# What is the exact definition of diarrhia ?



## hasenfuss (Dec 28, 2006)

I just heard on "the Doctor's" show that the average person has 4 diarrhia episodes a year. I think that I have about 4 watery stools a year just like the average person. I am just wondering what mushy stool is considered. Is this also considered diarrhia ? What about soft stool which comes out as many little pieces ? Seems like on this show they talked more about watery stool which I have rarely. When people talk about diarrhia does this mean always watery stools ?


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Most people include everything softer, looser or more frequent than normal.Usually people call loose stools diarrhea, I don't know why they made it sound like anything with solids of any kind was a normal stool.Diarrhea and constipaton have both a frequency description and a stool consistency description. Usually the two go hand in hand, but sometimes one is more noticable than the other.The official Bristol Scale counts everything from loose to watery as diarrhea. Soft but in one piece is in normal/ideal rangehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_Stool_ScaleThere isn't a different name for every variation of loose and mushy. I've never heard them designated as anything other than diarrhea, but maybe these doctors on this show have a different definition than everyone else or maybe they assumed people included loose in with watery. Most typically IBS diarrhea is loose to mushy. As is most diarrhea normal people get it they eat something really fatty or full of osmotics (like eating a bunch of peaches when you buy a basket of really nice ripe ones from the farmers market).Diarrhea from infections and some things like microscopic colitis tend to be watery rather than loose.I don't know anyone that calls loose stools constipation or normal.


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## hasenfuss (Dec 28, 2006)

Well, I have at least 2 mushy stools a week which is over 100 a year and about 4-5 watery stools a year. I was hoping that I am still considered normal but I guess with so many loose stools I am not in the normal range. I am taking 1 imodiom a week and the next day I usually don't have to go at all. The next stool is usually normal but than the mushy stool or the "small little pieces stool" starts again. I was hoping that with the Imodiom I could change the consistency of the stool but it usually just works one time. The looser the stool the more pain I have. Should I take more imodiom or does that constipate to much because even after one Imodiom I don't have to go for a whole day ?


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Imodium is a short term solution, it isn't very likely to fix you permanently. It'll slow things down for awhile but it comes out (many IBSers need it 2X a day or with every meal, but usually they have worse problems then just a bit mushy on the stool).Normalizing stool consistency may not make other symptoms go away, but some people do better with more normal stools.The problem is if you are jsut a little soft/mush/loose Imodium may be too strong. You could try Pepto Bismol (may make stools black which freaks some people out) or get the kids Imodium liquid and figure out if there is a dose that you can take daily to normalize the stools. A lot of IBSers use Imodium daily.You don't want to really constipated yourself with it as constipation can cause diarrhea to flush it out.


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## hasenfuss (Dec 28, 2006)

should I maybe try 1/2 Imodiom pill ?? Also, what is your experience with multi symptom Imodiom. I posted this question before but nobody responded.


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Ive never used it but some people like it.


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