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Constant diarrhea after eating, it wakes me in the night, I'm at my wits end please any advise ?

Posted , 8 users are following.

candice64339
candice64339

The past 6 months as the day progresses by mid afternoon I have diarrhea after I eat. It can be anywhere from 20 mins to 2 hours after eating. The first stool is reasonably solid then the diarrhea starts. I went and saw a GI recently had the endoscopy and colonoscopy, the results all clear. I was so disappointed as I'm back to square one. I have tried eliminating foods, seen a dietician who put me on a low food map plan which made me worse. Went back to the GI who told me to have a tsp of psyllium husk daily to slow down the movement in my large bowel, it worked for a while but I seemed to get headaches all the time so I stopped it.

This is a rundown of a typical night.....

I have dinner approx 7:30pm....usually chicken, red meat etc with salad or vegetables/ rice.

about 20 mins later my stomach starts to growl and make gurgling noises. ( if I eat any dairy like melted cheese on potato bake I'm in the bathroom within half an hour with cramping and diarrhea for 2 hours) on a normal meal as above, the gurgling continues I can feel movement under my ribs. Usually within the hour I will have a loose motion. I go to bed around 11:30pm fall asleep easily....Then the horror starts. I wake between 2-3am, the pain wakes me crippling in the stomach and lower right hand side. I bolt to the toilet the pain gets so bad it almost paralyses me. First motion is soft and I start to sweat and then fluctuate between hot and cold. I go to get up and can't as I need to poop again and it looks like thin ribbons, this goes on for the next 2 hours and I can't lay down as I get nauseated. I sit in the lounge room sitting upright, if I sip water I'm back on the toilet so I sip hydralite iceblocks or solution. Usually I am shivering and get a blanket. It passes by 5am and I go back to bed for 2 hours before getting up at 7am to organise 2 teenagers for the day...

I used to work full time but now work part time as I'm always tired.

My doctor has given me all the tests for parasites and they came back negative, I had my appendix out at 18. I'm now 43 and my health due to this problem is driving me crazy, I now get anxiety in the car if I know I need to travel long distances... So I just don't eat anything except dry biscuits and water.. I am forever checking where the nearest toilets are when I'm out.

I'm hoping someone else has something similar ( well not really) but you know what I mean. I just want answers to help control this, I'm sure my doctors think I'm putting it on as every test comes back negative.. 

0 likes, 14 replies

14 Replies

  • rose419
    rose419 candice64339

    Posted

    i would get yourself to a motility specialist immediately. columbia university medical center uses a smart pill you swallow to check how fast or slow everything is moving in your gut. if you're overseas, look into motility specialists and prefereably ones who use a smart pill to test. hang in there, you're going to figure it out. i've been dealing with my own health issues and what helps is going into 'warrior mode' mentally. 
  • rose419
    rose419 candice64339

    Posted

    also there's something called hyperactive bowel. check that out
    • candice64339
      candice64339 rose419

      Posted

      Thank you I have a doctors appointment tomorrow I will mention this and I will also google it, I really appreciate your quick responsewink
    • rose419
      rose419 candice64339

      Posted

      happy to help! i know the feeling of living a medical mystery and no one seems able to help and tests come back negative. 
  • karen23417
    karen23417 candice64339

    Posted

    I would recommend a repeat colonoscopy. Were biopsies taken or did they just have a look?

    These are the exact symptoms i had before being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis 5 years ago. The dr said everything looked fine but the biopsies showed UC.

    If the biopsies are not taken in an unaffected area of the bowel you may get a false negative.

    It is a nasty disease but most are able to find a treatment plan that works well for them.

    Good luck!

    • candice64339
      candice64339 karen23417

      Posted

      The GI specialist took 4 biopsies he said everything was normal....

      I also get bloating and this gurgling noises goes on for hours, some days I look like I'm pregnant. The only test I haven't had is a MRI but I don't think that would show anything? I'm not sure.

