Constant Diarrhea

Hi @jollygreen17 and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. You will see that I moved your post to a discussion about continuing diarrhea. I did this so you can connect with members like @suzanne2, @stefspad, @fourof5zs, and @ken82.

Here is an article that you might be interested in as well. "Patients who lost the ileocecal valve and part of the right colon had more diarrhea than those who lost comparable lengths of ileum but had this area preserved. Fecal ion concentrations seemed independent of diet but were related to fecal weight and the amount of colon and ileum removed." ---- The colon influences ileal resection diarrhea: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7353449/

Please let us know when you have your appointment so we can follow up with you to see how it went.

Did they have you on a clear liquid or soft food diet when you were in the hospital?

After the surgery in 2010 they served me beef stew. That was the last thing I wanted! I ate a low fiber diet for awhile on my own as I was experimenting with foods that would lessen the diarrhea. I tried the BRAT diet.. I think applesauce may actually work. Thanks for the article!

@jollygreen17

Keep a food journal … make notes of what you eat and the results. Make sure you eat more soluble fiber foods .. you can find a list by doing a internet search. A short list: oats, peas, beans, apples, citrus fruits, carrots, barley and psyllium products. You may want to add probiotic foods such as yogurt and kefir or a probiotic supplement. I use a supplement .. but had a hard time finding the correct one for me. I gave several a two week trial to make sure how I reacted to them.. most just bloated me. My husband's cousin had the same problem and suggested I try what he uses… Align. It works for me. .. I bloated some the first few days and then all settled down. If you can control it with diet all the better. Some also suggest adding prebiotics to diet or a prebiotic supplement.

ZeeGee

Thank you so much

The visit to the new GI doctor was fruitful. After running blood and stool analysis, I checked negative for any infections, parasites, etc. Someone on this forum had mentioned "Welchol" as being a game changer for the diarrhea. She have me a prescription for the generic version (colesevelam). After using it for a couple of days, the frequency of bowel movements has decreased dramatically. Thanks!!!!

I found a probiotic that has been wonderful for me. I take 2 Florastors in the morning with my breakfast and it works great. It even helped me get thru having to take antibiotics.

I too, have EPI and was misdiagnosed for 30 years struggling with a miserable lifestyle of constantly running to bathrooms no matter where I happened to be…ugh. It eventually led to ulcers, chronic gastritis, malnutrition, fainting once a week and free fall weight loss.
I finally went to a THIRD gastro practice and a PA suspected EPI. They told me it is genetic and passed from mother to daughter, which made sense because my mother indeed suffered mightily with the same symptoms and was never diagnosed.
I now take Zenpep and maintain a highly disciplined nutrition lifestyle and am now very healthy.
There is so much disinformation surrounding “gut health” and useless “digestive supplements” that are a complete waste of time and money.
My hope is that anyone suffering with IBS-D type symptoms, ulcers, chronic gastritis, carb cravings, nausea, fainting, and finally inexplicable weight
loss, NEVER give up seeking a gastro practice that will LISTEN.
I never dreamed my life would be this good! There is hope, but you have to stubbornly advocate for yourself!!!

I was one of the people who mentioned Welchol. Glad it worked for you too. It has given me my life back. Maybe not for everyone, but for those with bile salt malabsorption- it is a game changer!

I developed constant diarrhea a few years ago. I couldn't pass a gas station without having to run and use their bathroom. I was diagnosed with "microscopic colitis" The only solution was to take Imodium every day. It worked. A few years ago, I decided to change my diet. I cut out almost all cheese, except for goat cheese. I reduced the amount of meat that I ate and added more fruit and veggies. Then one day, I realized I hadn't been taking Imodium! So I recommend taking a good look at your diet. And it just might save you money as well. I have not become a "vegetarian or a vegan." I tell people I am working on it. I keep meat, especially beef, to a minimum by keeping it to a treat when I go out. I do not eat pork--haven't for years. If I can find it, I buy bison/buffalo hamburger.

This is almost exactly my story. I had no idea there was such a thing as microscopic colitis. Mine was started by food poisoning and went on for months. Requires a biopsy by colonoscopy. But by the time I got to the GI doctor, my diarrhea had resolved.