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Cancer > Colon Cancer Forum > Diarrhea For 7 Months Now
Basic facts on diarrhea here, including the difference between acute and chronic diarrhea. Learn to identify each....
What causes diarrhea? We outline the most common causes of diarrhea (viruses, bacteria, and medications) and let you know when to seek medical help....
Learn how to prepare yourself when seeing a doctor for diarrhea. Know which medical exams and tests to expect, and also which questions to ask. Start here....
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Q: Diarrhea For 7 Months Now
asked by: Qtsy81 on September 16th, 2004
New User
First and foremost, I have no insurance and am barely making my bills so going to a doctor is a rare occurance.

I started having diarrhea at the end of february 2004. It wasn't urgent, so I ignored it. They are loose stools, sometimes foul smelling (my boyfriend described it as burning rubber), sometimes they float, and sometimes they are painful and it burns, and sometimes it is undigested. (i can see cracker crumbs from the night before) there is no blood in the stool and I did have a occult stool test done and I have no blood in my stool. Every once in a while I will have bright red "dropplets" on the toilet paper, but I thought that that was from having diarrhea for so long.

I read on a message board that this women would feel a gass bubble right before she had to go to the bathroom. I feel that everyday. Right before I have to go to the bathroom. I thought this was normal.

I self diagnosed myself with celiac disease in the end of july and have been on a gluten free diet, but the diarrhea hasn't gone away.

In fact, now I have a mixture of diarrhea and constipation. I run to the bathroom, go 1/2 of what I normally go, and then feel like something is blocking it and I can't go anymore even though I feel like i'm not done. Now the diarrhea is more urgent where I have to stop what i'm doing to go.

Other things that might be important:

it doesn't matter what or when I eat. I still feel the same way.

I am always cold, or have ice cold hands or feet.

My mouth is always dry and I drink 10 glasses of water per day (average).

I normally sleep 10 hours a day, soundly, and am still tired when I wake up.

I have very little energy during the day. I don't even feel like cleaning.

I'm 22 years old, eat healthy, but rarely excersice (the no energy thing).

Sometimes my stomach hurts. I hurts right below the rib cage (3 inch. Above the belly) in the upper abdomen area or 1/2 an inch above the belly on both right and the left sides of the abdomen. I've had this pain before when I was 17 and it hurt so bad that I had to go to the emergancy room. My stats were fine and I had no gall stones so they thought I was making it up and sent me home. (my family thought I was making it up too because the doctors couldn't find anything). It is the same feeling now as it was then only 10 times better.

My lower back aches. It is a dull ache and sometimes it burns.


Ok, way long, I know, but if anyone has, had or is having these symptoms please let me know. I have ignored this for too long and I have no idea what is going on.

Thanks,
heather
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jmcgee_jr
replied on June 16th, 2005
New User
I too have had diarreah for about 2 years now the ammount changes constantly and nothing seems to matter for what I eat. I have had kidneys ultrasounded and urin tests and all this stuff and nothing shows up. Most of the times the poop is really strong and I get a dull ache on my back usually when I need to pee or poop and then a feeling like I cant hold my poop when I need to go. Let me know what you find out please.
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Khalis
replied on May 1st, 2006
New User
to Qtsy81
Hi,
i am just a med student, so my opinion is not base on experience. You are having chronic diarrhea with floating and foul smelling stool. No fever which might indicate that you are having an infection. However, you constantly feel tired. Depression also presents with continous tiredness. You should know if you are depress. I think that maybe you are having fat and carbohydrate malabsorption.

Common acute causes are :

viral gastroenteritis : sporadic and epidemic diarrhoea.
Food poisoning : s. Aureus and c. Perfringens
traveller’s diarrhoea : e. Coli
bacterial enterocolitis : c. Jejuni, shigella, salmonella and epec
parasites : giardia lamblia, amoeba, cryptosporidium.
Drugs : nsaids and antacids

common chronic causes :

irritable bowel syndrome : contains mucus
infectious diseases : giardia lamblia, aids patients
bacterial overgrowth : normal colonic flora spread to si
post-infectious at small intestines or colon.
Ibd : crohn’s disease and uc
carbohydrate and fat malabsorption
endocrine diseases : hyperthyrodism
laxative abuse

malabsorption can affect growth and development, or it can lead to specific illnesses. Some of the causes of malabsorption include:

* cystic fibrosis (the number one cause in the u.S.)
* chronic pancreatitis
* lactose intolerance
* celiac disease (gluten-induced-enteropathy, sprue)
* whipple disease
* shwachman-diamond syndrome
* bovine lactalbumin intolerance (cow's milk protein)
* soy milk protein intolerance
* acrodermatitis enteropathica causing zinc malabsorption
* biliary atresia
* abetalipoproteinemia
* vitamin b-12 malabsorption may be due to:
o diphyllobothrium latum infestation
o juvenile pernicious anemia
* parasites
o giardia lamblia
o strongyloides stercoralis
o necator americanus (hookworm)
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gmn
replied on June 10th, 2006
New User
to Qtsy81
Seems I have had similar symptons for ever...I notice no where in here has anyone mentions being screened for colon cancer...I have to have a colonoscopy done because of my constant diarrhea and abdominal bloating/discomfort....Not sure of the connection there but I have seen on almost every web page I have searched that these can be symptons of that as well.....
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mfolks
replied on November 4th, 2007
New User
My Mother Has the Same Symptoms.
My mother is 75yrs and has the same symptoms for the past 4months and it is killing her. Can anyone recommend a physician in the Alanta area that specializes in this area? We need help.
Thanks,
Mark
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sandrabowers40
replied on November 13th, 2007
New User
to Qtsy81
you know i am going through the same problem as you but longer every since they done the colon surgery on me in 2002vmy stool has not been thesame. it burns all the time and they said that it would be back to normal after six weeks and now it is still going after five years now and to be honest i wish i could just one day not have to deal with this at all. no matter what medication i take and what food i eat i have to always have to run to the bathroom. so if anyone want to talk to me or has any good news for me please reach me either on here or send me an email sandrabowers40 at yahoo dot com. aall i know is that the burning and the constance running to the rest room all the time is no fun. i have to run to the bathroom ab9ut 8 to 10 times a day and it is alwayse diarrhea never has been a nomal bowl movement since 2002 so please can anyone reach me back so that i have someone who knows what i am going tbhrougn and how i feel

thanks

sandra
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Concerned One
replied on February 6th, 2008
New User
Same Problem
Hey I'm 14 and i have had these parent because they would freak out if i told them problems for the past 3 days and i dunno if i should be worried i to afraid to tell my parents because they would freak on me. I am very gassy in the belly and i wonder if you (people) think i should go for a check up or if i should take a bit of medicine, calm down and see if it passes? And i feel for anyone who has had this for more then a week because it has been horrible.
Thanks for posting this. Very Happy
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ColonBowel
replied on February 13th, 2008
New User
This discussion is four years old...
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