What Causes Sudden Uncontrollable Diarrhea And Fainting At Night?

Posted on Fri, 5 May 2017

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Fri, 5 May 2017 Answered on

Mon, 29 May 2017 Last reviewed on

Question : in the middle of the night i got up to use the bathroom and all of a sudden had diarrhea and passed out- this has happened maybe 2-3 times a year for the past 15 years. It scares my husband and my son.
I do have lupus but i dont think this can be related- my doctor seems to always brush it off . i need advice

Answered by Dr. Chobufo Ditah (-4 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Probably related to vasovagal shock!

Detailed Answer:
Hi,

This is highly suggestive of a possible vasovagal shock. What happens is that as you strain so much , the body gets overwhelmed and shuts down for a while. The best thing to do would be to always try as much as possible to relax. This way, you will avoid excessive stimulation of the vagal nerve that causes this. However, there is no need panicking that much about this.

I hope this guides and reassures you. Certainly, it is not caused or related to lupus. I wish you well and feel free to follow up with me if need be.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T