Constant Diarrhea and stomach pain

[ThaiPauly]

53 minutes ago, ThaiPauly said:

Thanks,

 

I contacted my local pharmacy and they do not have any

Do you happen to know the name?

I will try my doctor  next

My doctor has them

[ThaiPauly]

2 hours ago, In the jungle said:

I have never liked greens since I was a child but still eat them.

 

Yummy, broccoli again ????

I don't  mind Brocolli and normally eat it several times a week

[Eff1n2ret]

16 hours ago, ThaiPauly said:

My diebetis is under control

Are you on medication for that? I only ask because at a check-up nearly 3 months ago I was diagnosed having high blood sugar, borderline type 2 diabetes. The doc prescribed metformin (Glucophage 1000mg). Over the next 6 weeks I suffered headaches and 3 bouts of stomach pain and severe diarrhoea. The leaflet with those pills mentions gastric upsets as a common side effect, also that they are largely ineffective for over-75s and not recommended. I am 78. I stopped taking them and have been fine ever since. I have a follow-up appointment in just over a week and will tell the doc that if there is no alternative chemical, then I will reduce my blood sugar as best I can.

Just another possible cause to consider. I hope you get better.

[Seppius]

Are you absolutely sure of your water supply? Both for drinking and washing?.

 

I remember a friend a few years ago was having terrible medical problems, skin and stomach, turned out when he had his water tank examined it was full of rotting dead roacher's and other debris.

 

Long shot, but might be worth checking out, also change drinking water supplier

 

[Sheryl]

16 hours ago, ThaiPauly said:

I have had Ulcerative Colitis for ten years.

 

I take Salafalk every day but have increased my dose ×4

My gastro doctor suggested this  but it does not seem to have made any difference

Should have led with that, as UC flare up could be  the culprit. Though I am puzzled by your statement that the colonoscopy "found nothing wrong" -- UC should be evident on colonscopy and if it was not then that diagnosis may be in question.

 

UC is very rare in Thais so few doctors here have much expertise in treating it. Unfortunately I do not know of a single one in Chiang Mai. In Bangkok, this doctor seems the most experienced:

 

Assoc.Prof. Sathaporn Manatsathit

https://zeekdoc.com/en/doctor/assoc-prof-sathaporn-manatsathit-252?clinic_id=98

can be seen at https://www.vichaiyut.com/en/profile_doctor/dr-sathaporn-manatsathit/

or

https://chaophrayahospital.com/?doctors=sathaporn-manatsathit-md

or

Siriraj Hospital - he is nto listed on their private wing web site but you could call and ask https://www.siphhospital.com/en

 

 

You should definitely consult him (especially given what is now doubt re accuracy of your UC diagnosis) but I can appreciate right now would be difficult with the uncontrolled diarrhea.

 

in the interim best option in CM appears to be:

 

https://sriphat.med.cmu.ac.th/en/doctor/detail/63

Who is there tomorrow

 

 

By the way, what medications are you on and have there been any recent changes i nthese (drug or dose)?

 

[ThaiPauly]

16 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

Should have led with that, as UC flare up could be  the culprit. Though I am puzzled by your statement that the colonoscopy "found nothing wrong" -- UC should be evident on colonscopy and if it was not then that diagnosis may be in question.

 

UC is very rare in Thais so few doctors here have much expertise in treating it. Unfortunately I do not know of a single one in Chiang Mai. In Bangkok, this doctor seems the most experienced:

 

Assoc.Prof. Sathaporn Manatsathit

https://zeekdoc.com/en/doctor/assoc-prof-sathaporn-manatsathit-252?clinic_id=98

can be seen at https://www.vichaiyut.com/en/profile_doctor/dr-sathaporn-manatsathit/

or

https://chaophrayahospital.com/?doctors=sathaporn-manatsathit-md

or

Siriraj Hospital - he is nto listed on their private wing web site but you could call and ask https://www.siphhospital.com/en

 

 

You should definitely consult him (especially given what is now doubt re accuracy of your UC diagnosis) but I can appreciate right now would be difficult with the uncontrolled diarrhea.

 

in the interim best option in CM appears to be:

 

https://sriphat.med.cmu.ac.th/en/doctor/detail/63

Who is there tomorrow

 

 

By the way, what medications are you on and have there been any recent changes i nthese (drug or dose)?

