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Chronic Diarrhea?

Hello,

I'm hoping for some insight.  For the last eight months, I've had this unexplained bouts of diarrhea.  It occurs in the morning, before I've eaten breakfast, usually two or three times.  By mid-morning, it goes away and I don't have a problem.  Until the next morning, lol.  I should mention that I do not have a gallbladder or appendix anymore too.

Here's my questions.  Does this sound like IBS?  Can it cause bad cramping, like it wakes me up at night?  Any idea why it occurs only in the mornings?  Thanks!
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Avatar universal
interestingly, I have very similar problems, but usually slightly later in the morning/early afternoon. I wake up often feeling quite constipated. If I don't have time to eat breakfast then around 11.00am to midday (just before lunch) I start to feel bloated and, lo and behold, the 'evacuation' is imminent!

If I eat breakfast as soon as I wake up then there is a much higher likelihood that I won't have diarrhea that day. But on the rare occasion I still do after eating breakfast, it is twice as bad.

Stress and coffee are the worst offenders for making it worse. I'm best when I have a varied diet and stick to a strict routine. It can be hard though - try explaining to someone without IBS that you can't possibly delay dinner by a mere 45 minutes cos you'll be pooping and cramping the next day without ruining the dinner plans altogether! Not easy lol. Luckily I have a very understanding girlfriend

I've been diagnosed with IBS, but nobody can find any allergies or any reason as to why it has appeared. To me, the most likely answer would be that I had a stress-related stomach ulcer about 10 years ago (which lasted about a year - taking omeprazole etc). However, given that the IBS symptoms didn't start until about 2 years ago, the docs say it is not likely to be related.

My advice - stick to the tea, eat a varied diet (obviously without any allergens) and find ways of managing stress better (let's be honest, we could all do that). Above all else - and I can't stress this enough - create a routine, and then create a BACKUP routine. I leave a 5-pack of cereal bars in my car so I can eat one on the way to work if I miss breakfast. They're not ideal, but generally better than nothing. Try to think of how you could have a backup for your particular needs. It means you don't ever completely break your routine AND you don't have to worry as much ABOUT breaking routine =)

all the best x
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Avatar universal
Hi there,

I'm sorry that you're going through this as well.  I don't have the answers for you as I don't know myself.  My diarrhea seems to be tapering off but I also just lowered my thyroid medicine dose since it's possible I was going hyperthyroid.  So far, that seems to be helping my bowels to be normal again.  I hope you can figure out your issues (:  Good luck!
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Avatar universal
Hi mam,I read all the contents that are posted by you regarding chronic diarrhea.I am facing the problem too with similar symptoms.can you give your valuable suggestions to me such that,i can came out of this problem in the morning times of my daily life.If any medication suggest me.I will wait for your reply.
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Avatar universal
Thank you!  I have children as well and it's hard to deal with.  I want to be the fun mom again (:  Not the one who worries over where the bathroom is if we're out in the mornings.  I'm eliminating dairy to see if it makes a difference.  So far, it kind of does as far as cramping pain.  I don't drink coffee, I drink tea already (:  I think I'm going to try to keep my food as simple as possible...meats, vegetables and fruit.  The only grain I seem able to tolerate is white rice.  I'm getting a little tired though of the evacuation, if you know what I mean.  At least it's somewhat predictable because it happens only in the morning, never past 12:00 noon,  isn't that weird?
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Avatar universal
Thank you!  It probably is becoming a self fulfilling prophechy, lol.  I hate the mornings now because 9 times out of 10 I have diarrhea and loose stools.  But then later in the afternoon or early evening, I'll have a normal movement.  It's all so bizarre.  Milk definitely doesn't agree with me, I notice an increase in gas cramps and diarrhea the next morning if I have any.  Aged cheese seems to be fine with.  Codeine wouldn't work for me, I'm allergic to it!  I'm just frustrated since we're trying to plan a family trip to Disney World and this whole thing makes me nervous about being away from home.  
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Avatar universal
Hello! I'm 27 and have had IBS since I was 18 I'm no longer on medication for it thru diet alone although I still have times where it acts up. I saw an allergist to determine food allergies I have very few none of them seemingly high enough or directly related to my diet. I don't take dariry except for greek yogurt I also limit the number of fruits I eat high in sugars I have eliminated red meat which was tremendous! Also fiber is good to help stool harden but it can cause bloating and gas which can be very painful if you do high fiber try taking a little teaspoon of olive oil with it and drink tons of water IBS is very dehydrating is you have it like me and you do but mine was never just in the am. Oh coffee makes it worse switch to ice tea if you can. Sometimes all IBS is -is your body's was of rejecting or evacuating what it doesn't want and sometimes just to make room I know I've had the very worst of moments and as a mother of two its not been an easy road but you'll make it!
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Avatar universal
Hopefully it will set your mind at rest to know that my IBS has this pattern.  

