Do your number 2’s, have you running to the loo?

5 causes of chronic diarrhoea

If your number 2’s have you running to the loo and praying that you make it on time. Or if they stop you from eating out with friends, or wish that you had constipation!!! Then this article is for you.

I have patients come and see me with loose or frequent stool (even 15 times per day!) or urgent and violent stool that’s just plain embarrassing and draining. This is not something to leave or ignore as it can deplete you of minerals and leave you very depleted. I often see patients when they can no longer put up with these symptoms and they have already seen GPs and specialists to no avail.

I always double-check that they have been checked for lactose intolerance (even if it starts as an adult) and for parasites. If these are all clear, I then look for other causes that have not been investigated. These are 5 of them, but there are many more!

5. Food allergies or sensitivities

Although lactose intolerance may have been excluded, you could still just be sensitive to dairy and would do better without it. I often ask patients to exclude it for 4 weeks, as it can take this long for the antibodies to be reduced enough and stop creating symptoms. Often patients have trialed going dairy free but have not stuck with it long enough. This also applies to many other common food intolerances.

4. Coeliac disease

This one is often overlooked, especially if your main symptom is diarrhoea but you don’t have many of the “classic symptoms” of Coeliac Disease. I always like to rule out Coeliac Disease, as it is a very serious condition that if left undiagnosed can lead to further autoimmune conditions. It is quite common to not have all the symptoms associated with Coeliac Disease and this does not mean that testing is not warranted. My son for example, at diagnosis, had only 1 symptom, severe bone pain. Others have diarrhoea and infertility, others have rashes.

3. Trouble digesting fats

There can be multiple reasons for not being able to digest fats well, one of them is if you have had your gallbladder removed. If undigested and unabsorbed fats enter the large bowel, they can cause diarrhoea. As a Naturopath, I have ways of supporting this and can resolve the diarrhoea quite quickly.

2. Stress and anxiety

Do not underestimate the impact of stress and anxiety on your gut. Now more than ever we have research that supports how intrinsically they are linked. I have seen patients who had been through a great deal of stress for a few years, the stressful time settles and then on comes the diarrhoea.  It’s not until we support the nervous system and support healthy vagal nerve function, that their stools become formed and healthy.

1. SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth)

This is not something your GP would suggest investigating but some Gastroenterologists might. Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth is where there is an overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine. This means they get access to food early, eat it, and create gasses and this can lead to a variety of symptoms in the gut like bloating, pain and diarrhoea. I often rule this out with testing with my patients.

If you have any questions about the information in this article please send me an email, or if you would like to see if I can help with your tummy troubles, then please book a FREE 15-minute discovery call on my CONTACT page.

I have created a guide to help you understand the 5 ways you can begin to
reduce your symptoms of bloating, pain and gas.

This guide is easy to understand, so that you can begin implementing changes today and  
get relief as soon as possible.

Don’t suffer any longer!

A bit about me!

 I am Danielle Elliott a qualified Naturopath and the owner of Tummy Rescue.

I have been helping kids & adults improve their health for over 16 years, with the last 11 years concentrating on helping patients with any kind of gut disorder. I began focussing on everything gut related after my husband was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease. And lucky I did……as my husband and both our kids have Coeliac Disease and my daughter has a dairy allergy.

So…. I am well and truly where I am meant to be!

I love being able to help people to soothe and calm their symptoms, investigate the causes and support and improve their gut function.

I also get to write educational pieces to train practitioners and am often interviewed for podcasts and summits, which is another really rewarding part of my work. I love educating people (this is something I do in every consult), because I do believe knowledge is power. It gives you the tools to make the changes you need to!

So, when you opt-in to my E-book, you are beginning on a journey of learning and discovery, of how you can reduce your symptoms of bloating, gas & pain and improve your gut health.

I would be honoured to help you along the way.

Danielle xoxo