Salt/water Intake And Diarrhea...sick Of Eating

[Sunshinegirl]

Does anyone else get very bad diarrhea from trying to get enough salt and water? This has plagued me for a decade! When I am out and about, I always have to use the bathroom urgently and don't always get there in time. I look fine but life is not fine! It gets worse with even a little stress or heat.

I don't think the salt and water are absorbing correctly. Recently, I was told to try eating pickles. It helped a bit because they retain the salt and let it out as they digest. I can only eat so many pickles! The thought of soup disgusts me. Nothing sounds edible. Salt tablets don't work. Do they make slow release salt tabs? Any suggestions?

[Claired]

You may want to check to see if it is the salt or something else that causes your GI upsets. You may have food intolerances or triggers. I have digestive trouble as well, probably from POTS "rapid gastric emptying," and found that by eliminating things that are hard to digest (gluten, liquid dairy, artificial things, processed meats) I hold food better. If you are having trouble absorbing food you may want to take multivitamins, or see a gastroenterologist.

Other salty things include beef broth, V8, crackers, chips, peanut butter…if you hide it in your food, or sprinkle table salt a little at every meal, it becomes manageable. If you need it, some people can be prescribed Florinef by a cardiologist or neurologist to help better retain fluids and salt.

Good luck!

[artluvr09]

I get like that when I have anxiety. I get nervous when I am out and about in stores and shopping. It used to be so bad that when I would go shop I would get overwhelmed and have diarrhea and get sweaty and not want to eat. When I am highly anxious or stressed I get where I can't eat and have diarrhea as well. to get more water you can try to eat foods that are high in water like lettuce fruits and water melon and things like that. Have you tried gatorade? I drink G2 all the time everyday I water them down though i mix half gatorade and half water.

[Sunshinegirl]

Yes. I have rapid emptying and take vitamins in liquid form. Monitor my uptake by the health of my skin and nails. Iv been to GI and all they had to say was it was the worst case of IBS ever and did I want to join a study. Have tried GI meds but none seem to work.

Have not tried florinef but will hopefully get it soon. I eat salt but it doesn't work.

I also tend to bloat very bad in my abdomen after exerting myself physically and also like you, when I get stressed. I too cannot be out for long in environments that are over stimulating. I get very sweaty, dizzy and sometimes have to abandon my cart!

Do you ever have a problem with bloating? My guts make noise all the time and I sometimes look like Im suddenly 7 months pregnant. It is very uncomfortable and increases distress...like a bad symptom loop. What works for bloating? Iv tried tight waist bands along with stockings.They are hard to sleep in. Im not sure it is even safe or if it could cause clots or something.

[Becia]

I've had three different doctors tell me my body just doesn't do well with salt in my stomach. I can do it IV, no problem, but even when I start getting the slightest sodium in my gi system, look out world... Nausea, vomiting, gi distress of the "I'm never leaving the bathroom" kind.

With as much as we have to take in (mine is currently 10,000mg a day), I'm grateful for IV days, because there's 9,000mg right there. I can do a little bit diluted in my stomach without too much issue, but like lately, I've been drinking broth, and it's bothering me again. Just gotta ease into it, and not suddenly slam myself.

[Katybug]

When I first became ill, my GI symptoms were by far the worst of the things happening to me. I spent nights in the fetal position on the floor in my bathroom in between bouts of simultaneously vomiting and having diarrhea. Sorry if that's too up front, but this illness is not for the feint of heart. I have discovered, looking back on the last 8 years, that no one thing has made that set of symptoms better but many small corrections or treatments have added up to a 75% improvement. It is still a delicate balance and a misstep can easily make me reach for the Phenergan or Donnatal. My geneticist talks about the rule of 5%....5% improvement from this treatment, 10% from that treatment, 20% from a lifestyle change...over time can add up to significant quality of life improvement. But it is work to get and maintain noticeable change.

Here are the things I can think of that has helped me gain ground on my GI symptoms:

First, the Phenergan for vomiting/nausea and the Donnatal for abdominal cramping...they are rescue meds when things flare up.

Second, anything I am doing to control my migraines as this is one GI symptom trigger as I am suspected of having abdominal migraine.

Third, both the prednisone and the florinef (I think for different reasons) both cut down my GI symptoms. The prednisone helps quite significantly, I think because I have an inflammatory component driving my all of my issues.

Dietary changes based on the results of my food allergy testing. I never would have believed I had food allergies because I had no classic symptoms of food allergy such as itchy mouth, tongue, throat, hives, breathing difficulties, etc.. But, testing proves otherwise. I can tell when I've cheated on the diet because I will have diarrhea about 4-5 hours later. I makes sense because that's when those foods would be hitting my intestines.

Both H1 and H2 antihistamines are a must at all times.

Knowing my physical limits and staying within them. I failed at this spectacularly in the last 2 weeks and I am paying the price including a flare in GI symptoms.

I find eating meals with my legs propped up like on the couch with my legs out in front of me is much easier than sitting at a table.

Listening to my body. I may feel totally nauseous and the only thing I am craving that doesn't turn my stomach might be an apple....so, even though an apple isn't generally what would be suggested food for a nauseous person, it eat an apple. That (eating what I'm craving) often settles my stomach. I think humans fail to listen to their bodies instincts in many cases. But I feel like my body craves things when there is something that it needs.

I know that was a lot but that was 11 (if you count each med separately) that add up to a 75% improvement in this set of symptoms. Interestingly, most of them were not targeting my GI symptoms but pleasantly surprised me. I think the GI symptoms most of us experience don't have one "magic pill" but have to be dealt with by using many treatments or approaches.

[dizzyallie]

Yes sunshinegirl, I get problems too. Because ive had bowel surgery things now move thru faster but that means salty water mixes move too fast too. I have a lil salt but not a lot. Bowel wise I wad recommended a droplet formula called iberogast for bloating. And for loose bowels donnatab and low dose amitryptaline. Its hard coz u cant just take or eat whatever u want I know. Always consequences.

[Becia]

I too, have weird foods that help calm me when I'm nauseated too! I take a lot of heat from a friend of mine who keeps preaching that when I'm nauseated and throwing up, I need to be on the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce,toast), and that potatoes are hard on the stomach because of starch. But yet, a potato is the blandest thing to me. And when I'm throwing up the brat diet even which has happened, I tell you, applesauce to me burns. So I eat a bite or two of potatoe when I can manage it. I also like waffles when I'm sick...they are dry like toast,but not abrasive to my sensitive throat.

I have some gi testing coming on 3/19, I'm hoping it may shed some light on this part of my life.

[Sunshinegirl]

Wow that's a lot of good info. I am not as far along in my testing as you all are but mine is believed to be connected to mast cell and hypermobility/ genetic issues. I have tried a mostly low histamine diet and that seems to help some. Some weeks I just drink hypoallergenic protein drinks and salt. Thankfully, I don't really care much about food! To me it has become a necessary evil that results in pain.

I like the idea of improving small bits here and there. I do love to collect and hoard data....its the only thing that got Drs. to take me seriously! Im not going to stop now.

So far, the best thing I have done for myself is stop working or trying to and ridding my life of toxic people. I don't answer my phone very often. I am tired of trying to explain myself or make a lame excuse as to why Im not going far from my potty today.

I also remember being in the hospital and feeling like..the best ever! It was a combination of the salt and the leg squeezers. I looked into buying the squeezers for night time use but they are very expensive. Still waiting on my new petite stockings to arrive. I spent months wearing ones that were too long and suffering.