With me it almost became a self fulfilling prophecy, because after a while of having the morning problems I started dreading the morning and the stress/anxiety that I might have to go to work before properly emptying seemed to worsen the symptoms.  I was getting quite panicked as I left the house in case the worst happened while I was in a public place.

I accidentally discovered that taking a codeine painkiller at night (I just took a short course for back pain) hardened everything up the next morning, and when I was able to leave the house with no symptoms the related anxiety faded.  

I will nowadays just take a codeine pain killer at night if I have something important to do the next day to avoid the panic taking over.  Most of the time things seem to work fine on their own but I think having a certain degree of control really helps.

Also, milk is the worst thing in the world for anyone with IBS I think, switch to soya!

Good luck managing your symptoms.
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Avatar universal
An upper endoscopy is unlikely to show anything, but a lower endoscopy (colonoscopy) might show something.
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Avatar universal
So I had my lab tests.  Everything was negative...no detectable celiac genes, no c.diff, no abnormal bacteria, no blood, ESR normal, TTG all normal.

I'm still having diarrhea, only in the morning, and then usually have a regular bowel movement by night time.  

Any other advice or thoughts?  My gastro. dr. wants to do an endoscopy but only as a last resort.  Thanks!
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Avatar universal
Ah okay, sorry, that would have been an easy fix!!
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Avatar universal
No, I never drink coffee and the green tea I drink is decaf which I usually have late in the morning.
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Avatar universal
Do you by any chance drink a cup of coffee right when you get up before you eat breakfast that could be causing this?
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Avatar universal
Thank you!  I am not on a high fiber diet right now, it's more of a reduced fiber diet.  Well, other than the fiber from fruits and vegetables I eat.  I just thought it odd that most of my diarrhea issues are right in the morning.  Almost like my bowels are kicked into super gear when I awake.  Anyhow, thank you so much for your insight, I appreciate it.  
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Avatar universal
Sometimes IBS can be like that where all the symptoms are only during a certain part of the day.  Have you tried a high-fiber diet?
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Avatar universal
Dairy definitely makes whatever is wrong, worse.  I'm just very frustrated because I'm nervous to leave the house for too long in case I have diarrhea.  Yet it's usually confined to the mornings.  Can IBS be predictable like that, occuring mainly in the morning?
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Avatar universal
Well food intolerances can sometimes have some strange patterns to them.  However, it does seem likely that you have IBS which can definitely be exacerbated by intolerances.
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Avatar universal
I was wondering that too but I've tried eliminating things and still I have the diarrhea every morning.  Dairy makes the diarrhea worse but even when I don't eat any dairy, I have diarrhea the next morning.  It's like clockwork.  Then later in the early evening, sometimes I'll have a totally normal stool.  It's so strange!  That's what is making me think it might be IBS.  I do have an appt. with a gastro dr. in two weeks though.  Any other thoughts?  Thank you so much!
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Avatar universal
This makes me think that all of your problems might be related to food intolerances.  I would recommend that you see a gastroenterologist about this and see if you can figure out what these intolerances are.
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Avatar universal
Forgot to add that yes, it happens every morning.
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Avatar universal
Thank you.  Yes, I have eliminated all gluten from diet.  I tried eliminating dairy too and that seems to help some but I'm still having diarrhea in the mornings.  Dairy definitely seems to make it worse though.  For instance, if I have a glass of milk two hours or so before bed, I get cramps during the night and the morning diarrhea is more, well, explosive lol!  
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Avatar universal
Welcome to the IBS community!  Does this happen every morning?  Have you tried eliminating anything from your diet?
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