Diarrhea And Dysauto

[Janey]

I very rarely have diarrhea (its usually the constipation and gastroparesis problems that afflict me) but I have suddenly started having it over the last few days. Stomach cramps and then that mad dash to the lavatory. I always check my symptoms within the autonomic remit first to see what's going on, but just wondered whether those with diarrhea as one of your autonomic symptoms, what's normally the reason that it occurs?

At first I thought dehydration, so I've upped my water intake. When that didn't make a difference I thought low beneficial gut bacteria because of my intestinal dysmotility, but I'm on 500 billion probiotic bacteria a day... It occured after a really bad spell of slow gut movement, so maybe that is the cause?

[Machair]

I am very much like yourself in that I have slow digestion. However, every now and then the reverse occurs. This is especially the case in hot and humid weather.It can also affect me during what feels like adrenaline surges, and is also common during my period.I am very nervous about it as it can be unpredictable, but luckily it is much less common than my main problem which is slow digestive transit.A large meal with a lot of fibre can also cause this in me so I avoid these. Hope this helps.x

[juliegee]

Sounds like a small intestinal bacterial overgrowth SIBO, common with slow GI tracts. We find a daily probiotic, Culturelle helps to prevent it. Xifaxin (special antibiotic) helps once you have an active infection. Sorry you're dealing with this.

Julie

[Kay]

I had diarrhea for a while with POTS, but then it became constipation ended up going to the GI Doctor and they diagnosed me with Irritable Bowel Syndrome which is also a common complication associated with POTS.

[ChiariMSwithPOTS]

OMG! I had this too! I thought I was alone. I have Gastroparesis and mainly constipation but if I have diarrhea, I get all my tachycardia back.

[sandymbme]

I have had diarrhea for the last two months, and severe POTS symptoms. Not sure if the two are linked, but it seems likely. Have had scoping from one end of my GI tract to the other, and no one seems to be able to figure out what on earth is going on with me. Have even consulted with GI specialist at the Cleveland Clinic, but no one seems to have any answers. My primary care doc is now theorizing that I have GI inflammation, and is starting me on a regimen of Cat's Claw and Boswellia, and wants me to start using UltrainflamX (a medical food) to try to get some nutrients into my compromised system. On top of everything else, I have also had crippling abdominal pain, and rather drastic weight loss. I am desperately hoping this new regimen helps!

Sandy

[Sarah4444]

I had constipation for years and attributed it all to using narcotics for chronic pain. However, now that I know I have POTS I imagine that was probably contributing as well. At some point in 2009, even though I took the same pain medications, it all switched over to severe bouts of nausea and diarrhea - by this summer my POTS episodes were awful (and now seem to have been? have become? the anaphalactic episodes Julie describes) and the nausea and diarrhea were very severe. Taking H1/H2 antagonists seems to be helping me, particularly with those symptoms. Unless things had gotten that critical, I wouldn't have made the connection with mast cell issues - I have no allergies, no obvious hives...something weird is going on.