Is there a link between T1D and digestion problems?

[HoneyBea]

Hello all,

Wondering if any other T1D's out there that have experienced this..

If I start at the beginning... Out of the blue in January 2016 I started experiencing frequent diarrhoea which lead to a visit to my GP and a prescription of antidepressants in case it was caused by anxiety which I have suffered with in the past.

Anyway, the diarrhoea hadn't stopped so I paid another visit to my GP where he carried out numerous blood tests to try and find the cause. All results came back fine.. Apart from glucose. This lead to my diagnosis of type 1 diabetes in October 2016. Since Jan 2016 I have suffered repeatedly with diarrhoea with no explanation. Could it be related to T1D? I have no history of any sort of digestion problems so please, if anyone else has had similar symptoms I'd love to know

Thanks
B

 

[TheBigNewt]

No, the diarrhea isn't from diabetes. And it's not from anxiety either (***?). Who would even consider prescribing an antidepressant for someone with chronic diarrhea? How about a stool culture? Go to somebody who knows about it, like a GI doc. Don't go back to whomever thought that one up.

 

[DiabeticDadUK]

Hello all,

Wondering if any other T1D's out there that have experienced this..

If I start at the beginning... Out of the blue in January 2016 I started experiencing frequent diarrhoea which lead to a visit to my GP and a prescription of antidepressants in case it was caused by anxiety which I have suffered with in the past.

Anyway, the diarrhoea hadn't stopped so I paid another visit to my GP where he carried out numerous blood tests to try and find the cause. All results came back fine.. Apart from glucose. This lead to my diagnosis of type 1 diabetes in October 2016. Since Jan 2016 I have suffered repeatedly with diarrhoea with no explanation. Could it be related to T1D? I have no history of any sort of digestion problems so please, if anyone else has had similar symptoms I'd love to know

Thanks
B

How tight is your blood sugar control? If you're frequently running high sugars then that could be the cause. If you have no previous history of this, it would seem rather coincidental that you've suffered bouts of diarrhoea pre and post T1D diagnosis... suggests to me the two are linked. If you're running good blood sugars for a few weeks does the problem go away?

You could also have IBS? especially if you suffer from anxiety and that causes it to flare up. Just a thought.

I would speak to your diabetes specialist next, rather than your GP, for some advice.

 

[Engineer88]

I would be looking towards coeliac - they are commonly linked

 

[TheBigNewt]

I would be looking towards coeliac - they are commonly linked

She'd be losing weight too if she had that. It causes malabsorbtion, and steatorrhea (fat in stool). Not hard to diagnose though.

 

[HoneyBea]

Thanks @DiabeticDadUK for your reply. Had my first hba1c result last week since diagnosis last October and it was 52 so I think my control is OKish at the moment. I have tried to work out any relationship between sugar levels and diarrhoea but there doesn't seem to be a pattern or any rhyme or reason! I have looked into the possibility of IBS and maybe it is that but most cases of this are flare ups or bouts. I have just had one long episode since Jan last year!

 

[HoneyBea]

Hi @Engineer88, that's a good shout. I will ask my GP about that.

 

[TheBigNewt]

If it's intermittent then celiac disease (AKA gluten sensitive enteropathy) is not what you have, because once you lose the microvilli in the small intestine and get the diarrhea it won't stop until you quit eating gluten and they grow back, which takes awhile. My niece got it when she was little.

 

[DiabeticDadUK]

Thanks @DiabeticDadUK for your reply. Had my first hba1c result last week since diagnosis last October and it was 52 so I think my control is OKish at the moment. I have tried to work out any relationship between sugar levels and diarrhoea but there doesn't seem to be a pattern or any rhyme or reason! I have looked into the possibility of IBS and maybe it is that but most cases of this are flare ups or bouts. I have just had one long episode since Jan last year!

Poor you. That's rough going for so long. I think it's definitely time to seek advice from your diabetes consultant. They might refer you to gastro. Definitely time to get to the bottom of this (no pun intended) as it must be making your life a misery. Good luck.

 

[noblehead]

I have just had one long episode since Jan last year!

That is a long time to have symptoms of diarrhoea @HoneyBea , if I were you I'd be asking for a referral over to the Gastroenterology Clinic at your local hospital.

 

[HoneyBea]

Thank you all for your responses. I have been taking antispasmodic medication like Imodium go try and keep the symptoms at bay but really need to figure out the cause. I will ask for a referral and take it from there

 

[Engineer88]

She'd be losing weight too if she had that. It causes malabsorbtion, and steatorrhea (fat in stool). Not hard to diagnose though.

