this is about poo, gross but I am worried

[colditz]

I have had diarrhoea on and off for months, have never found the trigger and blood tests aren't showing anything.

the food is coming through almost completely undigested - whole chunks of lettuce leaf, bits of crisp, carrot strips

How can I help myself to digest my food properly? What am I doing that I shouldn't be? I have almost eliminated lactose from my diet but to be honest it hasn't helped.

don't know what the answer is but I am sorry you are going through this

I would speak to an alternative health type person - naturepath or similar - they can be very good for digestive troubles

If the problem was lactose, you'd have bloating as well.

I get this sort of thing from time to time, but it sounds like you've got it bad.

Possible causes:

• some sort of infection. I know there are a few that cause this - not sure if they cause off and on problems. Have you sent a stool sample off?
• lack of "good" bacteria in the gut. Have you had antibiotics lately? They can kill off all the good bugs. Yakult or similar might help and certainly wouldn't hurt.
• IBS. Which can be stress-triggered, I know mine is.
• coeliac - have you considered elimiating gluten (wheat)? Hassle, but if it fixed the problem ...

This has got to really suck for you, I hope you find a fix soon.

If it is on and off then it sounds like IBS and you need to find what the trigger is. From what I can gather IBS is a catch all term for digestive problems when there dosn't seem to be any other obvious diagnosis (laymans view, feel free to correct me if I am wrong). Doctors will normally suggest cutting out caffeine and alcohol to see if it helps (may help the bowels but not the frame of mind IME!)

Can you keep a food diary and see if a pattern emerges to what you eat/drink, your time of month, etc?? Are you losing weight?? Do you get bloating and or constipation with it. I have had bouts of IBS - no idea what the trigger is, but is the diarrhoea and constipation AT THE SAME TIME that I don't understand!

Hope you find a solution. If you are really worried, I would keep pestering your GP until he refers you/does something.

I have sent a stool sample, it was clear, blood tests were clear, my next step is to try to drop wheat and see if that works - but it is a bummer. Does risotto rice contain gluten?

Gosh, how timely! Have just had a phone call from the surgery asking for another sample

Coldizt - I am going through the same as u at the moment. I have bouts of Diorrhea with mucus in and sometimes blood, then I suffer constipation.

I don't know what it is but from what I have read, I think it could be IBS..

I too have sent a stool sample off which was clear, as were the blood tests. MY GP examined me and said I have some kind of Colitis, but he wasn't sure what exactly and referred me on to a Gastronologist (sp?). I am currently on the waiting list.

It's frustrating isn't it? It makes going anywhere very difficult. Keep us updated....

Have had terrible problems with my bowels also after my gallbladder was removed ended up in hospital because of it. Have gone down the gastroenterloogist route with little success. Have tried alternative therapies one of which was colonic irrigation. I know it sounds disgusting but it was really helpful and nowhere near as uncomfortable as I thought. They gave me a herbal supplement called Co-ton A 00 which has been superb and I now feel alot better.

bootsmonkey, yes, I think IBS is a catchall for "we don't know what it is, we've run out of tests, please go away". And I say that as someone who has mild IBS.

Rice has no gluten. Gluten is in wheat, kamut, spelt, oats (a bit, sometimes) ... I think that's it. Not rice. Not buckwheat. Not sweetcorn.

I have been called back for another blood test and another stool sample, I have ring of fire as coincidentally am having a very bad day with it.

Erk I really hope this is all ok.

It's not an allergy to milk protien (doc says) or gluten.