Chronic diarrhoea Day 18!

[IllHaveALargeGlassOfRed]

And apparently my stool sample has been marked by GP as "satisfactory"

Just how?!

I have had the most horrendous diarrhoea for 18 days and the only thing that makes any difference at all is Dioralyte sachets. It's now beginning to firm up but my god I thought I was dying at one point. It's watery, yellow and stinks to high heaven.

I've been to the GP about this who prescribed Loperamide to begin with which made zero difference. I went back after a week and he then prescribed the rehydration sachets which have had an effect. I handed in a stool sample (photo available if anyone's interested!) and phoned for the results today. According to the receptionist it's been marked as satisfactory which I'm amazed about.

The last time I saw the GP he mentioned campylobacter and dysentery. And now it appears to be nothing.

Does anyone have a similar unexplained period of chronic diarrhoea? Any other suggestions on what might have caused it? No vomiting, no cramps, just shitting my brains out 12 times a day!

I had symptoms just as you describe 18 months ago - for 9 weeks. I lost 16 lbs. GP fairly dismissive, stool samples rejected as being "too solid" (poo was a mix of solid and watery yellow, the solid bit was the only sample I could get!)

Bloods normal, slight temperature, felt rubbish and weak all the time. Was starting a new job and getting desperate for it to stop - managed to book a gastro intestinal consultation and a sigmoidoscopy under my medical insurance before my existing job ended.

The specialist said giardia was the most likely culprit, its common the UK now not just abroad. And doesn't always show in samples as its a cyclical parasite (ie not always evident in stool). Sigmoidoscopy showed a very red bowel, as though I was getting over it. I was prescribed Flagyl, but hung on to see if it would clear up by itself which it did.

So I'll never know for sure if it was giardia or not however - but six months later, it turned out I had gallstones and I had my gallbladder out last November.

I don't know if the two were connected, but I can tell you that the post surgical bile diarrhoea was very, very similar.

Good luck, I hope it clears up soon. Stay off dairy, eat soluble fibre to rest the bowel, and get into fennel, ginger and mint teas. And maybe consider gallstones?

Well it's not coeliac disease. Blood test came back clear for that. Sigh.

I'll continue to monitor things and keep a food diary. The list of Food/Drinks I'll Never Try Again is growing every day!

I've also started a course of probiotic tablets so I'll see if they help.

And @SamanthaH92 Are you still with us? 😀 Am I right in thinking you're going in to have your baby on Thursday?

Yes i am having baby on thursday. Praying things go back to normal after that and she's just on my bowels. She is very low and the midwife did say on sunday she hopes i make it to thursday lol. I'm still not brilliant. So fed up with it now x

Update! It turns out I do have Coeliac Disease. Or it's very very likely. My GP phoned tonight to advise that my test came back significantly high in tTG-IgA antibodies but everything needs to be confirmed with a biopsy.

He actually congratulated me on my self diagnosis skills! So thanks to anyone on here who may have suggested it and planted it in my mind.

I've been cutting out certain foods that I know make me ill but I'm under instruction not to go gluten free until I've had my biopsy.

And how are you @SamanthaH92?

One assumes your a tad busy with the new arrival? I hope you're feeling better bottom wise and the birth went smoothly xx

Birth didn't go too smoothly although a planned c section. Should of known from the first planned c section at that hospital how much of a nightmare it would be but hey ho. Glad you finally know whats causing it. I am much better at that end currently so just hoping it stays that way x

Oh I'm sorry to hear that. Are you and baby ok though? Are you home yet?

Yeah me and baby are doing well. I was discharged the friday night. Thank god. I am better looked after at home and although the first two days where horrible i am now on day 5 and not needing pain killers and can get in my own bed, i slept on the sofa proped up by cushions for the first 3 weeks last time lol x