Not always - the symptoms are so wide spread you wouldn't believe, I know because I have it. It can cause anything from skin issues (dry flakey/itchy) digestion (constipated or d, also weight loss or gain due to body retention of anything it can absorb) mental health (anxiety, depression) tiredness, the list goes on. If I had my way it would be tested for like vaccines are given out as only 25% of those with it are diagnosed.

FYI I was asymptomatic when diagnosed, only picked up through my inclusion in a clinical trial looking at the link between D and C. yeah :/ massive link.

 

[HoneyBea]

Not always - the symptoms are so wide spread you wouldn't believe, I know because I have it. It can cause anything from skin issues (dry flakey/itchy) digestion (constipated or d, also weight loss or gain due to body retention of anything it can absorb) mental health (anxiety, depression) tiredness, the list goes on. If I had my way it would be tested for like vaccines are given out as only 25% of those with it are diagnosed.

FYI I was asymptomatic when diagnosed, only picked up through my inclusion in a clinical trial looking at the link between D and C. yeah :/ massive link.

Thanks @Engineer88, that's really interesting. I have also been suffering with dry, itchy skin so I think it's definitely worth exploring

 

[tim2000s]

My clinic routinely does Coeliac and thyroid tests annually, as both thyroid conditions and coeliac are highly correlated to Type 1.

 

[Robinredbreast]

Not always - the symptoms are so wide spread you wouldn't believe, I know because I have it. It can cause anything from skin issues (dry flakey/itchy) digestion (constipated or d, also weight loss or gain due to body retention of anything it can absorb) mental health (anxiety, depression) tiredness, the list goes on. If I had my way it would be tested for like vaccines are given out as only 25% of those with it are diagnosed.

FYI I was asymptomatic when diagnosed, only picked up through my inclusion in a clinical trial looking at the link between D and C. yeah :/ massive link.

I was very sick with un-diagnosed coeliac, but the symptoms vary and also some people never have any symptoms at all.
IBS could be asuspect.

 

[Robinredbreast]

She'd be losing weight too if she had that. It causes malabsorbtion, and steatorrhea (fat in stool). Not hard to diagnose though.

No, not everyone does, I had many symptoms, but some have very little or none at all.

 

[Robinredbreast]

Hello all,

Wondering if any other T1D's out there that have experienced this..

If I start at the beginning... Out of the blue in January 2016 I started experiencing frequent diarrhoea which lead to a visit to my GP and a prescription of antidepressants in case it was caused by anxiety which I have suffered with in the past.

Anyway, the diarrhoea hadn't stopped so I paid another visit to my GP where he carried out numerous blood tests to try and find the cause. All results came back fine.. Apart from glucose. This lead to my diagnosis of type 1 diabetes in October 2016. Since Jan 2016 I have suffered repeatedly with diarrhoea with no explanation. Could it be related to T1D? I have no history of any sort of digestion problems so please, if anyone else has had similar symptoms I'd love to know

Thanks
B

Hi, has IBS been discussed with you ?

 

[BeccyB]

No, the diarrhea isn't from diabetes.

Actually it could be, there is a type of neuropathy called autonomic neuropathy that can cause gastric problems. It's not so well known, maybe because people are more likely to discuss painful feet than dodgy stomachs

@HoneyBea I would still want tests for all the suggestions though as they are more likely and need to be checked

 

[HoneyBea]

Hi, has IBS been discussed with you ?

Yes, my GP said that IBS tends to happen in episodes or flare ups but like I mentioned previously the symptoms have continued since last year without much relief at all. It could well be IBS, I just thought that before this started happening, I'd never had any problems whatsoever with my health then all of a sudden stomach problems then type 1 diabetes!! Thought it was somehow connected.. Or maybe just a coincidence.

 

[Tony337]

Hello
About 9 years ago I started with bad guts.
I have a fabulous GP who sent me to a specialist.
I had a camera one way which proved to be clear then down my throat which found coeliacs disease.
I followed a gluten free diet but the bad guts continued and after lots of other tests I was sent for a nuclear test which isn't as sinister as it sounds.
This brought up Bile acid malabsorption which is often mis diagnosed as IBS.
I was given powders which didn't suite at all then a drug called colesevalem which helped but didn't eradicate the bad guts.
Over the years I have managed it with a mixture of colesevalem and loperamide.
Recently I stopped the colesevalem and my bad guts have improved a bit more but I still have problems.
Please note I am not a doctor and am just giving you my experiences and understanding of what I have been told.
I have tried to keep to the point but please feel free to ask any more questions.

Regards and good luck

Tony