 

Thank you Sheryl

 

I was on 1700 mgs of Glucophage 

But the doctor has cut this dose in half.

Salofalk, normally 1 x 500mg daily but now 4x 500mg.

Then there is heart meds Like Avrostatin 2mg, Blopress 4mg Apolet blood thinner.

 

It was tge specialist at Sriphat that carried out the endoscopy, they results show everything is normal, but he took a biopsy, and don't know why?

I am seeing him for follow up in 10 days.

I'm seeing my GP this afternoon to discuss further action including perhaps getting meds in case it could just be a parasite.

I have had them before and the meds cured me.

 

We will see where we go from here

Thanks so much for your imput

[ThaiPauly]

44 minutes ago, Eff1n2ret said:

Are you on medication for that? I only ask because at a check-up nearly 3 months ago I was diagnosed having high blood sugar, borderline type 2 diabetes. The doc prescribed metformin (Glucophage 1000mg). Over the next 6 weeks I suffered headaches and 3 bouts of stomach pain and severe diarrhoea. The leaflet with those pills mentions gastric upsets as a common side effect, also that they are largely ineffective for over-75s and not recommended. I am 78. I stopped taking them and have been fine ever since. I have a follow-up appointment in just over a week and will tell the doc that if there is no alternative chemical, then I will reduce my blood sugar as best I can.

Just another possible cause to consider. I hope you get better.

My doctor reduced my dose of Glucophage from 1600 to 800 mgs a day.

Really has not made any difference.

That was about 10 days ago  so cannot be sure  it may not have registered in my gut yet.

[Sheryl]

You need to verify with the Sripgat specialust: did endoscopy show no sign of ulcerative colitis? If so you need to see a UC specialist as may have bern misdiagnosed.

 

Salofalk can cause severe diarrhea as a dide effect  so if that dose change preceded the problem -- or the problem got worse after dose increased - this could be the culprit.

[ThaiPauly]

50 minutes ago, Seppius said:

Are you absolutely sure of your water supply? Both for drinking and washing?.

 

I remember a friend a few years ago was having terrible medical problems, skin and stomach, turned out when he had his water tank examined it was full of rotting dead roacher's and other debris.

 

Long shot, but might be worth checking out, also change drinking water supplier

 

I clean my tank regularly  but as I mentioned before we do have an Amway water filter, have had it 10 years or so and has never caused me the kind of problems I have now.

However, to be sure I have switched to pre-bottled water as you never know?

[ThaiPauly]

7 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

You need to verify with the Sripgat specialust: did endoscopy show no sign of ulcerative colitis? If so you need to see a UC specialist as may have bern misdiagnosed.

 

Salofalk can cause severe diarrhea as a dide effect  so if that dose change preceded the problem -- or the problem got worse after dose increased - this could be the culprit.

The increased doseage hasn't really made any difference.

I will discuss  this first with my GP this afternoon.

 

Thanks Sheryl

[JimmyJ]

I would get a stool test including parasite at once.

[Lacessit]

12 minutes ago, ThaiPauly said:

I clean my tank regularly  but as I mentioned before we do have an Amway water filter, have had it 10 years or so and has never caused me the kind of problems I have now.

However, to be sure I have switched to pre-bottled water as you never know?

IMO there is only one safe source of water, anywhere. I boil every drop of water I drink.

Apart from eliminating all bacteria, viruses and parasites, the other benefit is getting rid of chlorine and organic chlorine compounds by steam volatilisation.

I have never had a water-related gastric problem since I started doing it 50 years ago, so I assume my method works.

[JackGats]

2 hours ago, NoshowJones said:

Same here apart from garden peas. I could never eat sprouts, cabbage, lettuce etc.

And the Thais upcountry eat raw vegetables, see them chewing on it like rabbits. Is it healthy or is it just lazy? Where I come from you take those vegetables and you give yourself the trouble to cook them into a soup. Carrots and lettuce are about the only veggies I can eat raw. As to the other ones I find the taste revolting and they would give me heart burn or a touch of diarrhoea.

 

The OP certainly has something that is wrong in his metabolism. I surmise the docs covered every bug with their pills, including Amoebas and worms. Amoebas nearly killed me 20 years ago after a trip in Africa.

