Frequent Bowel Movements

[iceman271]

Hi,

Hoping that someone out there can offer a little advice on an issue I am having. I apologize in advance if any of this is gross.

For the past 4-5 years, I’ve been having multiple bowel movements each day. Prior to this, I would have 1 a day or 1 every other day. Now I seem to be having anywhere from 3 to 12 a day. I always seem to have 3 of them within the first 2 hours after I wake up. The rest are spread throughout the day. The first couple of the day have some volume while the rest are quite small (anywhere from say a dime to a quarter in size). They are also usually soft and thin. I never notice any blood and sometimes there is mucus. I never feel like I evacuate everything, even after I sit on the toilet for 15-20 minutes. However, if I get up and move around, I might have another movement a few minutes later. I guess I always have this feeling like I need to go.

Also, about 4-5 years ago I started drinking coffee. I was always a tea drinker, but I started adding a large cup of coffee from a local coffee shop to my daily diet in addition to my daily cup of tea.

I’ve explained my problems to 2 different PCPs and 2 different Gastroenterologists. I’ve had 2 colonoscopies in the past 3 years and neither uncovered any issues. My current PCP and Gastroenterologist told me that my problem is too much caffeine and that once I cut it out I will be back to “normal”. My Gastroenterologist also gave me Levsin to take, which I try not to because it only seems to delay the movements from one day to the next.

I went cold turkey on the daily coffee in March of this year and also gave up the daily tea in April of this year. The rest of my diet has remained the same. I used to also take Excedrin for headaches. I gave that up in May. I haven’t noticed any difference in the frequency of my movements since giving up the coffee, tea & Excedrin.

My diet isn’t perfect, but it is pretty consistent. My breakfast always consists of a bowl of Special K cereal (the regular one) with Soy milk. During the work week my lunch is always a PB&J sandwich on white bread, banana, glass of OJ and usually a handful of baked Ruffles. Throughout the day, I may have a granola bar or a Special K cereal bar and I’ll drink a couple of bottled waters. My dinners differ quite a bit because I go to the gym 3 nights a week. On those nights I usually have 2 protein shakes and a turkey sandwich on white bread or scrambled eggs. On the non-gym nights, dinner will consist of either red meat/fish or pasta with sides of vegetables. I’ve only been going to the gym since October 2009 and I don’t think this has had any impact on my problem.

I don’t smoke but I do drink wine. I usually have 3-4 glasses a week.  The wine drinking has been going on for the past year or so.

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

[bibba]

You could have been writing about me!! My symptoms were/are almost exactly the same and like you I could find no answers. Until I started keeping a food journal.

Turns out there are several additives in food that play havoc with my intestines. In my case bread can be a problem if it has preservatives. And many added  flavourings and colourings also cause trouble. If I steer clear of most processed foods I'm fine but I can also no longer tolerate most nuts and some fruit.

I highly recommend keeping a food diary and reading the labels on foods to work out what upsets your digestive system. Try eliminating suspect foods one at a time. Good luck.

[steph74]

Hi,

Sorry I have no answers, but I have very similar symptoms.  Good that your colonoscopies were clear--I've been afraid to have one...

I do have  celiac disease, and I know if I eat ANY gluten (wheat, rye, barley, oats) accidentally, then I will have these symptoms (plus horrible gas and cramping) magnified.  I think my problem may be sensitivities to other foods, but I'm having trouble identifying everything.  I'm pretty sure soy doesn't work for me (which is too bad because I love tofu) and possibly corn (another huge bummer!!) and, crazy as it sounds, I've eaten some dried apple rings from Trader Joes recently, on two separate occasions, that cause horrible problems.  (My suspicion is that they may be dusted in flour to keep them from sticking.)

I should also add that I have a multitude of other neurological symptoms and have "probable MS" so it is possible that my problem is neurological in origin.

Wish I had some answers for you!