Why do I keep pooing myself?

[RealHousewivesOfTaunton]

NC'ed for this. I am not the poo troll. Pombears, garlic threadworms, poo pouffe etc.

I had a bad stomach infection a few months ago. Symptoms were sulphuric burps, diarrhoea, nausea and lack of appetite for about 2 weeks. My GP took a stool sample, which came back as normal. Immodium and time sorted it out.

Since then, the sulphuric burps keep coming back, along with the odd bout of diarrhoea. Sometimes it comes on very suddenly, which has led to some embarrassing incidents where I haven't made it to a loo in time.

The burps are back today. I have a big presentation at work tomorrow. I'm not nervous about it, it's a normal part of my job, but I absolutely have to be there. I will take immodium and pack spare clothes but it's a long way to travel and 3 hours presenting and I'm worried about having another accident.

Is it worth going back to my GP? What could be wrong?

I find banana great for bringing on a bit of constipation. Good luck OP.

Try going gluten free. Gluten does the same to me

I second the suggestion to have carbs to help block you up. I can’t poo for days after a dominos… Hope you feel better soon!

I have this problem. I'm usually very farty and burp like a prize cow just before a poonami. If I can get a couple of immodium down before battle commences, I'm safe. I euphemistically refer to days like those as "snow days."

I had giardia and it was awful!

Oh likewise! I had it for weeks and felt bloody grim. Got so used to feeling nauseous and having the trots I thought that was it forever. Testing showed nothing. It was only when I was in hospital a few weeks later for something else that it was diagnosed. Apparently poo tests from the GP take 24 hours by which time the Giardia doesn't show up. The in-hospital testing happened within a couple of hours and there it was discovered. I had an intensive course of antibiotics, massive horse tablet size things that you had to chew, for about 10 days. Anyway. That got rid of it. Awful though, as you say.

White carbs & immodium. Lots of white bread, pasta & rice, a beige diet, things like fish fingers, chips etc, no veg or spices, vinegar, ketchup etc.

Sounds like you've buggered up your microbiome and have developed SIBO. Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth and/or loss of stomach enzymes..

It happened after a nasty sick bug for my youngest daughter. She had the exact same symptoms and it was ghastly and debilitating for her. It took a long time to get a diagnosis and get it sorted. She cut out excess sugar which included avoiding lactose so opted for lacto-free milk/cheese and avoided any other dairy. Garlic and onion also triggered off her symptoms. She also reduced her carbs.
Basically you need to starve the bacteria multiplying in your gut that are feeding off sugars, producing gas and making you bloat and burp. You are probably getting excess intestinal mucus as well hich can cause urgent foul smelling poops. You've probably lost the enzymes needed to break down lactose as well and have become temporarily intolerant, if you weren't already. Take a really good probiotic from somewhere like Holland and Barrett, preferably one with a high count. Slowly, with a food diary, reintroduce foodstuffs until your body has straightened out its microbiome and can tolerate it all again. You might find just cutting out dairy/lactose makes an immediate difference to your symptoms.

It could be small intestine bacterial overgrowth. Mention this possibility to your GP.
Try probiotics to overwhelm the bad bacteria with good bacteria. You can also take oregano oil to help kill the bacteria, but not at the same time as the probiotics. They should be two hours or more apart.

Other possibilitues; h. pylori, IBS and food sensitivities.

A period of fasting is a good way to sort this. A doctor once gave me this regime -

Only water for 24hrs

Water and small amounts of white rice (a spoonful every hour or so) for the next 24hrs. This apparently starves the bacteria

Then build up again to normal eating and be sure to include foods rich in probiotics to build up healthy bacteria again.

I’ve had this exact issue for a number of years now. It started after a big bout of stress about 7 years ago which also coincided with the start of perimenopause. I get a bit of pain and then no warning, just a torrent.

I suspect a lot of my issue is lactose but sometimes anything can set it off and that’s what makes it dangerous.

Any situation where I’m slightly nervous I can poop multiple times beforehand too. I hate going out to eat as that will almost always trigger the need to void, sometimes repeatedly which is embarrassing having to keep going to the loo.

Id love to sort it, it’s ruining my life.

Ive been to the GP as my stool is often yellow ochre but they said it was just my food moving through too quickly. All tests ok.

I shall be reading through the thread for inspiration.

Right, I've made it through the presentation. My abdomen was rock hard by the end, but no damage done. Phew!

I've also sent an e-consult to my GP.

I'm really sorry to read about your dad. Wishing him, you and your family all the very best.

I worked in Africa and we always treated sulphur burps as giardia

Could be irritable bowel syndrome. A test can't pick it up, it's a clinical diagnosis.
Have you tried peppermint oil capsules and activated charcoal? The peppermint relieves inflammation and the charcoal helps prevent diarrhea. I've been an IBS sufferer for many years and it's helped me.
Probiotics are also helpful.