Ongoing stomach issue

[Diddledumpling22]

Not a poo troll disclaimer.

I suffer from quite regular diarrhoea. Maybe once a month or so. It's sudden and urgent. I've sought medical advice, had a colonoscopy, kept food diaries to keep track of any intolerances and nothing has ever shown up. It just seems totally random. The issue is that even though it doesn't happen that often it's still often enough to make me anxious and paranoid about long car journeys or visiting places with no loos. Of course stress and anxiety just makes stomach issues worse so I'm in a vicious cycle.

I'm at a loss as to what more I can do. Do any IBS sufferers have any advice for managing this?

Link to periods ? I know of a lot of people who have this when their period starts

Or any time in your cycle, if it's the same time each month? I think progesterone speeds up your metabolism and therefore your guts?

Could it be food related in an obscure way? For example if you had a nightshades intolerance or something? You might not connect the foods which trigger it just because it's not the same foods each time? Potatoes one months, aubergines another, tomatoes a different time etc. Or similar?

Have you tried a decent probiotic just to check it's not a gut bacteria related issue? Although if it definitely isn't food related, and isn't happening all the time, this seems unlikely.

I have diarrhoea 2 days before my period and the day before I ovulate

Hormonal for sure. I am menopausal and have had same for over 4 yrs now. Always around my period, also indigestion and heartburn, bloating etc. Sudden onset nausea that passes. Sometimes i am sick out of no where, then feel fine. All checked and nothing sinister or underlying.

I am quite an internal " worrier" too and that does not help.

Flax seeds have helped me enormously with this. I rarely if ever get the runs and used to be similar to you.

I have a tablespoon of them (soaked in water every night} first thing every morning. I find I'm as regular as clockwork now.

I am following this with interest as I experience diarrhoea almost every day and makes leaving the house/going to places where there isn't a toilet very difficult and the anxiety makes it worst so I can completely sympathise with you. Could it be linked to your hormones/period?

I'm on the pill so would think hormones are fairly regulated. But it could be that I guess. It's just awful feeling totally fine one minute then needing to dash to the loo the next. I honestly don't know what I'd do if it caught me unawares in a place where I couldn't quickly access a loo.