Diabetic Diarrhoea

[kirstyboo79]

Sorry!

I haven't been diagnosed with diabetic diarrhoea, but am wondering what's required for that?

I constantly swing between diarrhoea and occasional constipation, and rarely have 'normal' bowel movements. I'm on various meds for chronic pain in addition to my metformin and gliclazide, but have been on everything for enough years that it's now clear this is just what's happening now and it's not about to clear up.

I find the symptoms at times debilitating when I can only make it through a day outside of my home by loading up on loperamide and mebeverine. Not only is it starting to get me down, but I'm planning a trip to India next year and can only imagine how much worse it will be!

If any of you have any experience with this or tips, I'd appreciate it?

 

[Freema]

well the diarrhoea can be due to the metformin you take..that is quite common , a lot of people stop taking metformin only because of that

 

[kirstyboo79]

I haven't always had the diarrhoea which made me hesitate to blame that. I used to find the metformin and morphine (which constipates) balanced each other out well, but that doesn't seem to be the case any more.

 

[Freema]

you could try eating low carb style, and then maybe not need the metformin anymore and this way get back to a normal well functioning stomach again and then be able to enjoy your holidays all over the world..
find out by not taking the metformin for a few weeks.. if that solves your problem you could ask your 'GP to cope without the metformin. Metformin by the way only helps very little like under 10 % of the high blood glucose problem

 

[kirstyboo79]

Ah, that's an idea - I've never been on the gliclazide without the metformin too! Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[Engineer88]

Have you been tested for Coeliac? that would be a decent place to start.

 

[Guzzler]

Do you keep a food diary at all?

 

[Grant_Vicat]

Do you get many high blood sugar readings? - that can also bring on appalling bouts of diarrhoea.

 

[donnellysdogs]

Diarrhoea can be a result of chronic constipation. Not only would I ask your dr to be tested for coeliac but ask him if he can arrange a test for a sample of your stools. This can also throw up other reasons for the roundabout you seem to be on...

 

[Struma]

There is also diabetic autonomic diarrhoea...

 

[NicoleC1971]

I haven't always had the diarrhoea which made me hesitate to blame that. I used to find the metformin and morphine (which constipates) balanced each other out well, but that doesn't seem to be the case any more.

Sounds like you may have gastroparesis which is caused by damage to your autonomic nervous system from having higher blood sugars . It is characterised by delay in stomach emptying then rapid emptying? Sorry it sounds very unpleasant and stressful. We can't diagnose here but I think that is what is meant by DD!
I see you are on insulin which is why I was thinking you've had some issues regulating your blood sugars or have seen your type 2 progress over a few years but apologies if that isn't so.
In any case going low carb may regulate your blood sugars and help repair things though since you are on insulin you will need to get help to reduce your doses. Dr Richard Bernstein covers this topic in his book THe Diabetes Solution.

 

[lovinglife]

Not everything is connected or because of our diabetes or meds. Changes in toilet habits for more than a couple of weeks should be checked out by your GP - whilst everyone can comment what it may be it's just guessing really, get an appointment with your GP to put your mind at rest

 

[donnellysdogs]

Sounds like you may have gastroparesis which is caused by damage to your autonomic nervous system from having higher blood sugars . It is characterised by delay in stomach emptying then rapid emptying? Sorry it sounds very unpleasant and stressful. We can't diagnose here but I think that is what is meant by DD!
I see you are on insulin which is why I was thinking you've had some issues regulating your blood sugars or have seen your type 2 progress over a few years but apologies if that isn't so.
In any case going low carb may regulate your blood sugars and help repair things though since you are on insulin you will need to get help to reduce your doses. Dr Richard Bernstein covers this topic in his book THe Diabetes Solution.

Gastroparesis has a lot of other symptoms...personally I was not thinking of Gastroparesis.

I did mention going to GP to ask for stool tests which can show up many illnesses besides GP.

 

[NicoleC1971]

Gastroparesis has a lot of other symptoms...personally I was not thinking of Gastroparesis.

I did mention going to GP to ask for stool tests which can show up many illnesses besides GP.

You are ight of course. Not everything is connected to diabetes but it does feel all pervasive at times.