# salts and electrolites back after having diarrhea?



## Yaretzij (Mar 31, 2009)

Like if I had not enough to worry about my weight issue, my sister in law, who is a pediatrician, came yesterday to tell me I have to stop the diaarrhea. She said one day I will losse all my electrolites and salt and just collapse.I couldn't sleep all night thinking about her bad prediction. Today with more optimism, I think I should make sure I replace them instead of freaking out.I am trying to stop the diarrhea with the metamucil, but it is very slow.How do you get your electrolites and salts back when you get diarrhea?Thank you!


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

IBS diarrhea is usually not severe enough to deplete anyone.It isn't like cholera diarrhea and even people with microscopic colitis that have it much worse than most IBSers don't end up in the ER every other day needing an IV.Besides everyone loses and replaces electrolytes every single day. All food is full of electrolytes from the potassium in bananas to the salt you might add to anything you cook.If you are really really paranoid you can buy Pedialyte from the store and drink that, or some Gatorade if you tolerate it. You can even find recipes on line to make your own.http://miclason.savingadvice.com/2006/02/2...tes-fluid_5681/ is the simplest one you can find others.Even more paranoid, take a multi-vitamin.Yes, if you have watery diarrhea every 20-60 minutes for days on end you will eventually end up needing an IV unless you are very careful about what you injest, but that is NOT the kind of diarrhea most people with IBS have (and probably not what your sister was thinking when you said diarrhea every day). 2-5 loose stools a day is not the same as the type of diarrhea that is big danger.Even with copious watery diarrhea 30 or more times a day you can get enough electrolytes in by mouth as long as you start with the pedialyte after the first gallon or so of water you drink as long as you are still eating food. If you are not able to keep food down (because a lot of time with diarrhea that bad people are vomiting) then just do all pedialyte.People with IBS have loose stools several times a day every day for decades without ever running out of electrolytes, because they are in every piece of food you eat.Unless you are specific a lot of people will assume watery diarrhea rather than loose stools when you use the word diarrhea. That all being said. Severe watery diarrhea is a danger, especially to INFANTS who don't have much reserves. Usually for adult even with severe diarrhea from an acute illness most doctors who treat ADULTS rather than kids will tell you to just keep pooping and drink pedialyte (because stopping up the diarrhea in an adult with an acute illness can make you sicker for longer than just letting the body flush the virus or bacteria out). With an infant you may need to stop up the diarrhea quickly because they don't have much to lose.Pediatricians have next to no training in dealing with IBS or other functional GI illnesses that effect adults, so I wouldn't get too paranoid because she inferred you'd be dead in a day or two. Like I said, what is an emergency in an infant or small child is often not a big problem for adults. The body is different, and if IBS diarrhea for more than a few days killed adults we'd all be dead.


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## overitnow (Nov 25, 2001)

Just to echo K, I had it every day for 10 years and never collapsed. Lose the diarrhea, definitely; but I wouldn't worry about nutritional/electrolyte issues. (I even gained weight while I had it.)Mark


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## Yaretzij (Mar 31, 2009)

Thank you so much for your response!. I am a little out emotionally because I just keep dropping pounds. I know weight loss is not a sign of IBS, so I am really worried about it. I didn't have enough calories yesterday because I wasn't hungry but ate some stuff and yet lost 2 pounds. I have my period, so I am not sure if that interferes with it too. I think the period usually makes you gain not lose.I have an appointment next thursday with a gastro, but they don't seem to want to do a colonospy because theone I had in 2004 was normal.Someone told me in Atlanta there is a clinic where you go and for 2 days they look at you and as a team they come up with a diagnostic. Has anyone heard about that?. I don't even know the name.


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

You tend to hold on to some extra water just before the period then you pee it all out. So the gain tends to be just before or the first day and you lose it during the period. At least for me.If you aren't eating enough calories then your weight loss is expected and normal.If you are eating way more than you need and lose weight that is when there is something abnormal going on.You might want to weight yourself once a week. You get caught up in the fairly normal change in weight anyone can have from day to day/hour to hour. Less weighing when you are obsessing about it is better.


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## Yaretzij (Mar 31, 2009)

Even for just one day?. I just didn't eat enough calories just yesterday. The rest of the week I was on top of it and bam!, 2 pounds off today. I did walked yesterday like 20 minutes, but I never imagined I could lose weight like that. I didn't have this issues in the past, this is what is shocking to me. I had a hard time lossing weight, wlthough I ate a lot more than I do now and more. But by then I didn't have the IBS either.


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## BQ (May 22, 2000)

Please.. do yourself a favor... stay off the scale. And just try to expand your diet. BQ


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Everyone's weight can go up and down by a couple of pounds several times times a week, even several times a day depending on how hydrated they are or how much salt they ate or didn't eat.Stop weighing yourself all the time. Freaking yourself out by being on the scale all the time isn't going to help you.


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## Yaretzij (Mar 31, 2009)

ok, I will stop the visit to the scale until next week. I do weigh my self only once a day upon waking up not all day long. I am not that crazy yet Thanks Everyone!


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## toilet radar (Nov 19, 2009)

What wonderful words of wisdom from Kathleen. Too much stress is caused by unthinking words from medical professionals. They should think before they speak.


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## MrBumwe (Oct 26, 2009)

Absolutely agree, i have a nurse in my family who talks like i poo.


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## alabama231 (Feb 2, 2009)

As for the period thing, I too dont feel hungry for the first few days of my period and I eat very little those days, so to me that is not necessaryily something to worry about just yet! Good luck with your gastro appointment, I hope you get the answers you are looking for!


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## lucozadeorange (Nov 24, 2009)

i will normally take one of the packets of powder that comes with the loperamide and mix it up with a dilute blackcurrent drink (as it takes putrid!) only if i have real bad D


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