Digestive problems

Since about 2 weeks I can't digest anything. I get a diarrhea from evrything I eat, and what scares me the most is in the bowlmovment is clear or white slim mukus involved. Sometimes it is just this mukus clear or white. Can anybody tell me what I should do?

[lizziecee]

Hi Janet,
diarrahea with mucus means your intestines are not absorbing your food properly - the mucus is indicative  of inflammation in either the small intestine, where food is absorbed/ or the colon, where the waste is eliminated.

These symptoms can be caused by many factors: food poisoning, a parasitic infection, irritable bowel syndrome, or more seriously Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Crohn's or Ulcerative Colitis).

As we are are not doctors, we cannot identify the cause over the internet, neither can they, and all we can suggest is that you really need to see a doctor for blood and stool tests to determine the cause and get appropriate medication.

Meantime, you should keep hydrated, drink lots of fluids and stay off solids until you get to a doctor. Two weeks is a long time for constant diarrhea. I don't know if you can get Dioralyte over the counter (i.e. without a prescription) in the US, we can in England, but it is worth trying, as this will replace the essential electrolytes you are losing in the diarrhea. This is not a cure...you need to find out what is causing the problem.

Take care,
Liz.

[janetgiselle]

Thanks for the help. I went into the Hospital yesterday and they did not find anything in blood or urine , but they found a bacterien infection in my colon with a CAT scan. I fell a little better, they gave me antibotica and nothing else I will try to get the Dioralyte to help me a little I am weak and neausea all the time.
Thanks for the response.
Giselle

[lizziecee]

Hi Giselle,
so pleased you have a diagnosis and it does not look like IBD. I occasionally have to have Ciprofloxacin, an antibiotic, for 10 days, and this does help.

You now need to get strong, and I know only too well (after two and a half months last year on tube feeding, 10 hrs a night) how difficult it is to eat when you are feeling nauseous. My gastro prescribed Fortijuice as I didn't like Ensure - too milky. This is in little 300 ml. plastic bottles, each having 300 calories - I had to sip 3 a day, and they did help my malnutrition until I was able to tolerate solids. The Fortijuice comes in 9 different flavours and I found the blackcurrant flavour the most palatable.  Creamed potatoes, apple sauce and poached eggs are also easily digestible and give protein and carbs.

Hope you are feeling much better soon.
Liz.