Random, bad diarrhea?? help 4 my grandpa! DOCS help!?

hey so my grandpa (im not making this up its not me haha) has been having REALLY bad diarrhea like a few months ago and now it came back. like my grandma woke up from his stomach rumbling, then he woke up n ran to the bathroom. alot of times he doesnt make it.








its not like the flu or anything.. and we dont know whats wrong. he has diabetes but hes ALWAYS had that. n this is the only symtom hes having.. shes trying to keep a food diary..





and my grandma said it might be something that starts with a C?? idk but im really worried about my grandpa..


(obviously hes been to a doctor but they dk whats wrong!)

Random, bad diarrhea?? help 4 my grandpa! DOCS help!?
Diarrhea in an older person always needs to be evaluated. Has your grandpa had a colonoscopy? If not, he should get one as soon as possible just to rule out more serious conditions.


You mentioned that he has diabetes and always had. Diabetes that has been present for a long time can cause diarrhea for a number of reasons. One reason is because the nerves of the intestines that control how long solid food waste remains in the intestines get damaged by high blood sugar levels, and food moves through the intestines too quickly, causing diarrhea. This is called autonomic neuropathy.


Another possible cause is a condition called bacterial overgrowth, which means that there is an abnormally large number of bacteria in the small intestine. The bacteria break down certain substances in the diet, leading to diarrhea. This can be fixed with antibiotics.


Another possibility is an inflammation of your grandpa's pancreas, which can cause diarrhea.


Finally, has your grandpa changed or started any new medications recently? Some medications can cause diarrhea as a side effect. Also, look at the foods he eats because some sugar-free foods that people with diabetes eat has an ingredient called sorbitol, which can cause diarrhea, so check some of the foods he eats and keep that food diary that you mentioned to see if he eats anything with sorbitol in it and, if so, whether it makes his diarrhea worse.


I hope that helps.
Reply:he could have IBS (Irritable bowel syndrome) Its not always detected and no matter how many foods you take away or add you may never find out whats wrong. IBS can cause constipation/ or diarrhea. There is medication you can take to help it but unfortunately there is no cure.
Reply:You say the doctor doesn't know what's wrong, but did he prescribe an anti-diarrheal medicine? Imodium is a good non-prescription one.
Reply:celiac disease?





try eliminating gluten.








I actually know nothing about this...I have an aquaintance that has it.
Reply:Grandpa should see a doctor. Maybe a different one than he saw the first time. There may be additional tests that can done. There are so many possible causes of diarrhea, some minor and some serious. Also older people tend to become dehydrated or malnourished sooner than younger people. The diarrhea can also make it more dificult to control his diabetes. I am an RN, so I know that it should be checked out.

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