# Bathroom-itis (aka diarrhea)



## Karen (Apr 17, 2002)

This is kind of embarrassing and delicate in nature, but is becoming quite a problem, but strange. I've had constant diarrhea (like 5-6x a day like water) for over 2 weeks now. I hits VERY sudden and I have to run like crazy to the restroom. The strange thing is, I feel fine otherwise and not even abnormally weak. 

I've had no medication, diet, stress level changes. I don't drink soda, juice, or anything but water and green tea; hot and iced (1 or 2 cups/glasses per day). My water source has not changed and the water is filtered. I'm drinking more water than normal now to keep from getting dehydrated.

I don't take any drugs (herbal or otherwise) unless absolutely needed, so I haven't taken anything for it. I believe that a health issue is a symptom of something that is wrong in your body and you work on the "wrong" first rather than masking it with medication or herbs. Since I can't figure out what is the cause and, since I feel okay otherwise, I thought it it would just work itself out if it were a bug or something; but apparently not! Any ideas on what could cause it for so long?


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## bridget (May 10, 2002)

Stoneyfields Farms yogurt is organic and very soothing when I have an issue.


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## rascaldaisy (Jun 1, 2006)

bridget said:


> Stoneyfields Farms yogurt is organic and very soothing when I have an issue.


I second that... Mega-doses of antibiotics (prescribed for a nasty spider bite) left me with depleted "good" bacteria in my system. If your normal internal environ has been altered, and a case of the "hollerin' trots" is the result... yogurt should help.


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## Shygal (May 26, 2003)

I agree with Meloc, I would suspect the water somehow. Filters do not filter out everything.

Try drinking bottled water and see if it alleviates the problem. I found that green tea does that to me  but if you have been drinking it all along, I don't think the tea is the problem.


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## marvella (Oct 12, 2003)

it may very well be a lack of fiber in your diet.

i know it sounds counterproductive, but it DOES work. get some metamucil and drink it everyday according to package directions.

it works by drawing in water from the gut to cure constipation, but it also works the opposite why by taking up excess fluid in the intestines.

do you eat lots of fruits and vgetables? i know i was having a spell of being sickly and run down and simply wasn't eating right. had constant diarrhea as you describe, to the point where i got leg cramps from possible low potassium.

getting my diet back on track cleared it right up.


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## culpeper (Nov 1, 2002)

Carob powder is a specific for diarrhoea. Take a heaped soupspoon of it with each meal. (roughly 3-4 teaspoons). You can add it to apple sauce or plain yoghurt.

Combine 1 tablespoon Slippery Elm, 1 tablespoon honey and a little warm water. Drink every hour until symptoms have eased.

Eat an UNRIPE banana.

Make some Potato soup and eat several bowls during the day.

In a food blender mix a handful of chopped red Radishes, 1 cup of cold milk, and 1/2 teaspoon of cornflour (cornstarch). Drink slowly. This remedy should stop the diarrhoea within an hour. Repeat again in 4 hours, if needed.

Eat some stewed Quinces.

Drink tea made from Caraway seeds.

Simmer 30g Brown Rice in 1 litre of water with 1 teaspoon salt for about an hour. Strain. Sip 1 cupful of the liquid every 2-3 hours.

Eat boiled Sweet Potatoes seasoned with salt and pepper before bedtime to treat chronic diarrhoea. 

If these sorts of treatments don't work within a few days, then it's off to the doctor with you. Chronic diarrhoea can be a symptom of more serious conditions - even bowel cancer, but most likely something like Crohn's Disease or Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Best to treat the condition, not just one symptom, don't you think?

Meantime, keep up your fluid intake and include something with electrolytes in it - like a sports drink. If you begin to get cramps, off to doctor or hospital with you.


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## Karen (Apr 17, 2002)

It's the oddest thing and happened just out of the blue. My water source is brand new well (1 yr. old) and we have a whole house water filter. The same set up we've had since living here.

My diet has been consisting of: Breakfast being oatmeal with either a banana or berries and one cup of decaf. Lunch either a whole wheat tortilla or whole wheat bread with low fat mayo, turkey, lettuce or spinach, and tomato; with whole grain chips. Sometimes we will have soup, but usually the sandwich. Supper is almost always chicken or turkey, whole grains (such as barley, whole wheat couscous, brown rice, polenta, or bulgar), & green vegetable or salad. On Friday nights I make homemade pizza with whole wheat crust and veggies and sometimes turkey sausage on top. Occasionally I'll make whole wheat pasta, etc. I'll eat an apple in addition to the breakfast fruit, but fruit has been so high we haven't had much. I use only olive oil. It's been pretty much the same diet now for several months -- my latest weight loss attempt.  

I had a routine colonoscopy about 2 years ago which was clear as a whistle, so I doubt it's anything colon related. There also does not appear to be blood in the stool.

The thing is, I feel fine otherwise! If I had some sort of bug or intestinal thing I would expect to be sick to my stomach at least. 