[ThaiPauly]

3 hours ago, Sheryl said:

Should have led with that, as UC flare up could be  the culprit. Though I am puzzled by your statement that the colonoscopy "found nothing wrong" -- UC should be evident on colonscopy and if it was not then that diagnosis may be in question.

 

UC is very rare in Thais so few doctors here have much expertise in treating it. Unfortunately I do not know of a single one in Chiang Mai. In Bangkok, this doctor seems the 

 

https://sriphat.med.cmu.ac.th/en/doctor/detail/63

Who is there tomorrow

 

 

 

 

This is the same  doctor who performed my endoscopy Sheryl.

I have an appointment next Friday to review it and get the results of the biopsy from him.

 

I have just got back from my GP who said that I should resume taking Nexium  a better pro biotic, and tablets for parasite control...it could be because of that  but probably not  but does no harm.

 

The report said that I had a history  of Ulcerative Colitis but you said that it would have shown up on the endoscopy report, which as you know it did not.

So reducing my doseage back from 4 a day to 1 may be prudent?

What do you think Sheryl?

[Sheryl]

3 hours ago, ThaiPauly said:

This is the same  doctor who performed my endoscopy Sheryl.

I have an appointment next Friday to review it and get the results of the biopsy from him.

 

I have just got back from my GP who said that I should resume taking Nexium  a better pro biotic, and tablets for parasite control...it could be because of that  but probably not  but does no harm.

 

The report said that I had a history  of Ulcerative Colitis but you said that it would have shown up on the endoscopy report, which as you know it did not.

So reducing my doseage back from 4 a day to 1 may be prudent?

What do you think Sheryl?

Wait and ask the doctor. Possible that you misunderstood him and he just meant no other new problem was seen, nto that no sign of UC was seen. (But if really no sign of UC then you really need to consult the Bkk Dr I mentioned).

 

Nexium is not a probiotic. It is a PPI which decreases acidity in the stomach. Won't do anything for diarrhea and I am not sure why prescribed unless GP was concerned that the parasite medication would irritate lining of the stomach. Exactly what parasite medication where you given?

[ThaiPauly]

27 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

Wait and ask the doctor. Possible that you misunderstood him and he just meant no other new problem was seen, nto that no sign of UC was seen. (But if really no sign of UC then you really need to consult the Bkk Dr I mentioned).

 

Nexium is not a probiotic. It is a PPI which decreases acidity in the stomach. Won't do anything for diarrhea and I am not sure why prescribed unless GP was concerned that the parasite medication would irritate lining of the stomach. Exactly what parasite medication where you given?

HI Sheryl    She prescibed  me Albemed/Allendale 200mg 

2 tablets before bed

 

Also Bioflor probiotic which she said is superior to what I normally use

Combif AR

 

As it goes of course, after starting this thread I have not been to the toilet today but have still had stomach pain so I took one Ultracet for it and it seemed to work.

I have had worse days than today

[Sheryl]

22 hours ago, ThaiPauly said:

HI Sheryl    She prescibed  me Albemed/Allendale 200mg 

2 tablets before bed

 

Also Bioflor probiotic which she said is superior to what I normally use

Combif AR

 

As it goes of course, after starting this thread I have not been to the toilet today but have still had stomach pain so I took one Ultracet for it and it seemed to work.

I have had worse days than today

The Albemed is albendaxole and treats several types of worms. However these do not usually cause diarrhea.

 

Parasites  that commonly  cause diarrhea include things like giardia...but the treatment (flagyl) Is difficult to tolerate (nausea etc) so not a great idea to treat for it without a positive stool test. 

 

Bioflor might help, can't hurt.

 

I have no idea why nexium. 

 

Who diagnosed your UC, on what basis and when? 

 

 

[ThaiPauly]

11 hours ago, Sheryl said:

The Albemed is albendaxole and treats several types of worms. However these do not usually cause diarrhea.

 

Parasites  that commonly  cause diarrhea include things like giardia...but the treatment (flagyl?) Is difficult to tolerate ?(nausea etc) so not a great idea to treat for ot without a positive stool test. 

 

Bioflor might help, can't hurt.

