Bowel movement changes can have various causes, ranging in severity from 'worrying' to 'generally fatal'. Finding the true cause means ruling out or confirming each possibility – in other words, diagnosis.
Diagnosis is usually a complex process due to the sheer number of possible causes and related symptoms. In order to diagnose bowel movement changes, we could:
Cause | Probability | Status |
---|---|---|
Aspartame/Neotame Side-Effects | 91% | Confirm |
Diverticular Disease | 24% | Unlikely |
Fecal Impaction | 19% | Unlikely |
Candida / Yeast | 3% | Ruled out |
Poor Small Intestine Health | 1% | Ruled out |
Increased Intestinal Permeability | 0% | Ruled out |
Stress | 0% | Ruled out |
Colon Cancer | 0% | Ruled out |
Do you suffer from significant variation in bowel movements? This would include alternating constipation and diarrhea, or changes in pattern.
Possible responses:
→ Don't know→ No / just the occasional diarrhea or constipation → Yes, it changes several times a year → Yes, it changes several times a month → Yes, it is always changing, daily or almost daily |
In general, you should see a specialist if you are over 40 and have the following symptoms:
In a study funded by Dr. Atkins himself, 70% of the people that could stick with the diet lost the ability to have a normal bowel movement. The May 2004 Annals of Internal Medicine study showed that most of the Atkins Dieters had significantly more diarrhea, general weakness, rashes and muscle cramps.
Chronic constipation followed by watery diarrhea that suddenly leaks out is a sign of fecal impaction.
IBS causes variations in the amount of time that stool remains in the intestines, thus changing its water content and giving it a consistency ranging from loose and watery to hard and dry. About 20% of patients with IBS experience alternating periods of diarrhea and constipation.