Have my bowels fallen out with me?!

[RainyJuly23]

For about 10 days now I've had incredibly loose stools, and the urge to go comes on very suddenly with a quite bad stomach ache. I've also found that sometimes, when I go for a wee, as soon as I sit my bowels decide to get involved and I end up having another loose stool. I'd say I'm going 5+ times a day, throughout the night too.
Any idea what's going on? Stomach bug? IBS? I don't feel sick or have a temperature, I'm lethargic but I have chronic fatigue syndrome so that could be related to this instead.

do you have a dog or been abroad or been swimming in polluted waters?

do these symptoms fit?
www.nhs.uk/conditions/giardiasis/

I have a dog, haven't been abroad for 2 months but have been in a public swimming pool the last 2 weekends. Some of the symptoms fit (diarrhoea, stomach pain/cramps) but that's about it. No one else in the house appears to be suffering although DP has got stomach cramps and diarrhoea this morning.. worth a GP call perhaps?

Definitely worth a visit to your GP.

Take a bunger up ( my DF word) Imodium is very effective.

If symptoms persist as they say, consult the GP ( but I expect they won’t) . Make sure to drink plenty of water, you can also buy sachets of powder which replace some of the minerals etc which you can lose through constant diarrhoea ( though the taste leaves something to be desired).

Definitely worth asking GP as 10 days and you don't feel unwell otherwise.

GP will prob do a stool sample.

Do a qfit test / poop test

Maybe bowel polyps..

B12 deficiency can also be diaorea
Maybe get your b12 checked too

Well, I suppose a GP visit is in order if you can get an appointment. They should try to ascertain whether it is likely to be a bug or virus.

If it definitely doesn't seem to be a bug then you will be safe to take Loperamide to try and get control of it. Loperamide is sold over the counter under the brand name of Imodium. You'll typically get a dozen tablets in a pack, but if you will need it regularly you may need prescription because then you can be given more tablets.

Good luck. I've suffered irritable bowel syndrome for all of my adult life. It can be anxiety inducing.

Imodium

I’ve had bad bowels for 25 years and have the same symptoms.
Always worth a pop to the doctors if it’s a new issues though.

RainyJuly23 ·
Hi, hope you are well. Are you able to solve your loose stools problems? I am having the same problems, sometimes come and go. I wonder if it has anything to do with the menopause.

I developed these symptoms at the end of last year and it turned out to be gluten intolerance that came on suddenly and with a vengeance. I'm not coeliac. I quit all gluten containing products and went back to normal, not before I'd been through various tests. Certainly worth a GP visit but they may not twig about gluten or food intolerances, it was something I discovered on my own keeping a food diary.