Chronic Diarrhea for 40+ years

Posted By Tina on November 06, 1998 at 00:52:53:







My mother has had chronic diarrhea since she was in elementary school. She says she rarely has constipation or "normal stools".  She notices that when she fasts she does not have diarrhea. However, when she eats, she usually has diarrhea about 30 minutes afterwards. Certain foods cause more symptoms of cramping and diarrhea than others. She is overweight, so I didn't know if she could possibly have a malabsorption disorder. There are no blood or mucous in her stools. Her daughter has the same condition. She also does not eat as many vegetables and fruits as she should. Could she be lacking an enzyme such as a disaccharidase? Any insight would be appreciated