 

I have no idea why nexium. 

 

Who diagnosed your UC, on what basis and when? 

 

 

It was a Doc at Ram many years ago  at least 10 Sheryl.

I can't remember the name of the doctor now.

[Sheryl]

9 hours ago, ThaiPauly said:

It was a Doc at Ram many years ago  at least 10 Sheryl.

I can't remember the name of the doctor now.

Will not have been anyone with much experience  (if any) in it - as mentioned it is rare in Thais.

 

So the diagnosis and need for treatment is open to doubt.

 

If recent colonoscopy finds no sign of UC you can probably exclude it. But discuss with doctor.

[mstevens]

On 12/1/2022 at 2:36 AM, ThaiPauly said:

Yes a stool sample was the first thing they asked for  but initially I went about the stomach pain  and the stool analysis was OK then, but I have not given one since the dioreah  commenced.

Think I will have to have one in my next visit to the hospital.

What did they test for in the stool sample? Did you get a printout of the results? Often hospital stool tests just look for H Pylori. Did they look, for example, at the fat content (which would show whether you have trouble digesting fat and can manifest itself as loose stools and indicate a liver or, more likely, gallbladder issue). I imagine Thai hospitals don't go in to details about strains of bacteria present - but that might be needed as you might have a serious cases of dysbiosis which is manifesting itself as diarrhea.

 

Also, where exactly is your stomach ache. The location of the ache might indicate an issue with one of the organs which supports digestion - and if there is an issue with an organ it can result in diarrhea. Upper right quadrant would be liver / gallbladder. Upper left would be pancreas etc.

[mstevens]

On 12/1/2022 at 2:56 AM, In the jungle said:

Try eating things that are green.

 

 

I'll go against the grain here and suggest the complete opposite. I would actually avoid consuming much fibre at all. If the issue is dysbiosis or SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) then you will have real trouble with fibre - and in some cases it can cause nasty stomach pain. Some people find that going carnivore for a period helps. It sounds counter-intuitive to eat a meat only diet (and it's not a diet recommended long-term) but it can be helpful to anyone struggling to digest fibre.

[ThaiPauly]

50 minutes ago, mstevens said:

What did they test for in the stool sample? Did you get a printout of the results? Often hospital stool tests just look for H Pylori. Did they look, for example, at the fat content (which would show whether you have trouble digesting fat and can manifest itself as loose stools and indicate a liver or, more likely, gallbladder issue). I imagine Thai hospitals don't go in to details about strains of bacteria present - but that might be needed as you might have a serious cases of dysbiosis which is manifesting itself as diarrhea.

 

Also, where exactly is your stomach ache. The location of the ache might indicate an issue with one of the organs which supports digestion - and if there is an issue with an organ it can result in diarrhea. Upper right quadrant would be liver / gallbladder. Upper left would be pancreas etc.

This is a lot to take in

 

I don't think hospitals up here look into these kind of things

I have never heard of disposis!!

 

Things have improved a bit since I started this thread.  I have only been once since Wednesday night, and although the stool is not that firm, it is not dioreah. 

Similarly, I have not had stomach pains for the same length of time.

Regarding you next post, I have not been eating any green vegetables 

My diet is white bread  eggs potatoes tuna fish, chicken and I drink camomile tea.

Thank you for putting so much into your reply, it is appreciated, even if it's a bit scary.

[mstevens]

24 minutes ago, ThaiPauly said:

This is a lot to take in

 

I don't think hospitals up here look into these kind of things

I have never heard of disposis!!

 

Things have improved a bit since I started this thread.  I have only been once since Wednesday night, and although the stool is not that firm, it is not dioreah. 

Similarly, I have not had stomach pains for the same length of time.

Regarding you next post, I have not been eating any green vegetables 

My diet is white bread  eggs potatoes tuna fish, chicken and I drink camomile tea.

Thank you for putting so much into your reply, it is appreciated, even if it's a bit scary.

Your diet is quite limited, but if that is what works for you, then stick with it while you figure out what is going on with your stomach. Don't stick with a limited diet forever because we need a variety of foods. Is the diet this limited because you have reactions / intolerances to various foods? If that is the case, I'd Google dysbiosis and also SIBO. You *might* have one of them. That said, you're eating bread which contains gluten and many people with stomach issues react to gluten, even if they are not Celiac. Ditto with eggs.

