Diarrhea & Loose Stools
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Diarrhea & Loose Stools
Aug 2008
Well, this might be the silliest question ever asked on this
network, but is there some healthful way to make my toddler's
bowel movements less gross? She is 2.5 and showing little
interest in potty training and I am having a hard time with my
near-revulsion changing her diapers. Her older sister also potty
trained on the late side, and I really had no problem keeping
relaxed with it. I believe the difference is, frankly, the
poops! My older girl had more solid BMs you could dump in the
toilet and clean up quickly. But, my current potty-trainer has
mushy, stinky, poop-all-over-everything kind of diapers every day
and it literally sometimes makes me gag to change her. I don't
want to discourage her from eating fruit and lots of fiber-- is
there something else I could do? Some foods to avoid? Foods to
add? Or, alternatively, any really clever potty-training tips?
It is hard to keep a positive demeanor while gagging, but I don't
want to give the poor girl a complex. Thanks for any help you
can offer!
-Pooped Out
It is strange that your 2 1/2 year old a) isn't interested in
potty training and b) that her stools are so mushy. I'd be
wondering if she isn't having irritable bowel (IBS) or some kind
of reaction to some foods she is eating? I have had IBS my
entire life, and after 40 years of agony, I figured out what's
been going on: I have a reaction to refined starches, white rice
and regular potatoes. I switched my diet to only completely
whole grains, and no starchy carbs and almost overnight the
bowel issues resolved. Your dughter may not have IBS, but I
suggest getting her off of all refined wheat products and
increase her fiber. That will help with the soft stools. Maybe
if she has firmer stools she will feel more in control of her
bowel movements and will have more of an interest in using the
potty.
Anon
Three words: Bananas, bananas, bananas. They really help make
the diaper changing a little less messy!
mom of a messy pooper
Both Celiac disease (gluten intolerance) and cystic fibrosis
cause bulky, smelly stool. Have you mentioned this to your
pediatrician?
--
Your daughter's poops are not normal. Her BM's should be like
your older daughter's--formed, fall into the toilet. You have
correctly linked diet to the BMs, but you need to take it one
step further and ask WHY are ''regular'' foods (presumably the
same ones you fed to your older daughter) causing this GI
distress? My 2.5 yr old son has the same problem--in his case,
I know that the reason is that his immune system (which is
based in the gut) is overtaxed--mercury exposure from my
amalgams and immunizations did him in. This is FAR more common
than parents today realize... I meet mother after mother who
comments on her child's mushy poops and/or her child's
constipation. These pervasive GI problems are coming from
environmental triggers: too many vaccinations and too many
toxins (including pesticides on foods)--it's too much for a
developing immune system to handle. My advice is to cut out
wheat, dairy, and soy, all of which are hard for a compromised
gut to digest, and focus on whole foods, nothing processed,
thereby eliminating aggravating food additives/chemicals. Best
wishes.
Jan 2008
HI there-
I am not necessarily asking for advice...but perhaps some experience
with this... My otherwise very healthy (never sick, etc) 2 plus year
old has had diarrhea for about 6 weeks now- she only goes one time a
day, we have taken her to a doctor back east (over the holidays) and
talked to her doctor here....she has had a full stool sample that all
came back negative...we tried restricting her diet for a few days ( a
long time ago) and took away dairy for a few days to no avail...We are
a little stuck now. She is in no apparent discomfort, I do not think
she has lost any weight, we have really cut back on her milk, and are
wondering if ANYONE has had similar experiences.. We may go back to
the BRAT diet for 3 days and MAKE sure that it works/doesn't work
before all the other scary tests! Any other ideas????
thanks!
We had a similar experience with my son last year. He got a
little stomach virus and then well after he was recovered from
the virus (for nearly 12 weeks) he had persistent diarrhea. We
too had all the tests and ultimately concluded that he became
lactose intolerant when he got the virus and his stomach lining
never fully healed. What stopped it? We cut him off ALL dairy
for one full month. Absolutely no milk, no cheese, no yogurt -
no dairy at all. His stools started to return to normal in
about two weeks but we still didn't reintroduce dairy for
another two weeks and then we did so very slowly.
