# how can constipation turn to diarrhea?



## Kellie2003 (Nov 4, 2003)

I dont understand how after being constipated for several days, it can turn into diarrhea. It happens to me and many others i have read. But i thort when someone gets constipated, the stool is stuck and is often dry and hard. so how can it just turn into diarrhea w/o harder stool coming out first? does anyone know the reason for this?p.s i know i get constipated cos i often strain and i can feel stool that doesnt come out!


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## mangoneinsanefromibs (Jan 26, 2004)

Not sure, but it happens to me quit often. If I am constipated, it always turns into diarhea by the end. what are you complaining about? To me it is great relief!!!


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## Kellie2003 (Nov 4, 2003)

B/c the pain and cramping accompanied with the diarrhea is the WORSSSSTTTT ever!!!!







Although it does feel good after its all out...well when all the pain and cramping has stopped.


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## mangoneinsanefromibs (Jan 26, 2004)

I usually do get constipareaha all the time.. I know the cramping feeling. Its like you feel like you have diarhea, but you can't do anything about it till its ready to come out. I don't understand it either. but man it sure is a relief when its out! Usually after going through that, I can acctually live a somewhat normal life for a day!


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## Kellie2003 (Nov 4, 2003)

"Usually after going through that, I can acctually live a somewhat normal life for a day!"Yes me too.....until it all starts building up again and the cycle continues!!!!!! I cant be around anyone when the cramping starts! its a nightmare


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## bonniei (Jan 25, 2001)

I am alternating C/D. i am also fructose intolerant. Whiich means if I have fructose I get D. It soo happens if I avoid fructose i get C. So for me the cure for C is to have fructose.


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## mangoneinsanefromibs (Jan 26, 2004)

I know the feeling. Friends all downstairs, partying, getting drunk, being loud, I'm upstairs with gas and cramping, miserable, and in an anti-social mood, laying on my bed, holding my stomach. I am alternating as well. My bm's are never of normal consistancy. Usually after a struggle to make a bm, then comes the diarreah. And those occasional constipation runs suck. Going to work, with my back hurting from the pain, feeling like I'm 3 times bigger than I acctually am. Not too much fun.


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## Elariel (Jan 1, 1999)

uh.. i imagine that it *is* stuck, and well, the stuff behind has to come out somehow and just ends up going around.. maybe this is the body's way of getting *everything* out after a bad bout of C..


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

There is a phenomenon called "paradoxical diarrhea" where after several days of constipation the colon seems to use some very loose stools to "flush" out the stuck constipated ones.While most of the descriptions of this talk about kids who hold stools for too long, or people that get impactions as adults because they can't really go well for various disabilities, I think that we see this enough in IBSers to think that maybe a milder form of this sort of phenomenon may be at work. I think with the full blown "paradoxical diarrhea" the impaction is bad enough that it can't come out on it's own, so the diarrhea talked about there is more of a chronic issue (needs medical intervention to unimpact) but it seems the body does have mechanism for trying to get stuck stools out by using unformed stools (and for the most part the stool entering the colon is usually quite liquid once the small intestine is done with it). So I think this may be what is going on with some of the "alternaters" who do the several days of no stools followed by diarrhea.K.


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## Kellie2003 (Nov 4, 2003)

kmottus, if paradoxical diarrhea is the problem, do you think if the hard stool is removed (manually, or by suppositories etc.) then the diarrhea will improve and more normal BMs are possible? For me however, after i have had D it feels like nothing is left to come out....i cant feel anymore stool and dont have the feeling of incomplete evacuation. Any thoughts?


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## nmwinter (May 31, 2001)

I've had alternating C/D constipation for years. and I know exactly what you mean by those few days of constipation being a relief. But I've found that it's a false relief. the thing you need to do is find a way to not get constipated in the first place. I found fiber helped quite a bit as did calcium/magnesium in the right ratio. Its takes a while to get there and it's got to be done regularly, not just when there is a problem.Now I am luckier though. After having done hypnosis, I have far fewer episodes of IBS than before. And even if I do, I go back to being regular much more quickly than in the past. If anything, I find myself a little more C than before but more often it gets cured with fiber and/or time rather than D - because as was pointed out, that can be the way the body "cures" C for some of us (it sure was for me).nancy


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## MyTummyHurts (Feb 2, 2004)

This is kind of what prompted my "diagnosis" (still haven't been to the GI yet-mid March can't come soon enough!).Anyway I told my doc that I won't go for a week or two and then when I do it's diarrhea.She told me the colon gets "lazy" and either doesn't act or over-acts. Seemed logical to me when she explained it. Dunno, just another perspective for everyone.


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## nmwinter (May 31, 2001)

I also found that I would ignore signals that I needed to go or think I could hold it for a bit. I try to do that less now and even will sit on the toilet and be patient.oh, and it was exactly because of this pattern that I was diagnosed with IBS about 20 years ago. I had very few tests done at the time but this was the big pointer to IBS for my doctor.


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## LaVidaCrapa (Sep 16, 1999)

It sounds silly, but I almost enjoy the rare days when I'm constipated. It's a nice break from the daily D.It's so strange not to have to go for an entire day, when you're used to going 8 times or more.Now, I'm trying DA-IBS, and I'm down to about 3 times a day - almost like a normal person. I'd be interested to hear if DA-IBS helps C types or alternating C/D types.


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