# Frequent solid bowel movements- diarrhea?



## sufferin (Aug 12, 2009)

I suffer from 2 main problems- frequent bowel movements and urges, and frequent intestinal discomfort and noises.In the morning, I often have about 4, then after lunch, 1 or 2. Because I work in the evenings, I hardly eat dinner bc I'm unable to have bowel movements at public toilets, plus I develop a lot of noises in my intestinal and rectal area (I'm sure these 2 facts are related). I'm struggling to deal with these problems but one thing I'd really like to know is, given my bowel movements arealways solid and not liquidy, is it still IBS-diarrhea? Do any of you have this problem?


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## TanaG (Jul 11, 2009)

It sounds to me like a form of colitis. A lot of people suffering with colitis have normal BM's. On the other hand, having multiple BM's a day is absolutely normal. When I was very young, without having any kind of IBS or IBD I used to have up to 5 BM's a day, all of them normal. However given the fact that you experience abdominal discomfort it could be a case of colitis. Either way I would have it checked by a GI.


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

A lot of people with IBS have frequent normal BMs. This is not a specific symptom of colitis. If there isn't bloody stools I wouldn't immediately go to an Inflammatory Bowel Disease or acute colitis from an infection as the most likely cause.Really, IBS can be every single stool consistency, and frequent normal BM's is quite common in IBS if you have rectal hypersensitivity and either eat a diet or take medications that normalize the stool consistency. It is much easier to normalize stool consistency then drop the number of BM's a day from several to one or two.With rectal hypersensitivity the rectum reacts to being just a little bit full like it was very full. So you get the urge to go even with a small amount of normal stool rather than being able to store it up until the average person would need to go.Abdominal discomfort or pain is also a major symptom of IBS and does not in any way distinguish IBS from Colitis. They are both equally painful. Actually a lot of IBSers seem to have way more pain and discomfort than a lot of people with IBD and some people who have both find the IBS much harder to deal with pain wise.When ulcerative colitis (or you get a bout of colitis from an infection) flares up people usually get a lot of bloody diarrhea. They may have normal stools when medication gets the inflammation under control and the bleeding ulcers heal, but that doesn't make having normal consistency stools a diagnostic symptom that proves you have colitis. Some people with inflammatory bowel disease will continue to have symptoms of a functional GI disease once the lining of the intestines heals up, but that is thought to be an functional GI disease caused by the inflammation, not a specific symptom of colitis, and you can't tell the functional GI problems of someone with both IBS and IBD from someone with IBS alone.


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## Yaretzij (Mar 31, 2009)

I do have the same issue at a times, but it all depends on what I eat and how much.We are told to eat more fiber, but that gives me a lot more bowel movements a day. I take metamucil in a pill form to control both constipation and diarrhea and get the stools well formed. All this GI is like a mistery, doctors don't know for sure.


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## TanaG (Jul 11, 2009)

sorry... I was trying to pass on false info. I thought he wasn't on any medication and that is something I read about colitis. Anyway, if he hasn't seen a doctor before, it is probably good to see one now


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Sorry if I got a little excited. Seeing the doc isn't a bad idea for anyone.I do worry sometimes about our more anxious readers as some of them are just looking for any reason to turn something that is fairly mild (even if annoying) and common symptom of IBS into proof they have something serious or deadly.


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## sufferin (Aug 12, 2009)

I have gone to doctors and had tests like Upper GI and barium enemas done before but nothing has been determined to be the problem.I've been prescribed medicine, and Metamucil, and I'm now taking psyllium.The psyllium works in that I have easier bowel movements but my problem is I don't want easier movements, I want LESS.I always get aggravated after I eat, and for some strange reason especially when I drink water.My problem might seem to be something with poor digestion and I'm drinking a lot of yogurt probiotics to strengthen the bacteria inmy stomach and intestines.But yeah, having frequent bowel movements is no fun, especially when my stomach is becoming more sensitive, now any littlefeeling in my stomach or intestines makes me feel to head for the bathroom. When I go out or am at work, I'm always worried that by not going to the bathroom or having a movement, I'm making it worse for myself.


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## TanaG (Jul 11, 2009)

sufferin - have you tried to boil the water you drink first then cool it in the fridge? or try just drinking tea. you can make yourself really nice tea with no sugar or anything else. it is better than water anytime. it did make a difference for me years ago. plus...the black tea works as coffee but without the irritating effect and it is even constipating for some people (including myself).


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