Chronic diarrhea. Mild but it leaves me feeling so terrible.

Posted by angelique343 @angelique343, Nov 2, 2025

Will try to be brief! About 45 years ago, I picked up a stomach bug while abroad and my digestion has never returned to normal. The issue is diarrhoea, albeit relatively mild.
If I take 1 or x Loperimide per day, I'm generally OK, apart from occasional 'bouts' which my question refers to.

I should say first, despite countless investigations, nothing much has shown up apart from "mild to moderate bile acid malabsorption" but that was at least 10 years ago and I've recently had another test that proved negative for that

My problem usually happens when I eat too wheat (though various tests have never shown any allergy or coeliac issue).

To get to the point, what happens is that I have an uncomfortable urgency to empty my bowels. The stools are only a little bit loose but almost immediately, I feel absolutely terrible - it's difficult to describe but exhausted, a bit sick, a vile feeling in my head and throughout my entire digestive system. I have no energy and I just want to collapse.

Typically this thoroughly unpleasant feeling lasts about 48 hours. I don't have any further BMs (until one, the next day). I just don't understand why this happens and no doctor has ever been able to give me any kind of explanation.

How can one slightly loose BM make me feeling SO dreadful for SO long? If I can't get a resolution, I would at least like to understand the logic. Can it be that I'm simply dehydrated? But how can the sensations be so sudden and anyway, it's not like fully blown diarrhoea where there's repeated BMs and lots of lost liquid.

Most of the time it's fairly OK and manageable but it's often worse when I'm abroad, as I am right now (in Italy, where it'squite hard to avoid wheat). Final comment, before I discovered Loperimide about 25 years ago, my life was sheer misery. I had diarrhoea every day, multiple times, liquid. I felt so incredibly awful every day. At least it isn't like that any more. I don't believe anything will ever be "found". I think it's a dysfunction based on nervous system dysregulation, or something like that.

Can anyone else relate? Does anyone know how or why my body's reaction can be so very extreme or how a little 'touch' of diarrhoea can lay me low for days??? Sorry this is so long! Many thanks in advance.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Digestive Health Support Group.

brunnece7 | @brunnece7 | Nov 18, 2025

In reply to @angelique343 "@2011panc Wow! First time I've heard of an effective treatment, really. I will research that drug...." + (show)

@angelique343 I have been taking 1 gram of Colestipol in the mrning and 1 at night. But my gastroenterologist increased my dosage to two grams each morning two grams each night. It definitely helps and I would recommend trying it. Also good to know is that you can take up to 16 grams a day! I am only taking 4 currently but it’s nice to know it can still be increased.

smitty1950 | @smitty1950 | Jan 9 10:33am

Hi all, I have had diarrhea once a month for a year and then almost every night for 6 weeks now somewhat under control with psyllium husk. A year ago I had all the fecal tests and giardia was just repeated. It took a year to get a colonoscopy with biopsies for micro colitis, which came out normal. I am scheduled for an mri of my abdomen and an upper endoscopy. Anything else needed? I can’t get an appointment with a gi person til March. My pcp is very good and specializes in internal medicine but I would like a sooner gi appointment.

Lisa Lucier, Moderator | @lisalucier | Jan 9 11:35am

In reply to @smitty1950 "Hi all, I have had diarrhea once a month for a year and then almost every..." + (show)

Hi @smitty1950 - I wanted to welcome you to Mayo Clinic Connect and also let you know I moved your post to this existing discussion on chronic diarrhea so you could chat with others talking about that topic here such as @koneil @carrie40 @crazykbl @bobcinem.

Sounds like you've been diligent with getting seen by physicians and having testing done so far, and I hope you can get in earlier to the GI physician. Do they have a waiting list for this doctor you can get on? Any theories on why you may have had diarrhea in this pattern of once a month for a year and the almost nightly for 6 weeks?

smitty1950 | @smitty1950 | Jan 9 12:00pm

In reply to @koneil "I have had chronic diarrhea for almost five years. Ive been through countless tests and procedures...." + (show)

@koneil I was wondering what test is the one for bile so I can check to see if I have had it.

Lisa Lucier, Moderator | @lisalucier | Jan 20 10:32am

In reply to @brunnece7 "@angelique343 I have been taking 1 gram of Colestipol in the mrning and 1 at night...." + (show)

Hi @brunnece7 - wondering how your increased dosage of colestipol is going? Is it still helping you?

@smitty1950 - there are quite a number of tests for bile. However, @koneil mentioned a test he had that indicated bile level, so I'm hoping he can let you know what test that was. I noted that you can't get into see a GI physician till March but that you have MRIs scheduled. Hoping those are coming up sooner?

brunnece7 | @brunnece7 | Jan 20 11:25am

In reply to @lisalucier "Hi @brunnece7 - wondering how your increased dosage of colestipol is going? Is it still helping..." + (show)

@lisalucier Yes, taking two in the morning and two in the evening with plenty of water each time is very helpful?

Lisa Lucier, Moderator | @lisalucier | Jan 20 3:13pm

In reply to @vcfoley11 "Something similar happened to me. I discovered that I was lactose intolerant. I have been through..." + (show)

Hi @vcfoley11 - how are you doing lately? You'd mentioned that you and the nutritionist (or maybe the gastro doc) got some things sorted out this fall. Which things did you get sorted out? What things are you still trying to figure out? Are you still feeling better?

Fix It | @vcfoley11 | 1 day ago

In reply to @lisalucier "Hi @vcfoley11 - how are you doing lately? You'd mentioned that you and the nutritionist (or..." + (show)

@lisalucier
I found that the Fodmap diet was not totally useful for me but it was a start. I think I eliminated foods that I could have eaten, but you do not know when you are dealing with episodes often. I wish someone had told me not to eliminate gluten until I was tested for it. I eliminated nightshades, and would now like to try to add potatoes and tomatoes back into my diet but cannot find a time when I am home long enough to suffer the consequences if they affect me. I am feeling better over all. The non-fermentation diet seems to be my best path and no probiotics at this time. Thanks for checking, I hope this helps someone else.

nycmusic | @nycmusic | 8 hours ago

For more temporary diarrhea, doc had me on BRAT (Bananas, Rice, Applesauce) diet for several days…said the rice cooking liquid helps. Definitely calmed things down.maybe it can help other situations…?