This is a touchy subject but is there any way to stop the diarrhea during this liquid phase. I have to go back to work tomorrow and I'm dreading it. Everytime I put something in, it comes back out. It's not just once or twice a day. It's ALL DAY LONG!! I have taken the maximum amount of Immodium allowed for a 24 hour period and it does nothing.

I'm only on Day 5. I don't know if I can go another 9!

Any suggestions???

Oh, I remember that BLAST FROM THE PAST stage ! I am almost 1 month out and I had the same issue. It only lasted about 3 days for me then cleared up because my nutritionist suggested I may have become lactose intolerant . I switched from 1% milk to the lactose free milk for my shakes and the next day, I began to feel less bloated and took fewer trips to the powder room ! I am back on reg. milk now; it was just temporary . Keep up with the immodium , drink lots of water and maybe try eliminating lactose for a bit. Just a thought. Good luck !

Yeah...I recall this phase....uh...yeah. I could do a dash from the couch to the potty in nanoseconds. I believe I called it a clench butt scoot because it was BAAAAAAAD. I ran so much liquid through me it was actually black for a while. Don't think seeing tar in the toidy isn't enough to scare the ever living you know what outta me....

It will pass...however, it probably won't pass until you get on to thicker liquids. Sorry! Just plan your path to the potty at work and plan when you are going to have your liquids.

This too shall....er....uh.....pass?

Hey..good news is you are probably nicely losing weight! Does that help? No, probably not......

Hang in there happy bandster!

This is my first week since surgery and I to am going through this run to the bathroom phase! I am starting on some Carbo conscious protein drink today, very slowly in hopes the diarehha problem starts to let up. I have had some problems keeping the liquids down and constipation the first 4 days, now I am at the phase you are at. I was told it's kind of a cleansing, you bet! I've lost a lot of weight, but I don't want to continue this process. I have gotten some medication for nausea which has helped. Hopefully you are able to keep your electrolites in tact. Call the doctor and ask if this continues on.

So sorry, my sympathies are with you.

Vickie

HI, I have not had surgery yet, but I have had boughts of diareahha in the past. Make sure you are drinking your water. You may want to try driking something with electrolyes like propel or pedialyte so that you can aviod dehydration.

Feel better,

Outdoorgrl

Don't max out the Immodium, it won't do much good. You have diarrhea because your body can't make solids out of Water.

Immodium (Loperamide) has a slight paralysis effect on your intestinal muscles... it doesn't treat the cause of the diarrhea, it just stops your body from being able to get rid of it. When your diarrhea is temporary the other waste products mesh up and the liquids can be absorbed, or -- well -- at least stored up until no amount of Immodium can keep back the flood. Overdoing the Loperamide can cause constipation when things return to normal, which should begin once you start ingesting things with some substance and nutrients.

I had diarrhea too, really bad, the first week. I recommend having a couple of ounces of yogurt, a couple of times a day. Only smooth yogurt, no chunks of ground up fruit in it. Like vanilla, plain, or Dannon coffee yogurt. Take very small spoonfuls. I found this helped with the weakness I was feeling, too. Good luck!

Jigglypuff

Well, I'm happy to report that I've only had one bout of it today. And thankfully, it was after work.

Thank you so much for the advice. I didn't know that about Immodium but it's great to know--more is not better.

Last night, I made the Portugese soup that is posted online here and I liquified it so it was almost water. It isn't the BEST tasting thing but it's better than plain broth and stuff. It actually takes my hunger pain away.

I also have some plain vanilla yogurt here that I'll mix with flavored water and see if that helps.

Great advice. I knew I could count on my "Band family" to get me over this hurdle.

Barb

I'm glad I found this. I'm on lowfat low cal liquids this week before I get the band and am now having the runs 5 days in (I;ve had them for a few days actually.) I was wondering if it was normal.

Well first of all, you're getting your band placed on my daughter's b-day!! Woohooo what a great day.

I am not 12 days out from my band. The only thing that helped my diarrhea was to come off Clear Liquids early. I made the Portugese soup recipe (really runny) and I think that really helped turn me around. I also take some instant sugar free pudding and mix it with Lactaid milk (I also stopped regular milk and went to Lactaid) and that was really yummy. I made it super runny so it was drinkable. I also started eating cream Soups. I drink lots of Water though. And Gatorade.

I would definitely follow your doctor's orders though. I know that I was really taking a chance going to cream soups before my two weeks were up but I couldn't even be at work with the diarrhea. It was so terrible.

Good luck with your band! Remember, it really is true that each day gets better and better.

Congratulations on your upcoming band. We wish you the very best. My "runs" came after surgery, but I didn't have any preop diet per say. Keep this thread out there and someone has the answer. Ask your doctor if this is common in the preop diet phase. Get yourself lots of pillows, even a neck pillow was helpful, the kind you put around your neck. Mine even vibrated. Lemonade Gatorade was wonderful (and I am not a Gatorade person). Make sure you order your pain prescription ahead of time. I had a bad reaction to my first pain medication, got it changed and did so much better. Heating pad, a must. Walk, walk, walk, but carefully.

And a new life begins!

Vickie

In my support group, someone told me......

"liquid in, liquid out"

But you could try adding some chewable Fiber to your diet, like the chewable Benefiber - that's helped me a bit. It doesn't stop the runs, but does make them more usual or thicker.

It's funny, we're always told to add fiber to our diet if we're constipated - turns out we also need to add fiber to our diet if we've got diarrhea, which I had chronically before surgery (until my GI doctor told me to add fiber to my diet).

Hope this helps!!!

OMG, I'm glad I found this post here. Well, I'm 4 days out and hadn't "gone", well I just had a nap as I was so weak today and when I woke up, "BANG". I don't know which is worse! Glad everything is starting to work, but really!!