6 weeks of diarrhea

I am a 62 year old female. I am in good health, exercise regularly, and do not drink or smoke. My bowel movements have always been regular. I have lost 70 lbs over two years on the Atkins/South Beach diet and have never felt better. I had an all clear colonoscopy 5 years ago. Six weeks ago I started with diarrhea that occurs about once every 30minutes to an hour after meals and then am comfortable for several hours. The onset is sudden and immediate. Movements are stringy; color depends on what I have eaten and sometimes there is mucus. No blood except occasionally from irritated hemorrhoids. A stool sample and a blood test revealed nothing. I have tried immodium, and had lomotil and paregoric prescribed. I have no other symptoms. I do eat eggs raised by a neighbor and think that it is possible that I ate some undercooked chicken. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[Kevin Pho, MD]

Possible causes would be malabsorption, any type of infectious diarrhea (especially Salmonella given the history of undercooked chicken), inflammatory bowel disease (less likely given the negative colonoscopy), or irritable bowel disease.

To test for malabsorption, you may want to consider blood tests looking for celiac disease, or testing for fecal fat content (which can suggest malabsorption).  Another consideration would be sending off the stool sample for culture, to ensure there is no infectious cause.  

As for irritable bowel disease, increasing fiber in the diet can be helpful.  I would discuss these options with your personal physician, or consider a GI referral.

Followup with your personal physician is essential.

This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice - the information presented is for patient education only. Please see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.

Kevin, M.D.
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