Alternating Constipation and Diarrhea

Hi Rosie,

If I understand you correctly, you are saying that you have a cycling digestive issue that manifests as diarrhea then becomes constipation and then returns to diarrhea and back to constipation in a repetitive cycle. This may be a form of IBS, called IBS-M?

If that is correct, you may find the following article of interest :

https://cdhf.ca/en/living-positively-with-ibs-m/#:~:text=IBS-M (the M stands, may suffer from IBS-M.

Here is a relevant quote from the article :

' IBS-M (the M stands for ‘mixed') is a subtype when a person with IBS suffers from alternating diarrhea and constipation. Nearly everyone has suffered from diarrhea or constipation at one point or another, however, if these are constant, recurring problems, you may suffer from IBS-M. Especially, if these problems are paired with other symptoms, such as bloating, cramping and abdominal pain. '

' People who suffer from IBS-M can switch from constipation to diarrhea, often very quickly, and tend to suffer more stomach pain than someone who suffers from IBS-D (diarrhea) or IBS-C (constipation).'

The deep orange stool color you describe is often seen in IBS as discussed here :

https://www.verywellhealth.com/stool-color-changes-1945293#:~:text=Orange stools may be due, of bile due to IBS.

Here is a relevant quote from the article link above :

' Different changes in stool color may appear as follows:

Green stools are usually of no concern and can be the result of foods in your diet or food coloring. It may also be caused by bile if you are having green diarrhea and your intestines don't have time to break it down.1
Canadian Society of Intestinal Research. Answers to 7 FAQs about poop.
Yellow stools may be a sign of excess fat in stools due to celiac disease or problems with your pancreas. It can also be due to a parasitic infection called giardiasis.1
Orange stools may be due to medications or diet, but may also be caused by a lack of bile or the malabsorption of bile due to IBS.12
Clay-colored or pale stools may be a sign of problems with the liver, pancreas, gallbladder, or the duct that secretes bile.3
Bright red stools may be a sign of hemorrhoidsanal fissures, or bleeding in the lower intestinal tract.4
Dark red or black stools (melena) may be a sign of upper intestinal tract bleeding. Black stools may also be caused by certain foods, such as black licorice and blueberries, medications containing bismuth (e.g. Pepto-Bismol), activated charcoal, and iron supplements.5 '
So this is information that describes the same symptoms you mentioned and suggests that you may have IBS-M, which is new to me. You didn't explain why you have not been able to get a doctor, but this gives a doctor a quick starting point for diagnosis, once you are able to get one.

I don't want to make a recommendation since you have no actual diagnosis and the fact that, if it is IBS-M, I have had no experience with it. With IBS-C and IBS-D, melatonin would normally be worth considering as a modest and relatively safe starting point for potential remedies, but I don't know if that would be a consideration for IBS-M also. Melatonin can help improve gut dysbiosis that is normally seen in IBS and its anti inflammatory effects and potent antioxidant effects can help quell many symptoms of IBS.

Here is a 2023 link discussing the use of melatonin in IBS patients :

https://bmcgastroenterol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12876-023-02760-0

Here is a relevant quote from the study :

' Results In both groups of patients with and without sleep disorders, a significant improvement was observed in IBS score and GI symptoms, including the severity and the frequency of abdominal pain, the severity of abdominal bloating, satisfaction with bowel habits, disease's impact on patient's life, and stool consistency; however, there was no significant improvement in the frequency of defecations per week. In patients with sleep disorders, significant improvement in sleep parameters, including subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration, sleep efficiency, and daytime dysfunction, was observed, while in patients without sleep disorders, there was no significant improvement in sleep parameters. In addition, quality-of-life improvement was observed in a significant number of melatonin recipients compared to placebo in both groups of patients. '

There are quite a few other supplements such as vitamin D, saffron, taurine, L-theanine etc. that have shown significant benefit for IBS, but I don't want to suggest them as you do not have an actual diagnosis yet and I do not know if they would have similar effects for IBS-M, if that is what you actually have. On myself, I wouldn't mind experimenting as most of the supplements have very good safety profiles, but I do not want to experiment on you.

Art

Rosie, sounds like you may be losing a lot of B vitamins, esp. B2 and B12 (they will color the stool). How long did you fast?

If I were in your shoes, I would first do Equalactin, to balance water in the gut. Then aloe gel and slippery elm to heal the gut lining. If that is not enough, I would try chlorine dioxide... Best of luck!

A pediatrician mentioned that the antibiotic, erythromycin, can help constipation.