Extreme bowel problems but no solution

[willmotts]

I have suffered extreme bowel problems now for a few years. I have had a colonoscopy which was clear, ableit 18 months ago and had an endoscopy in Feb 13, which again was clear. I have extreme abdominal pain and discomfort on my left hand side which goes from my chest to my pelvis. Further abdominal and pelvic scans were also clear. I also have a swollen stomach and discomfort there too. I have modified my diet many times to eliminate food which may be causing the problem. My embarrassing problem is that as soon as I eat anything, within minutes I am in the toilet having a bowel movement. Sometimes I can go as much as 6 times between 06.30 when I get up and 8.00 a.m. when I leave the house for work. The stools are mainly loose and contain undigested particles of food. I am now at my wits end as there doesn't appear to be a solution, as in effect, according to the tests I have undergone, there is no visible or presenting problem. Any advice which would ease my symptoms would be great. As an example, I have been on the British Heart Foundation Diet for a couple of days, (it's a three day diet) and my tummy has not lost it's bloatedness nor has the pain gone away. I don't know what else I can do.

[Julie Thompson]

Hi
I assume you have been tested for coeliac disease? You need to be tested for this if you have not and also need to be eating foods containing gluten such as wheat, barley and rye to be able to identify coeliac disease thoroughly. People often tell me that they have diarrhoea immediately after eating foods and think the food they have eaten is causing the problem, it rarely is. It is likely to be the gastrocolic reflex, that is being triggered and this is more likely in a morning too, as you might imagine this makes altering your diet to improve symptoms challenging to monitor. This reflex stimulates the bowels to move when the stomach is stretched by eating, think of it as natures way of emptying your digestive system to make room for more food! This reflex can be hightened in people with digestive problems. Most food stays in the stomach about an hour, foods high in fat or fibre can stay longer, and then food needs to travel through your bowels, so it is very unlikely to be what you have just eaten. Have you been given a diagnosis for your symptoms? Your British Heart Foundation diet may help with weight loss, but may not be the best diet for people with functional gut symptoms. If you have a diagnosis I may be able to point you in the right direction with your diet, or you can ask your GP for a referral to a dietitian who would be able to give you some advice.