Get your health question answered instantly from our pool of 18000+ doctors from over 80 specialties
145 Doctors Online

By proceeding, I accept the Terms and Conditions

Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

HCM Blog Instant Access to Doctors
HCM BlogQuestions Answered
HCM Blog Satisfaction

What Causes Chronic Diarrhea?

Hi,I have had frequent stools 4-6 times a day for a couple months now. They started out as normal stools then got looser. Now I frequently have diarrhea. I also get some blood in my stool but this is usually after running. I have also noticed chunks that look like raw meat in my stool from time to time as well as what appears to be in diegested food. Any thoughts?
posted on Wed, 26 Aug 2015
Twitter Sat, 19 Sep 2015 Answered on
Twitter Mon, 21 Sep 2015 Last reviewed on
Report Abuse
General & Family Physician,  's  Response
Hi & Welcome.
I can understand your problem.
Chronic diarrhea may be caused by infections or by other causes.

Chronic Diarrhea caused by an infection may result from:
1. Parasites (Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia, or Cryptosporidium)
2. Bacteria (Salmonella, Shigella, E coli, or Campylobacter)
3. Rota virus

Other causes include:
1. Disorders of the pancreas (chronic pancreatitis, pancreatic enzyme deficiencies)
2. Intestinal disorders (inflammatory bowel disease or irritable bowel syndrome)
3. Intolerance to certain foods and food additives (soy protein, cow’s milk, gluten, etc)
4. Hyperthyroidism
5. Tumors of the intestines
6. AIDS or other immune deficiencies.

From the history it seems you have some sort indigestion problem which may be due to Giardiasis, food intolerance, or pancreatic enzyme deficiencies.

In view of the above, I would advise you to consult a physician or gastroenterologist for further evaluation following which you may need certain lab tests like CBC, ESR, Stool analysis, Colonoscopy, etc to ascertain the diagnosis.

Hope to have answered your query.
I find this answer helpful
Disclaimer: These answers are for your information only and not intended to replace your relationship with your treating physician.
This is a short, free answer. For a more detailed, immediate answer, try our premium service [Sample answer]
Share on
 

Related questions you may be interested in


Loading Online Doctors....
What Causes Chronic Diarrhea?

Hi & Welcome. I can understand your problem. Chronic diarrhea may be caused by infections or by other causes. Chronic Diarrhea caused by an infection may result from: 1. Parasites (Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia, or Cryptosporidium) 2. Bacteria (Salmonella, Shigella, E coli, or Campylobacter) 3. Rota virus Other causes include: 1. Disorders of the pancreas (chronic pancreatitis, pancreatic enzyme deficiencies) 2. Intestinal disorders (inflammatory bowel disease or irritable bowel syndrome) 3. Intolerance to certain foods and food additives (soy protein, cow’s milk, gluten, etc) 4. Hyperthyroidism 5. Tumors of the intestines 6. AIDS or other immune deficiencies. From the history it seems you have some sort indigestion problem which may be due to Giardiasis, food intolerance, or pancreatic enzyme deficiencies. In view of the above, I would advise you to consult a physician or gastroenterologist for further evaluation following which you may need certain lab tests like CBC, ESR, Stool analysis, Colonoscopy, etc to ascertain the diagnosis. Hope to have answered your query.