What to use for a diabetic Patient that has Diarrhea

What causes people with diabetes to get diarrhea?

The real cause for the connection between diabetes and diarrhea is not clear, but from the result we have here on a research suggests that neuropathy (which is a problem with the peripheral nerves)or (Neuropathy refers to numbness or pain resulting from nerve damage.) may be a factor. If you have diabetes, high blood sugar levels can damage your nerve fibers. This generally occurs in the hands or feet. Issues with neuropathy are common causes for many of the complications that accompany diabetes in human. 

Another possible cause is sorbitol (Sorbitol is a type of carbohydrate called a sugar alcohol, or polyol. Sorbitol contains about one-third fewer calories than sugar and is 60 percent as sweet.  Sorbitol is also commercially produced and is the most commonly used polyol in the U.S.). People often use this sweetener in diabetic foods. Sorbitol has proven to be a potent laxative in amounts as small as 10 grams.

So an imbalance in your enteric nervous system (ENS) can also cause diarrhea. Your ENS regulates the functions of your gastrointestinal system.

Researchers have also looked at the following possibilities:

• bacterial overgrowth
• pancreatic exocrine insufficiency
• fecal incontinence resulting from anorectal dysfunction
• Celiac disease
• an inadequate breakdown of sugars in the small intestine
• pancreatic insufficiency

People with diabetes can also have the same triggers for diarrhea as people without diabetes. These triggers can include:

• coffee
• alcohol
• dairy
• fructose
• too much fiber

 People with diabetes may, of course, develop diarrhea for a variety of reasons, just like anyone else. Diarrhea is a symptom of many diseases such as viral or bacterial infections, celiac disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and Crohn's disease. It is a side effect of some medications, such as metformin (Metformin is an oral diabetes medicine that helps control blood sugar levels), and some sugar-free sweeteners can cause diarrhea in some people.

However, diarrhea can also be a symptom of a type of autonomic neuropathy. This is what is known as diabetic diarrhea. Although this condition is not uncommon, the diagnosis is usually made only after a detailed history and diagnostic tests reveal no other cause for the diarrhea

.

Unlike the more widely known peripheral sensory neuropathy, which affects the hands and feet, autonomic neuropathy damages the nerves that control involuntary activities of the body. More commonly known types of autonomic neuropathy include erectile dysfunction and orthostatic (or postural) hypotension, the feeling of light-headedness or dizziness you get from standing after lying or sitting down.

Diabetic diarrhea occurs usually at night, is watery and painless, and can be associated with fecal incontinence. Bouts of diarrhea can be episodic, along with intermittently normal bowel habits or even alternating with periods of constipation.

The treatment for diabetic diarrhea is individualized, but it generally starts with antidiarrheal agents such as Lomotil (a combination of diphenoxylate and atropine) or Imodium. High-fiber foods or bulk-forming laxatives such as Metamucil may help decrease the symptoms. As with all neuropathies, good glucose control is important in controlling the symptoms.

If bacterial overgrowth in the intestines is said to be present, antibiotics may be ordered. Medications like clonidine or octreotide, which have other primary uses but have been shown to help diarrhea, can be used in more advanced cases that do not respond to other treatments.