Chocolate for stopping diarrhea... just maybe...

[shawnathan]

Hey all,
I wasn't sure if I should post this in Nutrition or Living w/ HIV, but I think this works!  I think I had a user name on here before, but I don't remember it, so I'm sorta a newbie for posting.  But, I have been coming to aidsmeds.com since July 2005 when I first tested poz.  I got to say that aidsmeds.com, and all these forums, were a big help to me at that time.

This post is just about how something I've tried has helped me out some.  Ever since I've been poz (including a little time before I found out), like a lot of us, I've had some issues with upset stomach and well.. diarrhea now and then.  I think after I found out I was poz, the anxiety made it even worse, but I don't doubt for a second that it has been HIV related, even though I'm otherwise healthy.  There's so many articles around recently about how HIV hangs out in the gut and wreaks havoc there.  This summer I even started taking over the counter drugs to help me get by without running for the bathroom at the mall... I definitely didn't want to be dependent on that stuff though. It's been the worse thing I've had to deal with so far, but a few times it's been really awful, and gave me anxiety about leaving home and getting out much.  I really needed to do something about it.

So that's where chocolate comes in to play, and why it's making me happy.    There's a lot of talk lately about how chocolate has all those antioxidants in it... and I love dark chocolate!  Well, I made that into an excuse to throw just a little bit into my regular diet.  Only like a few pieces a day, while eating a pretty healthy well balanced diet... like one row of pieces on a Hershey's Special Dark or something.  Well, I didn't expect it, but I really believe it's helped nearly eliminate the bowel issue.  I haven't had a problem in weeks now, since I've been taking in the cocoa.

So I just wonder if anyone else has tried that... using chocolate to help normalize our digestive tracts.  It beats taking some medicine, and tastes a heck of a lot better.  Maybe chocolate could help with diarrhea caused by meds too?  Medicinal chocolate?  I'm really interested to hear other people's thoughts.

I enjoy reading everyone's posts and hope that I will be able to contribute more!  Good health to all!
Happy holidays,
Shawn

[blondbeauty]

Maybe that is why I never have diarrhea...I always eat plenty of black chocolate. I am eating oranges covered in black chocolate right now! Deliciuous! 

[Robert]

I'm not sure if chocolate is a bona fide cure to diaherrea but it doesn't really matter.  Any excuse and I'll grab some.  In fact, I'm just about to have a glass of milk and some of my own homemade chocolate cookies. 

Life is good.

robert

[Javicho]

I never have diarrhea, and I wasn't a chocolate lover either.But one think I discover is that since I start taking my medication I have to have a piece of chocolate don't ask me why, but there is someting in my body that ask me for chocolate.

[booboo46]

I can go with eating chocolate. I have tested that also, it seems to really help for me to. Especially the dark chocolate.......ummm delicious.....

[chris_in_georgia]

Javicho:

Since starting meds, I get unnatural, almost animalistic cravings for chocolate now..usually about an hour or so after taking my meds. I try to resist the urge as I do not get the same theraputic response in the potty department....quite the opposite.

Hmmmmm

Chris

[nikki]

to stop diarrhea mix a half teaspoon of cinnamon with 1 cup of boiling water and drink it like tea. or mix 1 part slippery elm powder with one part cinnamon and recap it and take two caps per day.