      Thank you for your good wishes 👍

    • rose419
      rose419 candice64339

      Posted

      you definitely need an mri!!! my gi did that the first time he did any colonoscopy and endoscopy. it helps them see if there are any obstructions etc. etc. i would 100% ask for an upper and lower gi mri
    • candice64339
      candice64339 rose419

      Posted

      Thanks Rose. I have had a colonoscopy last year and again 2 months ago with a endoscopy...I have had ultrasounds, pelvic ones, CT scans with iodine etc....the trouble I find you have all these tests in the morning my worst time I find is from 9pm onwards...will definitely organise a MRI 👍
  • rose419
    rose419 candice64339

    Posted

    i agree with karen. when i had my colonoscopy and endoscopy they did biopsies of my stomach, small and large intestine. they also used an internal ultra sound which i would also reccommened. i also had two endoscopies. 
  • rose419
    rose419 candice64339

    Posted

    i would also look into mineral and vitamin deficiences. the only person who's helped me heal is my naturopath. anxiety and things of that nature can cause havoc in the digestive track. 
  • looloo43
    looloo43 candice64339

    Posted

    Hi Candice. I was diagnosed about 3yrs ago with colitis which is currently under control with meds. Despite most recent colonscopy in jan 15 being within normal limits, I continued to get all the same symptoms as you but not in sleeping hours plus chronic rectal soreness & pain due to chronic diarrea & urgency, & inability to digest fruit & veg (comes out looking same as it went in) & awful tiredness. My gastro consultant did some more tests...I was subsequently also diagnosed with fructose malabsorption & ibs-d which I am waiting to see a gastro dietician nxt month for help with diet, & bile acid malabsorption (bam). I was put on questran sachets (prescription med) & within weeks my symptoms improved by 80%!! I still suffer chronic bloating (I often look pregnant) & chronic tiredness & mild tummy ache in morning until I've had a couple of bowel movements, but the diarrea, urgency, & bad stomach ache & cramping are so much better I am now back at work last 4wks after months of sick, & can happily leave the house for hours without having to take imodium!! bile acid malaborption is where too much free bile acid is lost through your colon causing all the symptoms you have & I had. bile acid is delivered to your stomach after each meal for digestion & is supposed to be recycled back to your gall bladder ready for next meal. with this condition too much free bile acid travels to your colon as I mentioned before & can be easily treated with meds like me. You could ask your consultant to do a sehcat test to test for this condition. it is a simple test where you swallow a safe mildly radioactive tracer capsule that mimics bile acid & then have a scan. you go back to hosp for another scan 7 days later. from this, they can tell if you have bam. Hope this helps. good luck.
  • Ilovetara1958
    Ilovetara1958 candice64339

    Posted

    I just wrote about the diarrhea I have and how my doctor has put me on prescriptions laxatives and Miralax because he said that it is caused, well on me anyway, by the terrible constipation I usually have that has now caused a blockage where the only thing that can get through is the watery stuff.  

    I don't know if that will help but I hope so.  Your doctor said to take some psyllium but not for the same reason.  Then again this is about my 6th GI doc because none of them helped me before.  

  • jeff4242
    jeff4242 candice64339

    Posted

    Hi Candice,

    I read discussions and i can help but ask how was it so far for you? Are you still experiencing diarrhea everyday? Have you had bloodworks? And hemoccult (stool sample) checked? Did it all came out negative? I am experiencing diarrhea at sometimes like on and off everyweek.

    I have a normal BM mostly everday in first thing in the morning when i wake up and then it could be followed by sortha loose stool after a few minutes or couple of hours. The if there is a 3rd one it could be very very loose or watery. Do you guys think its nothing serious? I would appreciate any reply from you Candice and to others smile

  • edward07343
    edward07343 candice64339

    Posted

    Hi Candice:

    I just came across your post and I am suffering from almost the exact same symptoms. I have undergne a sonogram, heidascan, cat scan and colonoscopy.  According to the tests, there is nothing wrong with me.   I am writing to see if you ever found a cause/solution to your promblem I would greatly appreciate a response. 

    Ed

     

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