 

I note another poster suggested a low FODMAP diet. I agree with them and think that could be something to try. Again, Google is your friend - there are a lot of low FODMAP lists out there.

 

One other hint. While your diet is limited, it would certainly be worth taking a quality multivitamin.

Edited December 2, 2022 by mstevens

[ThaiPauly]

1 hour ago, mstevens said:

Your diet is quite limited, but if that is what works for you, then stick with it while you figure out what is going on with your stomach. Don't stick with a limited diet forever because we need a variety of foods. Is the diet this limited because you have reactions / intolerances to various foods? If that is the case, I'd Google dysbiosis and also SIBO. You *might* have one of them. That said, you're eating bread which contains gluten and many people with stomach issues react to gluten, even if they are not Celiac. Ditto with eggs.

 

I note another poster suggested a low FODMAP diet. I agree with them and think that could be something to try. Again, Google is your friend - there are a lot of low FODMAP lists out there.

 

One other hint. While your diet is limited, it would certainly be worth taking a quality multivitamin.

Thanks.

I am taking multi vitamins and electrolytes.

I have previously been tested for Celiac disease and I am clear.

 

Things seem to be calming down, I have just eaten Tuna fish for lunch and an hour later have had no stomach issues so far today.

 

I obviously don't intend to stick to this diet for life, but until I have recovered I will carry on

[markclover]

A lot of people have had this.  I got it.  My gf got it.  The toilets at the school are busy.  And many people taking days off.  Just eat plain food and wait for it to pass.

[KannikaP]

On 11/30/2022 at 8:36 PM, ThaiPauly said:

Think I will have to have one in my next visit to the hospital.

Take it in a bucket!

Sorry, couldn't resist. I feel for you. Hope it's sorted soon.

[clarky cat]

On 11/30/2022 at 7:48 PM, ThaiPauly said:

Diet is eggs, white bread, mashed potato, bananas.

you could have an egg intolerance 

 

I'd been eating them for years and it only recently started.

 

tested it on myself and the diarrhoea follows 30 minutes later

[bendejo]

If you are expelling all you eat without proper digestion then your body is not getting nutrients.  Are you able to sleep, or does the diarrhea keep waking you up?  Do you urinate, or are you expelling all your water this way?  If so, you may be dehydrating.  The combination of these things is extremely unhealthy. 

I picked up a few critters (amoebas, worms, et al) when I lived in India.  I have a few stop-ups to suggest.

Yoghurt, be sure it's actual yoghurt, not some sort of pudding.  I'm not in LOS right now so I can't recall all the brands, but Meiji seems to be the real thing.

The ultimate blocker, by my experimenting, is yoghurt mixed with bran (oat bran, wheat bran, fleaseed* husk are the ones I tried).  This combo is like liquid tar that will solidify in your system and if lucky you won't have a motion for a few days. 

Fleaseed husk is popular in India, and if you have an Indian grocer nearby they just might have it.  They call it saht-ee-sabgol.  You can show them this picture, Telephone brand has been around forever.

The water of the green coconut is a stopper.

Slightly under-ripened bananas does the trick sometimes.

Sometimes hard-boiled eggs does the block, but when they don't you can get these belches that taste like sulfur which are themselves sickening.

Best of luck, please post your progress.

 

 

[degrub]

Giardia, cryptosporidium, or C. Diff infection can all produce a month or more of diarrhea from what i read. 
MIL’s dog got a giardia infection - a month of doggy nappies and multiple rounds of drugs before it was cleared up. Darn near killed the dog. 

[ThaiPauly]

Things are improving for me.

 

No dioreah  since Thursday and stools are thickening up nicely

Stomach pain is mostly gone as well

 

Halfway through taking the parasite meds from my Doctor, so perhaps that was the cause.

I am seeing my hospital doctor on Friday for the biopsy results 

 

Thanks to everybody who has contributed to this thread

It is very much appreciated to know you don't have to face everything alone.

 

I would encourage Thai Visa members who may be reticent to post their health issues on here to do so, there is a wealth if experience to tap into here.

 

Members don't always have the right answers but you can normally suss out the useful ones