I think I'll pick up some yogurt and give it a try, I never thought about that; although I HATE that stuff! I must be the only person alive who positively hates yogurt - and I've tried about every kind and flavor. It never tastes like it looks and smells. I think I keep expecting it to taste like pudding or something..lol. :shrug:


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Wow what a pain in the *$$,, oh sorry bad pun :shrug: 

I have on occasion had something like this just hits out of the blue with no symptoms but it only lasts about 24 hours. How long has this been going on?

Don't forget that old "BRATY" diet (Banana, Rice, Apple, plain Toast and Yogurt) If you don't like yogurt get some probiotics or at the very least Acidophilis and take it about 3 times a day.

Other than that you could try some herbal things to try to stop it. But if you are feeling alright and not dehydrated maybe your body needs to get something out of it's system. Maybe help it along with a good detox tea.


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## Jenn (Nov 9, 2004)

Activia actually DID help me, and I have ulcerative colitis so that's saying a lot!


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## Cyngbaeld (May 20, 2004)

You may also be extremely constipated. You can get a hard fecal plug with very loose stool working its way around the plug. This is common with some medications. I would try a retention mineral oil enema followed by a good warm water enema with castile soap in it.


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## Dahc (Feb 14, 2006)

Blackberry leaves, stems and roots make a good tea to sooth these problems. Sounds like temporary stomach bug. They can last upwards of a month without feeling "sick".

Maybe from water, maybe not. It seems like your diet has enough fiber in it.


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## Marilyn in CO (May 12, 2002)

Check for parasites.


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## suburbanite (Jul 27, 2006)

My first thought is giardia. Even if your home water supply is clean, you might have picked it up somewhere else, or possibly even on contaminated produce.


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## suburbanite (Jul 27, 2006)

Um, could also be an amoeba but those are rarer in the US. Also, if you eat sushi, there's a fish-borne parasite that can cause this kind of problem, but that's even less common.

Anyway--parasite check would probably be a good idea.


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## Dahc (Feb 14, 2006)

suburbanite said:


> Um, could also be an amoeba but those are rarer in the US.


Amoeba are found on decaying vegetation in water. They are not real picky about which country they reside in. :shrug:


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## suburbanite (Jul 27, 2006)

dahc--infections in humans by amoeba are rare in the US.


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## Dahc (Feb 14, 2006)

suburbanite said:


> dahc--infections in humans by amoeba are rare in the US.


Give it time. :spam:


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## Karen (Apr 17, 2002)

suburbanite said:


> My first thought is giardia. Even if your home water supply is clean, you might have picked it up somewhere else, or possibly even on contaminated produce.


You know what, this did all start almost immediately after returning from spending a couple of days in Gatlinburg. We were eating out all the time and I did eat a lot of salads and fresh fruit while there. There was one night (two days before we arrived home) I got really ill (vomiting) after a meal at the Alamo Steakhouse. But I figured it was because I had ate things I had not eaten in a while (and lots more of them!). I'm now wondering if all of this might not be connected.

But isn't giardia passed through feces, or do I have that confused with something else? I'm such a clean freak and sort of a germaphobia that I doubt I could have gotten it that way (I don't even swim in swimming pools; go through hand sanitizer like water; and carry lysol to spray when stopping at restrooms and to spray our condo were we stay. I'm even one of those people who won't touch a door knob exiting a restroom). But some type of food bound critter, who knows!


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## suburbanite (Jul 27, 2006)

Karen all it would take is infected kitchen staff cutting the lettuce a bathroom break without washing afterwards. Same thing as with hepatitis A outbreaks.


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## MELOC (Sep 26, 2005)

i thought giardia was something gotten from untreated water...like my spring, lol.


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## chris30523 (Jun 11, 2005)

giardia is something you get from contaminated water. If you were sick from eating out it could be a bacterial infection . I knew a couple who went to montana and drank out of a creek , they thought the water would be clean that far out in the wilderness.They both had diarrhea for months till they got checked and they had picked up giardia from the creek.
I would try the yogurt with active cultures not the sugary kids kind.The BRATY diet is good to help things get back to normal.Then start easing into your regular eating routine. Once your system is irritated it is hard to get it back in sync. If it doesn't clear up I would get checked for bacteria or giardia. I don't know of any natural cure for these but maybe there is?


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## Marilyn in CO (May 12, 2002)

From what you have said, I suspect, Giardia and here is what I would do....just a suggestion........Homeopathic "Giardia" 15 drops, 3x daily......also combine with Golden Seal tincture, 7 drops 3x daily....this is taken from "Parasites..the enemy within" by Hanna Kroeger. She was one amazing herbalist here in CO.


Individuals can either be infected through contaminated food or water containing the cysts or hand to mouth contact with infected articles like clothes or diapers. Giardia is very contagious and can be found in municipal water supplies. Chlorination and filtering do not always kill the cysts.


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## suburbanite (Jul 27, 2006)

The giardia gets into the water from fecal contamination, usually animal.


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