May 25, 2012
Topics A-Z Diarrhea Chronic Diarrhea Could be Caused by Many Etiologies
Chronic Diarrhea Could be Caused by Many Etiologies |
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Dear Ask The Doctor: Hello. I have been having these symptoms for about a year. I'm 28 and female. Every couple of days I have to have frequent bowel movements. Sometimes they are in the form of diarrhea. I usually have to go about 8-10 on the days when I am sick. I feel that my stomach is somewhat swollen. I am tired frequently. I lost about 7 lbs earlier this year for no apparent reason; then I gained about 10 lbs back. What do you think I might have? I thought it might be celiac's disease so I went gluten free and have been for about 2.5 wks; however, I still feel the same. Dear Heather: I comprehend your distress about the symptoms that you have been presenting for a year. The chronic diarrhea that you suffer from could be explained by many different etiologies. One of the possibilities could be malabsorption cases such as Lactose intolerance and Celiac’s disease, in which food containing milk derivates and gluten respectively produce the diarrhea due to lack of enzymes needed to metabolize them in your body. It could also be explained by bacterial overgrowth in your intestine or irritable bowel syndrome in which the diarrhea is present from time to time; this is a diagnosis of exclusion. Because of the many different etiologies that can cause your symptoms , I recommend you to visit a Gastroenterologist to get the exact diagnosis, he would need to take a more detailed clinical history and probably some tests to get to the right diagnosis and put you on the right treatment . |
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| Last Updated ( Thursday, 18 February 2010 ) |
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