this is related to my gallbladder removal as this problem started after. However avoiding spicy, greasy foods and milk products is making no difference. I have tried probiotics but no improvement. I certainly will try the pomegranate juice. I will update after trial and would appreciate any other suggestion. Thanks

Maybe stop creating new tokens

I have been having the same problem, on and off (mostly on) for about 15 months. My dr believes I have dumping syndrome (though I've not had any weight loss surgeries). I've had a colonoscopy, blood tests, abdominal cat scan. That came back fine for my GI, but they did tell me I have cysts on my ovaries, my kidneys, and an adrenal adenoma. I can't say it's my gallbladder as I don't have that anymore. I can sleep through the night, thankfully, but during the day I'm in the bathroom constantly, having a hard time at work because of the frequent bathroom visits. It's gotten worse the last couple of weeks. I can get up in the morning, go to the bathroom, take a shower, go to the bathroom, get dressed, go to the bathroom, get my lunch packed for work, go to the bathroom....etc I am now afraid to eat or drink but still make myself eat something later in the day when I am closing to time to go home. But can't go far from home as I don't know when it will hit. I've lost some weight but probably not as rapidly if I wasn't trying to get food/water in.
I am drained from this and my bottom really hurts all the time from the frequency. I'm going back for a follow-up because I need this resolved. I can't live this way.

I’ve had chronic diarrhea for 7 1/2 years since I had my gallbladder removed. I also had a colonoscopy 5.5 years ago but nothing changed. Last week I had my 5 year colonoscopy but with suntan pills for the pre surgery prep/cleanse, and had my typical tiny adenomas removed, but guess what: my diarrhea is gone as of 5 days later. Praying this wonderful outcome continues and that the chronic diarrhea is gone forever. My question is if the change was due to sultan prep or the actual procedure?