# Weight loss, diarrhoea and Metronidazole



## Guest (May 14, 2009)

HelloI was diagnosed with IBS-D when I was 18 although I'd been having symptoms since I was 16. I found that greasy food and stress were my triggers; if I avoided these things then my bowels were generally happy. Since diagnosis I'd sometimes have diarrhoea but wouldn't be able to find a trigger, but I figured that most people sometimes just have diarrhoea from time to time. In terms of the frequency, I'd have diarrhoea a couple of times a week or sometimes just once a month. I was quite happy to live with this situation. My IBS had been far worse in the past and I felt that this was a happy balance. If the diarrhoea was going to cause a major inconvenience then I'd take a couple of Immodium and think nothing more of of it. I wish this was where the story stopped!Last summer I started to lose weight. I didn't own a pair of scales so I figured that since my trousers and tops were getting bigger, I ought to invest in a pair of scales and some new smaller trousers. In May 2008 I weighed 11 stone 3 lbs, this gave me a BMI of 25.3. Over the course of the summer I continued to lose weight until in January 2009 I weighed 8 stone 11 lbs, this gave me a BMI of 21.1. Since January my weight has increased slightly and I weigh about 9 stone now. Unfortunately this weight loss coincided with a worsening of symptoms. I'd have diarrhoea in the morning but generally be able to get to work on time. I sat very close to the toilets at work and my boss was incredibly understanding about me being a few minutes late to work if I was unable to leave the house to get to work on time. Around Christmas I thought about calling in sick to work a few times. However, I never felt ill enough to, mainly I was just tired and fed up with frequent trips to the toilet before I'd even thought about showering or eating breakfast.I went to see my GP in the autumn, mainly about the weight loss although it was only when my GP started to question me about my bowel habits and ask about the frequency of diarrhoea and the intensity of the pain that I realised I may have a problem. I was referred for a sigmoidoscopy and that came back normal; this was followed up with a referral to a gastroenterologist (or Bum Doctor as mine is more affectionately known as). In April I had a colonoscopy, gastroscopy and sent off some stool samples. The biopsies from the colonoscopy and gastroscopy came back normal. However, the stool samples showed that I was passing moderate amounts of fat. The Bum Doctor told me that fat in stools had three potential causes; poor pancreas function (mine is fine), coeliac disease (biopsies confirmed I don't have this) or bacterial overgrowth.A couple of weeks ago I was prescribed Metronidazole for the bacterial overgrowth. I was glad that an answer had been found to my symptoms. I was dreading being told "It's just IBS. Take Immodium". Unfortunately last Thursday (I'd been on the Metronidazole for 5 out of 7 days) I started to experience worsened diarrhoea which was no longer restricted to the morning. Currently I'm having about 7 bowel movements a day, none of them are formed although by the afternoon I'm usually feeling more human and there's less urgency to get to the toilet before a potential accident may occur.There are a couple of things that I'm thinking about... Would it be worth investigating probiotics? I'm also thinking about candida given that I've just finished a course of antibiotics. I'm not really too sure of what to do. In the week this has been going on, I've unsurprisingly started to lose weight again. I guess I'm writing this message because I'm looking for advice and support... Just to know that there are other people in the same boat as me.Any ideas and suggestions of how to move forward would be very much appreciated.Thanks Holty.


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## *Amz* (Apr 28, 2009)

Has your dr been worried about your weight loss? You seem to have lost alot especially if you havn't been trying! Have you been passing blood in your stools? I had constant diaherah for three weeks, right sided pain, fatigue, nausea, headache, fever, high temp and fast heart rate. I was sent to the hospital as an emergency because the dr though i had someting wrong with my appendix. When i got there the first dr i saw said that he thinks that its inflmation or an infection in my small intestine, as i was losing alot of weight even though i was eating normally.He then asked about my ibs. Which has always been the same, i have 1-3 normal bowel movements a day or every 3 days, i sometiems get constipated and go about twice a week but thats if ive been eating alot of bad foods. I noticed that wheat and dairy if i eat to much get me bloated and gassey, however alot of my friends find this too and they dont have ibs. He said that it wont be my ibs causing my diaerah and weight loss because since ive had the same bowel movements, regularlarity and frequency since i was a baby thats just how my body works and perhaps i have a slow digestive system rather than ibs, and that if i do have ibs it doesnt just change like that, i would of had diaerah before. I never have diaerah, even when im ill i usualy get sickness. I had a sigmoidoscopy too, showed nothing and because of this i was fine! I saw a diffrent dr that time though, who was horrible. I wsa then told i could leave after i gave a stool sample, it was more formed that usual but it wasnt normal for me, idnt have much form atal and i was told that was normal! Pfft. For the last year ive during and after intercourse, alot of the time, i get really bad pain, like deep inside. I have constant period cramps too. my periods have become heavier and darker. I started when i was 10, for the first two years i had problems but then they settled and have been the same ever since, ive never had a problem with them atal, and never really get cramps. I think my diarah could be connected to this. Do you have any of these symptoms atal?


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## Guest (May 14, 2009)

My doctor is concerned that I have lost weight although my weight has been fairly stable until this last week. A few people have asked me how I lost weight and it's not really socially acceptable to says "Diarrhoea... and lots of it" so instead I generally mumble about not having been well recently. It's made worse they then say "Haha! I wish I could get what you have". Really?!? Try it for a few hours and I'm sure they would change their mind swiftly.I've not passed any blood in my stools although I do pass lots of mucus. My periods haven't changed and I'm not sexually active right now. It sounds like you're having a hard time too, it's really difficult when you get a horrible doctor. Have you seen a gynaecologist about the changes to your periods? I am struggling to ride this out, but we are all in this together.Holty.


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## BQ (May 22, 2000)

Sure trying a probiotic may be a good thing to do at the moment.I sure hope it helps improve things for you and that you feel much better soon.BQ


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## Borrellifan (May 5, 2009)

This seems about par for the course with IBS-D. I'm a male who suffers from this and your situations sound exactly like mine (except for the period of course). I usually loose about 10-15 pounds over a few months time when my D acts up really bad. Im a rather skinny person so im sure it would be more weight if i was bigger. My GI originally prescribed me with two antibiotics (metronidazol and ciprofalaxin) to take over a course of 7 days. It worked immedietly (like within hours) to stop my severe D. Unfortunetly after a few monhts of semi-normal bowel movements the heavy D came back. The following antibiotic treatments stopped working as well as the first one and now they don't work at all. I have taken all sorts of probiotics over the past 2 years and none have helped much. The only things i have noticed any immediate reliefe from are Immodium and Marijuana. I have one more avenue to try before i have to give Lotronex a try (with all the side effects im none too hapy about doing).Its unfortunate that we all have to suffer through this without much help from our docs. I have been to some of the best GI docs in my state including Yale, New haven and they really are dumbfounded about what causes and how to cure this. Its absolutely bewildering to see the best Dr in your state and have them say "im sorry, your just going to have to take immodum and eat lots of fiber" well, no ###### doc, if immodium and fiber were the answer i wouldn't be in your office today!


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