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Diarrhoea on LCHF

B

Benchie

Member
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14
Hi,

Apologies for the delicate subject matter but has anyone experienced this on LCHF and found a remedy for this?

I experience this fairly regularly on LCHF and was also prone to it, on occasion, before I started. As such I am used to it and it isn't that uncomfortable for me but it is upsetting my other half so would be really happy to get any advice that can be offered.

Not sure if it matters but, just in case, I'm on Metformin, Ramipril and Asforzastatin along with Victoza. Victoza is a laraglutide and is said to delay the emptying of the stomach although, oddly, diarrhoea is a known side effect.

I should mention that in the past this has been triggered by eating foods such as steak or rich dishes. So it may be that I have a general intolerance or that it is a reaction to my medication. As I remember the sporadic bouts of diarrhoea began around the same time as I was diagnosed back in 2008.

Also I am going on holiday next week and would really appreciate any tips that you all have regarding to sticking to LCHF when eating out? Things to look out for? Etc.

Finally I would like to say that I am relatively new to these forums and really like how warm, friendly and helpful everyone is. It's nice to see and probably quite rare I think.

Many thanks
Alex
 
Hi Benchie
I have to say that LCHF has the opposite effect on me! I also think that if you were started on Metformin on diagnosis and the symptoms started then then it’s more likely to be the meds than the diet.
 
One of the reasons I refused metformin was because I'd seen how it affected my mother, especially the diarrhoea. I was lucky to be diagnosed early and managed to get my blood sugars down quickly on low carb.

Hopefully staying low carb will mean you can reduce the meds, and reduce the side effects. meanwhile hard boiled eggs are supposed to help 'bind' you.
 
LCHF is more of a constipator than anything else... Or rather, more of what you eat gets "used/burned", so there's less waste. I can go for days without... Well, you get the idea. On Metformin I never ever left the loo (the third week in, things got bloody and I was insanely weak and dehydrated), so.... I have a feeling it's not the low carb eating that's the culprit here. You could try the slow release version if you can't go without as yet. You could try going without the metformin for a week, prior to your holiday, and see whether that makes a difference. If it does, just skip it during your holiday and get the SR kind to try once you get back.Holidays aren't the time to experiment, you could spend the holiday in the bog after all.

Eating out, just swap bread or spuds for salad or vegggies. They'd rather change a dish than throw out perfectly good food. Most fast food places will serve a burger without the bun (just be ready to request cutlery, as they always forget it). Stick with meat/fish/poultry, so grill restaurants are fab... Salads, eggs, and cheese platters or coffee for dessert. Most hotels serve eggs and bacon, so you're all good there. (Otherwise, McD's egg mc muffin-without-the-muffin'll tide you over just fine if you've got a day of sight seeing ahead. Have two...! McDonalds's is pretty much everywhere, so there's usually one close to the hotel. )

Just try to enjoy yourselves.
Jo
 
As well as the strong likelihood that metformin is responsible as described above if you’ve e not been on lchf for long it’s also possible that a rapid increase in fats may have aggravated the issue. If that sounds likely than ease back a little on the fats (you only need to eat enough to keep you full not to a set amount!) and reintroduce more slowly spreading it through the day. It can take a little while to adjust for some of us but we almost always do given the chance to do it gradually.
 
As others have said LC diets tend to have the opposite effect so it is likely to be the Metformin. Diabetic or not, on medication or not, I think it is always a good idea to pack some Imodium Instants for a holiday.
 
Hello @Benchie - Could you clarify something for me, please?

You state you would sometimes exerience these bowel problems before you went LC; did you experience it before you started Metformin? As others have said, a loose tummy is a fairly common side effect.

I don't know whether you take "ordinary" Metformin or the Extended Release variant? If you take "ordinary", it could be worth asking if you could try the extended release option. The packages of the extended release are usually labelled somethiing like, "Metformin ER" or "Metformin SR". The SR standing for slow release. Those options can be a bit tummy friendlier.

If it isn't that, does a high fat content bring this on? I know, for myself, I have a bit of a threshold, which if breached bring on issues for me. Loose stools due to excess fat (for that individual) usually looks to have a yellowish tinge and smells rancid. (Sorry about the detail, but if you want to look it up for more detail, plese Google "steatorrhoea".

If it's n ot that either, have you been tested for Coeliac disease? Many folks have issues with gluten. Not all have coeliac disease, but gluten intolerance is quite common, and can lead to loose bowels, or swings between constipation and loose bowels.

In terms of eating out on holiday. Are you going to be in UK, or overseas? In UK most chains now put their menus online, so you can have a look in advance of going.

Either way, sticking with simple food makes things easier, but if you tell us where you're going (country, not necessarily any more detail than that), I'm sure folks will have suggestions.
 
I only ever had a couple of times when I had the runs with metformin, and that was actually due to overindulging in a higher carb meal. I no longer take it, however I do very occasionally have loose-ish bowels after too much fat, and once with a vengeance when I'd used rather a lot of flax seed when making some low carb "pastry"!

I'd agree with the suggestion to take some immodium with you as a bit of extra holiday insurance, though.

Robbity
 
Hi JoKalsbeek,

Thanks very much for the advice. I'm on my first day of holiday but I will try not using Metformin for a week when I get back. Not sure what type of metformin I am on so I will check that out when I get back. I used to be on 800 three times a day and now on 1000 two times per day. So might already be on the slow release

We have you d a few grill restaurants to try out so hopefully I will be good on the food
 
Hi,

Thanks for your reply.

Unfortunately I don't remember if I had this before I started Metformin as was 11 years ago. I think that the symptoms did arise roughly around the same time.

Sorry, I don't know what type I am on. Will check when I get back.

It does seem to be triggered by fatty/rich foods. For example steak, dishes with cream etc.

We are at a holiday resort in Hungary. My wife is Hungarian so she will be able to check things out for me if I have questions and most places seem to have a menu in English.
 
When I was on metformin, dairy affected me like that. Cheese, cream, and especially ice cream (not on LC at the time).
 
Larissima said:
When I was on metformin, dairy affected me like that. Cheese, cream, and especially ice cream (not on LC at the time).
Click to expand...
Thanks Larrissima. I'm fairly sure that it is the way certain foods combine with the metformin. Interestingly I just found out that I am on the slow release metformin. I'm still reconsidering stopping the metformin for a week and see how I go. If my blood glucose remain at the same level then I will talk to my GP about coming off the metformin. My long term goal is to come off that so, even if I have to be patient, I will get there
 
@Benchie You may like to try Kefir.
A fermented milk drink, tastes nice like a tart drinkable yogurt.
Full of needed gut bacteria.
Buy from supermarket (T's) milk section. Three flavours. I think £1.25.
Three per week is the first thing that's helped me since 2014! Four is too many.
Plenty of posts on here about it.

P.S. I've been on 2gm metformin all the while.
 
Thanks Sttuma. How many ml in one drink? And I'm guessing the plain version instead of anything flavoured?
 
Benchie said:
Thanks Sttuma. How many ml in one drink? And I'm guessing the plain version instead of anything flavoured?
Click to expand...
The bottles are 250ml. I think you get 'more value for money' if you take it in a short time frame, no more than 15 minutes. If you drink a bottle throughout the day, I think the bowel may well get suboptimal dose, you need it down there working.
Flavours - cacao, wasn't quite to my palate; cherry, very mild taste and lovely; plain, very nice, nowhere near tart enough to make your eye screw up. I am not troubled about flavours - they just aren't strong enough to demerit from the intended good.
 
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