recurring problems with diarroea

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I had an operation for bowel cancer just before lockdown, i recovered well. but years later am still having problems with certain foods, where after eating have to run to the toilet, i would be horrified if this happened while we were out somewhere, there doesn’t seem to be any pattern, i’m careful what i eat nothing too spicy. Something i set one week will upset me the next, then i take loperamide, so i don’t go to the toilet for days. i am then afraid to go out, in case i need to run to the toilet again. Has any one else experienced this situation.

Kareno62 over 1 year ago

Hi hutchm Yes! I was diagnosed in 2016 and had my stoma reversed in 2017 and still cannot work out a pattern. I was taking 6 loperamide every day - 2 before each meal - which my surgeon said I might have to do for life as I had a Low Anterior Resection so food moves more quickly through what’s left of your bowel and there is less time for the water to be absorbed. I then moved hospitals and the new consultant was shocked and said to only take them on special occasions!
I’ve tried keeping a food diary but, as you say, there seems to be no pattern. I know salad sends me running so I take a loperamide before having that and a big meal like a Chinese does the same. I’m currently just taking 1 loperamide before my evening meal and I’m going to see if my cups of tea consumption has an effect. My hubby thinks it’s when I have lots of fluid that I’m at my worst and I had an extra cup of tea yesterday which saw me having a big ‘clear out’.

Im sorry that I have no magic answer but I’ve attached a couple of links that might help? Might read them again myself as I do like my cuppas!

https://bowelcancerorguk.s3.amazonaws.com/Publications/RegainingBowelControl_BowelCancerUK.pdf

This was quite interesting too

Regaining Bowel Control

Take care

Karen x

Macmillan Support Line - 0808 808 00 00, 7 days a week between 8am-8pm

Marianne26 over 1 year ago

Hi Hutchm - I too have this same problem. My Bowel cancer Op. was in May 2020.

I have normal bowel movements nearly every morning - however, I often find after lunch triggers diarrhoea with me. I don't have breakfast, so lunch is the first food of the day for me.(I never have this after my evening meal.) I can suffer this for a week at a time, & then have none for the following week. It's very strange, though I am more or less now used to this irregular pattern.

I don't find that it's what I eat. (I eat basically anything I choose to,) however, eggs can be more of a trigger I find.

I don't take Loperamide - as the bouts of diarrhoea are short lived - but I have a great love of Jelly Babies (the natural juice ones,) which can be good 'binders' I've found.

I can only assume - that because I had nearly 12" of my descending bowel removed - it's a shorter distance for food to be digested & travel through. I've just seen Karen's post on this - which I will read later. Could be revealing!

Best wishes

Marianne