Suggest Treatment For Recurrent Diarrhea And Constipation Cycle

Posted on Wed, 28 Jan 2015

Question: First, my stomach is always messed up...going from diarrhea to constipation - moderately painful frequently, severely painful 7-10 days a month. This past Tuesday I experienced explosive diarrhea, which I assumed was a virus a caught from my mother lasting 24 hours. I took very little medication to stop the diarrhea. Four days later I have had no bowel movement. I was so severely constipated that my entire day has been consumed trying to ease my extreme abdominal and lower back pain. When initial relief arrived my stool appeared black, extremely firm, but with a grainy appearance both white and black, and also produced slightly red mucus and in the stool. I am still in a great deal of abdominal pain in spite of the numerous hot baths, showers, and heating pads. My colon must be empty by now, but I still feel the urge to void, and still experience light bleeding. I have had a small bleeding ulcer once before. I do not know how to stop this pain, or if I need to make a trip to the ER. Do you have any suggestions?

Answered by Dr. Kathy Robinson (4 hours later)

Brief Answer:
need to see gastroenterologist

Detailed Answer:
Hello and thank you for your question.

If your pain is severe and the bleeding persists then you may need to go to the Emergency Department.

It sounds like you may have some form of colitis and the only way to diagnose this is with a colonoscopy that is done by the gastroenterologists. The black specks and blood in your stool are very concerning.

Until you can see the gastroenterologists here are some suggestions. Drink lots of water 3-4 bottles a day minimum. Add a daily probiotic. There are many probiotic preparations available at the pharmacy. Add a daily dose of omeprazole to block stomach acid. Avoid dairy products and any food that tends to make your symptoms worse. Once you are out of the pain make sure your diet includes lots of fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

I hope you get some relief soon. Thank you for using HCM.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vaishalee Punj

Follow up: Dr. Kathy Robinson (1 hour later)

Thank you for your response! I did get a couple hours sleep last night. I awoke woth moderate cramping, but it is continuing to increase. I have taken the OTC Prilosec and consumed one 17 oz. bottle of water. Small discharge this morning was red grainy mucus - about the size of two tablespoons- all grainy and quite red.
Why would the blood and mucus increase? And why would the grainy mucus continue- it is no longer black, just red from whatever is bleeding? I failed to mention earlier that I have also been quite nauseated and experience extreme dizziness and lightheadedness whenever I stand up from sitting, or stand for any length of time. I have a GI doctor and can call his office tomorrow. Do I just relay to the receptionist or whomever the symptoms I have explained to you? Honestly, the continued bleeding frightens me a bit. Thank you for your assistance!

Answered by Dr. Kathy Robinson (9 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Yes see GI asap

Detailed Answer:
Hello and thank you for the follow up. The dizziness is concerning. You may have developed anemia. It is important that you see a doctor tomorrow for a blood test to look for anemia. The mucus maybe a sign of infection. It could also be a sign of an inflammatory colitis. again the gastroenterologist would need to do some testing to rule out colitis an infection. I hope you were able to see the gastroenterologist soon.

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj