Many types of stools

Soft, foul-smelling stools mean increased fat in the stools, resulting from high fat meals or pancreas diseases with decreased lipase or bile salts.
Changed form and frequency of bowel movements with crampy abdominal pain and bloating can indicate irritable bowel syndrome.
If you are perimenopausal or menopausal woman, make a gynecological exam.
Recent changes in defecation in menopausal women may result from gynecological problems.

Best wishes!

Hello! I am 33 years old and I too have the same problems as the woman above initially described..I absolutely hate it and I have all the same symptoms pretty much but mine has been off and on for about the past year and a half or so..Personally, I've noticed it to be around my period but up until last year is when it all started..I guess I should say that the over the past year and a half to two years ago, I started get nauseated before my period ( whether it lasted a day or two just depended on how my body wanted to react at the time)..Either before or during ( if not both ). As a matter of fact I am up right now and been up for the majority of the night due to this and my period had just finished yesterday! I am miserable!..

Like the other woman stated above, mine too has never been watery really..Mostly loose, loads of gas and a lot of cramping and its never the same consistancy on a regular basis..Its even looked mushy like a helping of mashed potatoes quite frequently..Sorry to be so descriptive but I know its not normal..Unfortunately I just recently started working and its through a temp service and dont have health insurance..Although, last August ( in 2009 ) I had the same thing and it lasted for almost two months straight and felt like flu symptoms ( it was all diarrhea related and again never watery except an occasional time or two ) and I went to my family doctor and they ordered blood work to be done on me and also three or four different stool samples and couldn't come up with anything besides viral gastroentritis which is basically the stomach flu. I am sorry to tell you though, no stomach flu lasts two months straight every day..
All I do know however is that I am so sick of feeling this way and even though it happens at different times of day, it really seems to happen more so in the middle of the night..Is it possible to be going through early menopausal stages at my age??

Any advice would be of great help! I am confused and sick of feeling this way and I truthfully dont know where to turn because my own family doctor when I had one couldn't figure it out?!?!?! Thanks for listening and any advice in advance!

you likely have a parasitic or bacterial infection