Chronic Diarrhoea

There are many possible causes of chronic diarrhoea, some of which you may be able to identify yourself, while others require the expertise of a specialist to determine.

Possible causes of diarrhoea include:

Diet

Certain foods and drinks, such as coffee, alcohol, and certain sugars, can affect the speed at which your food is digested, making it leave your body more quickly than it should, in the form of diarrhoea.

Intolerances, such as lactose or gluten intolerance, can also mean that certain foods are not digested and absorbed as well as they should be, also resulting in diarrhoea.

Certain medications and supplements

Some medicines, supplements, and even high doses of some vitamins and minerals can cause both short- and long-term diarrhoea. These include:

• nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), like aspirin and ibuprofen
• proton pump inhibitors (PPIs)
• some antibiotics
• certain herbal supplements, like senna
• high doses of vitamin C and magnesium
• antacids that contain magnesium
• some antidepressants
• beta-blockers
• metformin
• chemotherapy
• laxatives, when overused

Medical conditions

Chronic diarrhoea is also associated with a range of gastrointestinal conditions, including:

• irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease
• microscopic colitis
• ischemic colitis
• radiation colitis
• diverticulitis
• bile acid malabsorption (BAM)
• malabsorption disorders, such as coeliac disease
• diabetes
• hyperthyroidism
• adrenal disorders
• small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)
• mesenteric ischemia
• cancer

Medical treatments and surgeries

In some cases, chronic diarrhoea can come about as a result of a previous surgery, such as:

• gastrectomy
• gastric bypass
• jejuno-ileal bypass
• extensive resection of the ileum and right colon
• minor resection of the terminal ileum
• cholecystectomy

In most cases, our gastroenterologists will make a diagnosis of chronic diarrhoea based on your symptoms and how long you’ve had them for.

Sometimes, how your symptoms present and your medical and lifestyle factors can give your consultant a good indication of what’s causing your condition.

However, they may need to run some tests to either confirm their theory or to identify a less clear cause. Tests can include:

• blood tests (including inflammatory marker and coelaic screening (tTG))
• stool testing (infection, calprotectin and FIT (blood in stool))
• Gastroscopy
• colonoscopy
• abdominal ultrasound 
• CT scan
• MRI scan
• SeHCAT scan

If your diarrhoea is caused by certain foods or drinks, or an intolerance, cutting these out or making swaps, like changing your dairy milk for oat milk or regular pasta for gluten-free, may be enough to reduce your symptoms and help avoid bouts of long-term diarrhoea. 

If a medication is causing the problem, your consultant may be able to recommend a different type of drug, or can prescribe another medicine to help combat the side effects and prevent diarrhoea.

Living with chronic diarrhoea can impact your quality of life, and for some people, it can lead to anxiety and depression, especially if it’s not addressed or effectively treated. 

Physically, chronic diarrhoea puts you at risk of dehydration and low electrolyte levels. This can stress your body and affect the health of your kidneys, heart, lungs, brain and nervous system.

If you’ve had diarrhoea 3 or more times a day for the last 4 weeks or more, get in touch to book a next- or same-day appointment with one of our gastroenterologists.

How chronic diarrhoea is treated very much depends on the underlying cause. As mentioned, if your condition is related to foods, intolerance or a medicine, these can be identified and swapped or avoided to reduce symptoms and the instances of diarrhoea. 

If your chronic diarrhoea is caused by an underlying condition, this will need to be treated by a specialist. Doing so will likely improve your symptoms, and in some cases, can stop the issue altogether.

At Welbeck, our gastroenterologists are experts in their field and are dedicated to providing world-class, individualised care to every patient.

With access to colleagues across other specialities, our consultants are also able to refer within the Welbeck ecosystem if needed to ensure you receive the best possible treatment as quickly as possible, all under one roof.  

All appointments, testing, treatment, and follow-up appointments take place within our state-of-the-art facilities, enabling us to deliver accurate diagnostics and advanced treatments.

Get in touch today to book an appointment. Your health is important to us, so we strive to offer same-day appointments whenever possible.

Our consultants are recognised by the major health insurance companies. If you have private health insurance, your treatment at Welbeck can begin once you have obtained authorisation. We also provide care to self-paying patients. Learn more about the different payment options at Welbeck.

Is morning diarrhoea normal?

Occasional diarrhoea upon waking is generally considered normal and in many cases isn’t a cause for concern. However, if you have morning diarrhoea frequently or persistently, we recommend making an appointment with a specialist.

Can anxiety cause diarrhoea?

Yes, anxiety is a common cause of diarrhoea for many people. The connection between the brain and the gut (the gut-brain axis) means that stress and anxiety can trigger physical symptoms, including diarrhoea.

What foods trigger chronic diarrhoea?

Some foods can certainly trigger an episode of diarrhoea. Some of the most common are: 

• Dairy foods like cheese, milk and yoghurt (lactose intolerance)
• Foods that contain gluten, like bread and pasta (coeliac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity)
• Fatty or fried foods
• Spicy foods
• Foods containing artificial sweeteners (sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol)
• FODMAP foods, including onions, garlic, beans, and apples