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What Causes Chronic Diarrhea?
Question: I have diarrhea almost everyday. I had a stool sample examined and they found nothing wrong. But, this has been going on for over a year. Now, I have god awful smelling gas. If I don't eat am fine
Brief Answer:
needs additional assessment
Detailed Answer:
HI, thanks for using healthcare magic
Chronic diarrhea (at least 3 loose stools daily) is defined as loose stool that last at least 4 weeks.
The most common causes are: (1) irritable bowel syndrome- this is one of the most common causes
(2)inflammatory bowel disease- this mainly refers to crohns disease and ulcerative colitis
(3)persistent infections- this should have been detected by the stool sample
(4)endocrine disorders such as hyperthyroidism (high levels of thyroid hormone)
(5)food intolerance or allergies
(6)side effect of medication
To determine the cause, you would need additional investigations including
(1)consider repeat stool tests
(2)blood tests to check for evidence of infection, thyroid status, allergy testing may also be considered, inflammatory markers such as ESR (checks for inflammation in the body)
(3)imaging such as colonoscopy may also be needed
You may want to consider assessment by a gastroenterologist who can assess you for any of the above conditions
I hope this helps,feel free to ask any other questions
needs additional assessment
Detailed Answer:
HI, thanks for using healthcare magic
Chronic diarrhea (at least 3 loose stools daily) is defined as loose stool that last at least 4 weeks.
The most common causes are: (1) irritable bowel syndrome- this is one of the most common causes
(2)inflammatory bowel disease- this mainly refers to crohns disease and ulcerative colitis
(3)persistent infections- this should have been detected by the stool sample
(4)endocrine disorders such as hyperthyroidism (high levels of thyroid hormone)
(5)food intolerance or allergies
(6)side effect of medication
To determine the cause, you would need additional investigations including
(1)consider repeat stool tests
(2)blood tests to check for evidence of infection, thyroid status, allergy testing may also be considered, inflammatory markers such as ESR (checks for inflammation in the body)
(3)imaging such as colonoscopy may also be needed
You may want to consider assessment by a gastroenterologist who can assess you for any of the above conditions
I hope this helps,feel free to ask any other questions
Note: For further follow up on digestive issues share your reports here and Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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