I'll tell you it was really frustrating because the doctors in
the practice kept giving me conflicting advise - some said to
cut out milk but continue with yogurt. Others said try soy milk
(goat milk, almond milk) and continue with cheese because it
tends to bind. Some said continue for a couple of days, some
said a week. It wasn't until we cut it all out for a full month
that things changed. Finally I'll say that it was a challenge
for my son for the first few days because he really enjoyed milk
and yogurt and asked for them a lot. I just kept saying that he
couldn't have it until his tummy was all better and eventually
he stopped asking. Good luck.
anon
It can take 2-3 weeks for dairy to leave the body, so I'd try a
longer dairy-free period. Are you giving her probiotics? They
could possibly help, just make sure not too give too much,
because that could cause more diarrhea. Blackberry root tea (you
can buy the herb at Llasa Karnak in Berkeley) is GREAT for
diarrhea. You can sweeten it if need be, but it doesn't take
unpleasant. Gently simmer the root for a couple of hours in water
on the stove, then strain and cool to desired temperature.
Consider taking her to a naturopath if what you're trying
doesn't work.
fellow mama
Chronic diarrhea is not normal, and it is dangerous to have it go
on for so long because of the inability for your child to absorb
nutrients from her food. I imagine she does have some
significant food allergies; restricting milk for a ''few days'' is
not nearly enough time to know if she has an allergy (elimination
diets should last at least 2 weeks before adding back in the
suspect food). She could also be reacting to wheat, soy, corn,
eggs...Many children benefit from rebuilding the gut flora with
probiotics, among other things. Switching to raw milk is often
of tremendous benefit to kids with chronic diarrhea (I know this
sounds crazy, but once you learn about it, it's pretty
compelling). I recommend that you see a holistic nutritionist
like Nori Hudson, (510)847-3197, who can recommend a combination
of food and supplements to heal your daughter's intestinal tract
and stop the diarrhea. Unfortunately, doctors are taught
virtually nothing about the relationship between food and health
(it's not their fault), and most disease does start in the gut.
Best of luck to you.
Ellen
My eldest, 21 yo now, went through this problem for 14 years
before we found out that he had UC (ulcerative colitis) &
Crohn's disease. Nothing could ever be found wrong with him.
His appetite was always healthy, but he had recurrent & chronic
diarrhea. As his condition worsened over the years, his
symptoms became exacerbated: diarrhea was accompanied by
stomach pains when he ate dairy, spicy foods and/or pork. Then,
he suffered from rectal bleeding. Even then, no one knew what
was wrong. They just figured the diarrhea was causing the
bleeding. It wasn't 'til his freshman year of high school that
he was diagnosed, after the vomitting started & he began losing
weight drastically. Even then, I had to take him to specialists
at Stanford University's Pediatric Gastrointerology Clinic.
Thanks to God working through Dr. Gonzales & Dr. Davies & their
staff, he was properly diagnosed. My son is now leaving the
Atlanta Children's Center for Digestive Healthcare, where he
plans to return as a volunteer during med school. I see many
babies & toddlers being diagnosed early now because of advances
in technology. This may or may not be your child's difficulty.
( I pray not.) However, it wouldn't hurt to request that your
child see a Pedi GI specialist to make sure. Peace & blessings!
Try carob in her applesauce or yogurt (or anything else,
really). It helps to firm up poo. Maybe her sphincter is not
working properly, and due to lack of proper use, has forgotten
how to work right. I have heard of this before.
I would visit a naturopath very soon, though. Get another
opinion.
anon
June 2007
Okay, I am going to be graphic, so if you have a weak stomach, stop
reading: My son has had soft runny poops off and on (more on) for most
of his life. We really hadn't given it much thought until we are now
potty training and when he does have an accident it's a runny mess all
over the floor, not a solid poop. He also seems to have no control
over when he poops. I asked his doctor, who said it could be a milk
allergy, and he has had no milk for over a week, but still this soft
poop. Not really diahrrea, more like tomato soup. Sorry this is so
gross. The thing I am wondering is I have ulcerative colitis and took
Asacol while I was pregnant and nursing him and am wondering if this
could be a factor? Has anyone else seen this? I am going to get him
tested for all food allergies, but wondering if it could be something
else?
S.
Before you do a lot of testing, rule out wheat/gluten sensitivity
first. If your son has trouble digesting gluten (which a lot of
people have) then it will make his poops runny. Try not giving
him wheat and barley products for a week and see what happens.
Note that lots of non-wheat products have wheat in them, such as
soy sauce, so check labels. Give him oatmeal or Cherrios for
breakfast, rice cakes and such, no pasta, no sandwich bread, etc.
Good luck
Maybe it's not the drugs that caused anything in your son but maybe what's causing
your colitis is an allergy you have. So maybe your son has something genetically
similar to you?
My son hardly ever had a solid poop until after 3 years old, they were always runny,
like tomato soup as you say. I knew something wasn't right, but no one I asked had
any answers. One day shortly after he turned 3 he tried a new food that had peanuts
and he had an anaphylactic reaction and had to go to emergency. He was OK, but it
was scary. Later we got him tested and he is a highly allergic child, they didn't test
him for everything, but his overall number was high. He was allergic to some nuts,
soy and ''off the charts'' for peanuts. Our 2nd child does not have the runny
problem. I had some allergies as a child & asmtha, my dad has tons of allergies.
