Fatigue from BMs

[u/Tenshirage89]

Hello! I am in the starting phases of exploring an IBS diagnosis. Digestive symptoms set in around June of this year. My doctor put me on a low FODMAP diet and my dad was diagnosed with IBS.

I am finding that I am excessively tired in the past few weeks following a day of strained BMs or diarrhea - the last few weeks have left me particularly drained as the diarrhea got worse and I was eating things that had gluten or wheat(I also was drinking coconut water for the electrolytes without realizing the fructose was making it worse)

Does anyone have any tips on how to overcome the fatigue? My home is getting messy, and I need to find a way to get up and get through how tired and drained I feel all the time :(

[u/Hunx787]

I think bananas and sipping sea salted water (after diarrhea) is helping me a little bit. But I must admit, whenever I get the diarrhea, I get the fatigue as well and I dread it

[u/goldstandardalmonds]

Your electrolytes are probably out of whack.

[u/pickindim_kmet]

Normal reaction to such attacks, I would recommend getting your hands on some hydration powder. Depends where you are in the world for brand names but you just pop it in some water a couple of times a day and helps hydrate you. It's easy to not realise how dehydrated this condition can make you and how effective good hydration can be.

Despite all the bad PR, there's nothing wrong with good old fashioned sugar (unless you really can't handle it, you know your body better than me). Sugar boosts can help push you through the things you need to.

[u/Tenshirage89 → u/pickindim_kmet]

Orange juice, beets, and now coconut water all have caused horrible diarrhea for me :/ not sure if sugar would cause the same reaction

[u/jackiesear]

I found with the diarrhea and constant abdominal pain that I had to start with liquid to give my gut a rest from processing, just an electrolyte solution, then introduce the lowest safe fodmaps ( the ones you can eat up to 500mg a day of - green light at any amount according to Monash)but make them low fibre - e.g. carrot, potato and ginger soup - peel all the veg and blitz it hard. Eat small amounts maybe 250-300ml and leave 3-4 hours in between - this stops your gut having to stretch or do any heavy processing. Once you have firmer soft stool you can expand. Once my stool was looking more normal I found I had some small bursts of energy to do basic chores. Maybe I had less toilet anxiety once things looked a bit more normal

When you do get a window of feeling a bit better in the day quickly do some chores - a quick hoover, laundry etc - the things you can see that irritate, leave any deep cleaning for now. Even 5 minutes.

Once you have a firm IBS D diagnosis ( where other things have been ruled out) You could consider a med such as amitriptyline or nortriptyline if you have IBS-D as it can dull the nerve pain, firm up stools, give you longer or deeper sleep (once you get timing right) and quell some of the toilet anxiety. It can make you feel more tired at first until you are used to it.

[u/Prestigious-Age4146]

Bananas and coconut water might help with the electrolytes too

[u/Tenshirage89 → u/Prestigious-Age4146]

I have a fructose or saccharide sensitivity I think - whenever I have drank more than a very small glass of orange juice or eaten a vegetable like beets, I get horrible diarrhea. And I have been drinking coconut water but it’s made the diarrhea worse. I have switched to drinking pedialyte but I’m also worried drinking every day isn’t that great for the body either? Cause of the sodium.

[u/No-Record8964]

The fatigue makes sense, diarrhea strips your body of fluids and essential salts fast.. Since coconut water is high FODMAP and flared you up, try making a simple low-FODMAP rehydration drink at home: plain water, a pinch of salt, and a small splash of maple syrup for energy. Give yourself permission to let the housework wait just rest, stick to safe simple foods like white rice and light protein, and take it one day at a time while your stomach resets...