# Gluten free diet and diarrhea



## nrep (Jun 19, 2007)

I've suffered from IBS for 10+ years. I have a lot cramping, pain, soft stool, gas, and bloating. Last week I started on a gluten-free diet and feel a lot better already. I don't have the pain and cramping that was so awful and kept me on the toilet all day. However, I have woken up each morning with diarrhea. It is a diarrhea I've never had before as it doesn't come with any pain or cramping. I have my morning bowel movement (diarrhea) and then pop a pepto bismal pill and I'm fine for the day.I'm wondering why I'm having the diarrhea, and if there is something I can do to change it.I'm wondering if this is an adjustment period I have to go through and that at some point I will have formed stool, or if it is something I'm ingesting that is causing the diarrhea. I don't want to stop the gluten free diet as of yet becuase I am feeling relief from the pain and cramping and am very thankful for it.Any ideas?


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

A couple of thoughts. You may be getting less fiber and that can help give stools more form, so you might do a check to see if that is different.You might check any gluten free processed foods (baked goods, cereals, etc) that you are eating and see if they use apple or pear concentrate as a natural sweetener. Apples, pears, peaches, plums and cherries all have sorbitol in them naturally as well as generally a high fructose to sucrose ratio. Sorbitol can increase diarrhea (it is an osmotic laxative) in some people and a lot of processed foods in the "health food" type of thing use apple or pear concentrate for a sweetener as some people looking for healthier food prefer that to table sugar (sucrose).


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