Anyway, we've kept him away from nuts & soy and his poops are normal now (at 4
years old) but he sometimes now wakes up with super puffy eyes and has a
postnasal drip that causes him to cough all night. So there's something else out
there that he's reacting to still. I wish we would've insisted they test him for as many
allergies as they could (they only tested for about 7 things) because having that
blood drawn was very traumatic to him and it's going to be hard to bring him in
there for more testing.
That's our story...
anon
Have you heard of Celiac Disease? You should have your child get
his blood tested b/c he may not be able to handle food with
gluten or wheat products. This was all new to me too. I was
diagnosed as an adult last fall (had biopsy of small intestines
done to confirm) and my almost 3 yo son is exhibiting similar
problems, loose stool, and need to get him tested. There is no
cure for this disease, besides totally eliminating wheat products
from the diet. It's so hard to do, but let me tell you how much
better he will feel, if in fact this is the problem. It's often
not diagnosed. Feel free to email me. Trust me, nothing grosses
me out anymore! Good luck!
Shannon
I would get him tested for celiac's (gluten allergy).
EAB
I would highly enocurage your child to see a naturopathic doctor as well as a
homeopath.
best of luck
anon
I would definitely get him tested for allergies. My almost 2
year old son is seriously allergic to dairy and every time he
has the tiniest amount his body really reacts and his poop is
really soupy. He could be on the lowest fiber diet and it
would still be some variety of ''loose.'' It's definitely firmed
up since eliminating dairy.
c
Dear S,
I would definitely recommend you test your son for food
allergies and intolerances. We had our son tested for food
allergies, and he was fine - but his stools were loose (and had
been since birth - he had colitis as an infant) and he had
drastically dropped on the growth charts. His sister, 2 years
younger weighed the same). Anyhow, we just had a food
sensitivty panel done by US Biotek (we had a naturopath in our
pediatric office do it for us). They basically test the
antibodies for certain foods in their blood:
http://www.usbiotek.com/Services-96General.htm
Similar to you, I thought it could be milk and it turned out it
I was wrong. We found out that while he was a bit sensitive to
milk - the big problem was gluten (all wheat, rye, spelt,
barley etc..) and eggs. I am so glad we had him tested b/c i
was just going to take him off of milk. Gluten intolerances can
be celiacs disease or just a gluten intolerance but it is
important to find out b/c it prevents them from absorbing their
nutrients and can impact growth (physical and mental). So our
4.5 year old is finally on the egg and gluten free diet he
should have been on years ago and is finally having solid bm's.
It is well worth checking out. Good luck!
A concerned Mama
April 2005
HELP! I am about to rip my hair out over the chronic diarhea
that all three of my kids now seem to have. For the last 2
years my now 5 yo twins have had not-so- great bowel
movements. It all started with multiple rounds of antibiotics
and a case of giardia (all within a few months). They saw a GI
doctor and took medication (furozolodine)for the giardia. This
improved things but not completely and that is where we have
been for two years now. Now, my 2 yo, after a case of MRSA
staff infection and a heavy antibiotic to treat it, too has
chronic diarhea. He took flagyl for what my pediatrician
assumed was c difficile (an overgrowth of a bacteria as a
result of the original antibiotic killing off all the good
bacteria). This improved things ( just like what happened with
my twins) but not completely and this is where we have been for
the last 2 months. I want to scream because I am so frustrated
and not getting the answers I need. Has anyone ever had an
experience like this? Has anyone ever had a case of c
difficile that was not completely solved by one round of
medication? I have read about this before but my pediatrician
says it is rare. It seems to me that if it at least improved
things then it was doing some good and could continue to help
if we tried it again. Who's right here? We have been to GI
doctors (with the twins) and a naturopath and nothing is
changing. Limiting dairy seems to help and we are also not
eating soy because the naturopath says they are sensitive to
those, but no radical improvement. I am trying not to loose my
mind but this is insane!
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Worried mom
You mentioned that limiting dairy helped. While it would be quite a
coincidence, have you considered lactose intolerance. My son developed
it at 8yo. Symptom?
Diarrhea. He's now taking Digestive Advantage, a supplement that gives
him the lactobacillus he needs to make lactase. He has as much dairy as
he wants with no side effects.
