This year, I’ve had intermittent diarrhoea every 3-6 weeks. I had started thinking it was an intolerance to lactose or gluten, but have cut both out and still get it. Could this be an MS symptom? I have bladder problems too.
Immodium seems to help with the runs for a few hours then it starts again. It happens when I’ve had 2-3 meals worth of food, and sometimes I’m up all night with it. I also have gas, bloating & stomach cramps.
Has anyone else experienced this, and have you been tested for intolerances?
Carole is right. You should be seeing a continence nurse, if you have an ms nurse you should ask for a referral. I have problems both with constipation and loose bowels, I had to keep a diary in the end, as I was spending so much time thinking about it! The diary helped quite a bit. Also have found out that baby wipes are a blessing.
It could be down to MS or could be something else, a trip to the doctor is in order.
l think bladder/bowel problems are the worse part of ms - it is for me and all of the folk l know who have it. l have suffered - like you with diarrhoea since being diagnosed. Also lost all control of bladder. l had a SPC fitted 18yrs ago and that has given me back control of my bladder. After hospital tests - camera up the bottom and also a barium meal xray - lt was decided that it had to be the MS that was causing it and l had ‘rapid transit’. l take codeine phosphate and loperamide [immodium] which l get on prescription. l have found that as long as l do not eat cereal/bread/bisc/cake etc. my tummy/bowels are better behaved.
For some time l have been having to take paracetamol and codeine for pain relief - [had hip replacement recently] and for most people they cause constipation - but not for me. lt would be a ‘treat’ for me to be a bit constipated. l probably go more times in a day then most folk go in a week. And not being very mobile only adds to the predicament.
Try taking probiotics and natural greek yoghurt - always good for balanced digestive system. Especially, if you have taken anti-biotics at any time.
Ironically, the steroids I was given have had the best effect on my tummy! They told me to take loperamide on my first visit… I asked to be referred back when I lost more weight and didn’t think the loperamide was being very helpful. I had a colonoscopy in January (only after the consultant agreed my weight loss was not consistent with IBS), the doctor that did the procedure wrote that I had Crohns disease, due to the inflammation/ulcers on my terminal illeum. The gastroenterologist said no, nothing else to back it up, it’s just IBS.He sent me for an MRI of my small intestine and then just booked me an appointment for a dim and distant date! That MRI got me a referral to urology - you can imagine how fed up I’ve been with the hospital!
When I was told about MS (I’ll be honest, I had very limited knowledge!) I was upset and then delighted in a weird kind of way that I was given steroids (which are the same ones used for Crohns said the booklet) - I’ve had far less tummy upset and gained about 9lbs - that still puts me at least half a stone under what I’d call a healthy weight but it’s an improvement
Ask your doctor for a referral and start a diary. Seriously, they ask a lot of questions (apparently 3 times a day is within tolerance!), put on the spot I said 3… and two days later was despairing at why I’d said that after my 5th!
I was put on the codeine phosphate by one GP early on and that was terrible, I was really accident prone on it and couldn’t really remember… well, most things really.
Hi, Can I put my tuppence worth in? I’ve had loose bowel problems for about 25 years (dx ms 6 years ago). They inserted rubber bands for mild piles and helped for a little while. All bran and bran fibre tablets helped a lot, but all bran with milk in the morning is heavy going. Recently I’ve found that alcahol makes it worse, but drinking plenty of water helps. After pelvic floor physio sessions I understand the bowel output system now. If your stools are very loose you have less chance of the external sphyncter (sp) holding it in because it’s like liquid. If stools are more or less solid then your sphyncter will hold it in ok and may be able to push it back in. I was given exercises to aid the external sphyncter strength and lessen the urge of having to go right there and then. Five times a day I lightly hold the muscle for 10 sec, relax for 5 sec and repeat 10 times. Don’t strain it, just half the full pressure and this builds up the muscle, but I keep forgeting to do this ( ms memory loss), but this exercise does help. Now Idon’t have to think where I can go to the toilet very time I leave the house. Last Jan my bowel let go just as I got out my car and thank god no one saw me in the back garden.John.
I so agree with your about giving wrong information when put on the spot; when the letter came back from the continence nurse to my GP I couldn’t believe it was me she was talking about. That’s why I started a diary and even then don’t always emphasise how bad it gets at times.
