diarrhea

[lostintx]

i have had diarrhea for over 4 months now. my doc did a stool sample and i havent been able to stop it. when i take 3 immodium it stops it for about 2 days, but those 2 days  make me bloated, and my stomach hurt. On the third day, my poor bathroom suffers horribly lol does anyone have any insite to how i can help stop it?

THnaks

[alliance]

I'd think about finding another doctor, myself, when did you involve him with this?

[tednlou2]

When I was started on the beta-blocker, Atenolol for high blood pressure, I noticed my bowel movements became normal--for the most part.  A side-effect of this med is usually constipation, but it helped to make me regular.

I'm not suggesting anyone start a beta-blocker to help with bowel issues.  You would want to see why you're having those issues to make sure nothing bad is wrong.  If a person has high blood pressure and could benefit from a beta-blocker, then it may be worth trying to see if it helps with bowel movements.  If you don't have high blood pressure, then I'm not sure whether there is any evidence whether it would be beneficial.  I say that because I know many docs now believe most people could benefit from statins whether they have issues or not.  So, I'm not sure whether they believe this about beta-blockers as well.  Beta-blockers like many bp meds can cause decrease in sex drive and cause fatigue.  I'm just saying if you would already be a candidate for bp med, then maybe you should ask about it.  High blood pressure can cause diarrhea as well.  

If none of this applies to you, I'm not sure what could help.  More fiber?  I've read smoking and caffeine causes bowel issues in many people.  Stress of course.  So your doc hasn't found any parasite or infection that could be the cause?  You didn't mention whether you're on meds.  You don't think meds are causing this??  Had you always had regular bowel movements until recently?

Good luck and wish ya good poos.

[LiveWithIt]

i have had diarrhea for over 4 months now. my doc did a stool sample and i havent been able to stop it. when i take 3 immodium it stops it for about 2 days, but those 2 days  make me bloated, and my stomach hurt. On the third day, my poor bathroom suffers horribly lol does anyone have any insite to how i can help stop it?

THnaks

Are you on medication that might cause it?

I have it too sometimes.  Usually when I don't eat food when I take my meds.  Also from drinking coffee.  But I love coffee and it helps me keep my weight down.  

When I was visiting my family for two weeks I stopped drinking coffee and my stool became better.

I find that along with imodium. I only take one at a time, that Pepto Bismol soothes the stomach too.

Stop drinking milk too, that might make your stomach sour.

[Miss Philicia]

I'm confused.  lostintx's first post on this board indicates, if I am reading it correctly, that he'd already had 3 months of GI issues when he was diagnosed in October.  That would be nine months then of GI issues, not 4, and it would predate any HIV medication.

Can you clarify this for us?

[alliance]

he'd already had 3 months of GI issues when he was diagnosed in October. 

Miss P that sounds like my first posting.

[Miss Philicia]

Miss P that sounds like my first posting.

*giggle* (my bad!)

[griezzel]

ALL artificial sweetners and many ingredients (especially oils) of packaged foods give me trouble. Now that I sweeten with stevia and eat no processed foods my "movements" are regular and trouble free, but for years I suffered until I figured out what the problem was and got serious about correcting my diet.

[Ann]

Lost, I've dealt with chronic diarrhea for most of the time I've been poz. I've been tested for everything - repeatedly - with no results. I've tried changing my diet in more ways than I can count and had no change despite sticking to the variations for long periods of time. I've been treated for IBS to no avail. My doctor finally labeled it chronic hiv related diarrhea.

I can't tolerate immodium either. What I finally found that works for me is dihydrocodeine. I found out while taking it short-term for something else. It's now prescribed for me "off-label", because it's the only thing we've found that works for me. Now, instead of having what I called the "river-water shits", I'm much more regular but looser than what would be considered "normal". It also took care of the gut-wrenching cramps I was living with daily. I have to take regular breaks (and schedule them when I know I don't have to leave the house) so my tolerance doesn't increase and I've been on the same dose since 2004.

It may not work for everyone and many doctors will not prescribe it for this off-label use, but you may want to discuss the possibility with your doctor. Please keep in mind that I exhausted every other remedy before I began to use codeine for this purpose. Oh - and btw, I was switched to codeine phosphate for a few months and it didn't work the same at all. It's only the dihydrocodeine that does the trick.

Ann

[Miss Philicia]

Like Ann, I've also been tested repeatedly and have had serious diarrhea issues now for almost 15 years.  I've had so many med switches over this period that while I'm sure they complicate the issue, I can't pinpoint/blame it on any one drug.  Perhaps it's the entire PI class but I don't know, and any way it's not like I can eliminate an entire class of medication.  I've taken shitloads of immodium over this entire time, but I guess I tolerate it OK.  Sometimes I get cramps, and assuredly it bloats me some but I just deal with it.  It only masks the problem and treats a symptom, and it wasn't until my doctor put me on a pancreatic enzyme 4 years ago (Pancrecarb) that my diarrhea issues greatly improved.

So now I take 3 loperamide twice daily (i.e. 12 mg of imodium) plus 3 MS-8 twice daily of Pancrecarb.  It's a lot of pills (12 of them) and basically doubles my entire HIV med pill load, but it works and keeps my crap mostly normal.

My advice in terms of your doctor is to illustrate exactly what you are experiencing on a daily basis.  This will sound gross, but keep a diary of your shit and hand it over to him during your next visit, emphasizing how it's impacting your quality of life and demanding that he give you something other than what you are currently taking if that isn't working for you.  Sometimes we must stomp our feet.  After that it's often a process of trying various solutions until you find something you can tolerate and which works effectively.  For many of us this takes years, unfortunately.

[lostintx]

sorry its taking me so long to get back to yall. I have been on atripla for 2 months now, but this started well before i started taking meds. the doc tested me for parasites, and giardia. She hasnt found anything. all test came back normal. I tried taking one and 2 pills, and it didnt slow it down at all. then 3 completly stops it, and i bloat and cramp. lol  So i may just have the Chronic Diarreha due to HIV. I am getting used to it now.

Thanks for all yalls advice.