Good Luck
This is probably not strong enough, but my son had terrible diarrhea
after pnemonia and some very strong antibiotics, and I remember how
frustrating it was, anyway a nurse recommended probiotic or probiotica
(sorry can't remember the exact name), and maybe it was coincidence but
his diarrhea went away soon afterwards. It is a pill with 'good
bacteria'. I remember finding it easily at longs drugs or some such
store.
Good luck.
I'm a middle aged woman not a child, but maybe my experience is
relevant. Two years ago I was hospitalized with bowel obstruction
surgery, and I was given 2
simultaneous heavy duty antibiotics + Flagyl, and I have never been the
same since.
I've developed severe food allergies and intolerances, and it has taken
a long time to figure out what I can eat. I went on a really severe
food elimination diet to figure things out. For a long time I could
only eat lamb and some vegetables, and gradually I've been able to eat
more, but my diet remains pretty restricted though quite manageable for
the most part. It's good that you've eliminated dairy and soy, but
other common foods - wheat and corn especially - are likely culprits.
Good luck. It must be so frustrating.
Had similar problems
As your doctor has mentioned and as you learned the hard way,
antibiotics can take away all of the good bacteria in your system. It's
a good preventive measure to take acidopholus (in capsule or powder form
- which you can stir into water) daily, or to eat plain (not sweetened)
yogurt. This will ensure that your good bacteria is at a good level.
Maybe this will help you out.
loves acidopholus
We had the same problem in my son when he was 5. Started with a case of
Giardia also. First is recheck a giardia antigen test to make sure the
Giardia is gone. If so, probably a bacterial imbalance perhaps with
clostridia involved. We eliminated all dairy, and used low dose
tapering flagyl for 1 month to clear it.
Good luck. I remember how difficult it was My heart is with you
I'm not sure I can help, except that I know acidopholus is supposed to
make a difference. Have you tried giving these tablets in food? I also
know that certain foods hinder the immune system and make it hard to
fight this stuff off. I've heard it's good to elminate all sugary foods
and refined carbs, including, for at least a while, fruit and fruit
juice. in addition, you should avoid dairy and wheat, as well as
caffeine. you can find these recommendations online if you do a search.
my son has had diarrhea quite a lot, which I'm beginning to think has
been caused by a parasite or improper growth of bacteria. A very
restricted diet as above has made a huge difference, although we haven't
diagnosed the exact cause yet.
good luck
My kids always got diarhea from antibiotics when they were young and
then we started using a quality probiotics from the natural foods store.
The one we had best luck with was the Jarro-dophilus + FOS from JARROW
FORMULAS, inc.
Two years ago, my son got very sick with e-coli. We are not sure how or
where he was exposed but the rest of the family was fine so we suspect
is was NOT from undercooked meat.
It was pretty scary and he was in a great deal of pain and was admitted
to the ER where he received IV fluids. After he was re-hydrated we gave
him the Jarro-dophilus and he seemed to bounce back pretty well.
Looking back I realize that we were lucky because e-coli cannot be
treated with antibiotics. I wish I knew more about digestive issues but
it just makes sense to me that in order to keep it healthy, you have to
keep up with the ''good'' bacteria.
This is in a powder form and can be mixed with water.
It's tastless so the kids don't mind. It's probably a good idea do this
regularly just to keep the digestive tract healthy.
Good Luck!
sheila
After reading your post, I thought ''hey, I wonder if my 16 mos son has
had a parasite all this time they said it was food allergies.'' Sure
enough, he tested positive for giardia!
Since then, I've done a ton of research. Here's what I've found
out:
there's a very high recurrence rate. probably because something's wrong
with the gut. usually low gastric acid is the culprit. good bacteria
flora (as mentioned by others) also helps prevent infection. try giving
your kids papaya and pineapple enzymes to aid digestion. also try the
probiotics.
if they test positively for reinfection, consider using a combination of
probiotics and garlic tablets. there have been studies done that show
garlic is very, very effective (it's worked very well for us).
there are also some other home remedies out there: grapefruit seed
extract (this gave me a headache), oregano oil, sauerkraut or kimichi,
apples. it's also very common to have wheat and dairy intolerance for
quite a while after the paraiste infection, so keep away from these, eat
a low-fat low sugar diet. wheat germ and small amounts of yogurt are
very helpful if you can tolerate them (the above makes it difficult).
there is also a list of good foods to eat if parasites are the
issue:
kale, sweet potato, green beans. and of course, lots of fiber to help
pass the cysts through. by the way, the cysts are very hardy--can
survive chlorine for up to 4 hours. the best way to kill them is high
heat or alchohol (90%, not 70%, that has prolonged contact). you might
consider cleaning door handles, etc, in your house to prevent
reinfection.
almost over it!
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