Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCausesIs Diarrhea a Symptom of Diabetes?TreatmentWhen to See Your Healthcare ProviderPrevention
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Causes
Is Diarrhea a Symptom of Diabetes?
Treatment
When to See Your Healthcare Provider
Prevention
Diarrheais common among people living with diabetes, with about 75% of them reporting some type of gastrointestinal (digestive) symptoms.Chronic diarrhea, often seeming worse at night, may occur. Diabetic diarrhea is also associated with fecal incontinence.
Causes of diarrhea with diabetes can include diet or medications likemetformin, used to treat type 2 diabetes. Diarrhea is more likely among people taking insulin for type 1 diabetes, older people, and those also diagnosed withceliac disease.
This article explains why diarrhea can occur when living with diabetes. It discusses causes and risk factors for diarrhea, how it is diagnosed and treated, and when it’s important to see a healthcare provider.
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What Is Diarrhea?
Diarrhea is defined as having loose or watery bowel movements that occur three or more times per day. There are many possible causes but if the diarrhea lasts for more than two days, it may be related to a more serious problem than a passing stomach bug or foodborne illness.
Chronic diarrhea is defined as lasting four or more weeks. A number of causes and conditions can lead to chronic diarrhea, including:
Endocrine disorders, including hyperthyroidism (an overactivethyroid) and diabetes, are common causes of gastrointestinal symptoms like diarrhea.
An Overview of Endocrine Issues and Autoimmune Diseases
Diarrhea has been identified as a symptom of diabetes since the 1930s, but healthcare providers still aren’t sure why diabetic diarrhea is so common.It seems there are multiple factors at play, including:
Some or all of those might be affecting you if you have diabetes and experience chronic diarrhea.
Nerve Damage
Diabetes can cause neuropathy—or nerve damage. Most often,diabetic neuropathyis associated with a loss of feeling in the feet or legs. However, diabetic neuropathy can also cause a loss of sensation in the nerves that affect the internal organs. This is known as autonomic neuropathy.
Autonomic neuropathy is damage to the nerves that control the involuntary functions in the body, including in the intestines. Theenteric nervous system(ENS) controls the digestive tract. Diabetes can damage the ENS, increasing the risk for gastrointestinal issues, including diarrhea.
When neuropathy occurs in the small intestine it can lead to diabetic diarrhea. If you have neuropathy in the sphincter muscles that control the bowel, you might experience incontinence in addition to diarrhea.
Neuropathy is closely linked with high blood sugar levels. If you have diabetes, it’s critical to keep your blood sugar levels well controlled to avoid developing or worsening neuropathy.Be sure to communicate with your healthcare provider about any new symptoms so that the practitioner can help you control your sugars more effectively.
What Is Diabetic Neuropathy?
Diet and Diarrhea
Certain foodscan cause diarrhea, even in individuals without diabetes. If you have diabetic diarrhea you might choose to avoid these foods, including:
Diet-related health conditions also may contribute to diarrhea. About 6% of people with type 1 diabetes also haveceliac disease.That’s about six times higher than the rate in the general population. If you have celiac disease your body cannot tolerate gluten. Eating it can cause your body to attack the lining of the small intestine, leading to diarrhea.
If you have a diagnosis of type 1 diabetes, it’s recommended that you also be screened for celiac disease.
5 Best Sweeteners for People With Diabetes
Side Effects of Medication
Diarrhea is a side effect of many medications, includingantibioticsand antidepressants.
Many people with type 2 diabetes use the medication metformin to help control their blood sugar. Diarrhea is a common side effect when a person first begins taking metformin. Occasionally, people will experience chronic diarrhea after they’ve been on the medication for a long time, even years.
If you are taking metformin to treat type 2 diabetes and experience chronic diarrhea, talk to your healthcare provider about whether there are other options available to help control your blood sugar.
Oral and Injectable Medications for Type 2 Diabetes
Treatments and Management of Diarrhea
Your healthcare provider should be able to prescribe a treatment plan to control the symptoms of your diabetic diarrhea. This might include:
If your diarrhea is associated with ENS damage, treatment withserotoninreceptor antagonists may help restore more normal function in the digestive tract.
If you are experiencing diabetic diarrhea, talk to your healthcare provider about the factors that might be contributing and how you might keep symptoms at bay.
Methods for Getting Rid of Diarrhea Fast
See your healthcare provider if you experience diarrhea along with:
You should talk to your healthcare provider about diabetic diarrhea for additional reasons. That’s because diarrhea and other gastrointestinal symptoms in people living with diabetes suggest long-term concerns and underlying conditions. They include:
Managing and Preventing Complications of Diabetes
You can take steps to prevent diabetic diarrhea, even before you begin experiencing it. One of the most significant steps you can take is to keep your blood sugars within your target range. Keeping blood sugar stable will reduce your risk for neuropathy, including the autonomic neuropathy that can contribute to diabetic diarrhea.
Changing your diet to avoid foods that trigger your diarrhea can also help to minimize symptoms. In addition, if you have type 1 diabetes, you should be screened for celiac disease, since you have an increased risk.
Summary
People with diabetes commonly experience diarrhea symptoms, although the exact causes of diabetic diarrhea remain unclear and differ among individuals. Diet, medication, and digestive system nerve damage due to neuropathy all may contribute to the condition.
While your diarrhea may cause discomfort and seem merely unpleasant, diabetic diarrhea may be a sign of more serious problems, including blood sugar levels that need better control. It also suggests the potential for other complications like diabetic retinopathy.
Your healthcare provider can help you to keep your blood sugar levels stable and reduce impacts to your digestive system. Through medication and lifestyle changes, you may be able to limit your diabetic diarrhea symptoms.
A Word From Verywell
11 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Krishnasamy S, Abell TL.Diabetic gastroparesis: principles and current trends in management.Diabetes Ther. 2018;9(1):1-42. doi:10.1007%2Fs13300-018-0454-9Johns Hopkins Medicine.Diarrhea.Burgers K, Lindberg B, Bevis ZJ.Chronic diarrhea in adults: evaluation and differential diagnosis.Am Fam Physician. 2020 Apr 15;101(8):472-480. PMID: 32293842Joslin Diabetes.Diabetic nerve damage.Celiac Disease Foundation.Diabetes and celiac disease.U.S. National Library of Medicine.Sorbitol solution.McCreight LJ, Bailey CJ, Pearson ER.Metformin and the gastrointestinal tract.Diabetologia. 2016;59(3):426-435. doi:10.1007/s00125-015-3844-9Lee KJ.Pharmacologic agents for chronic diarrhea.Intest Res. 2015 Oct;13(4):306-12. doi:10.5217/ir.2015.13.4.306.Azmi S, Alam U, Burgess J, Malik RA.State-of-the-art pharmacotherapy for diabetic neuropathy.Expert Opin Pharmacother. 2021 Jan;22(1):55-68. doi:10.1080/14656566.2020.1812578.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Symptoms & causes of diarrhea.Kalra S, Sharma A, Priya G.Diabetic gastroparesis.Diabetes Ther. 2018 Oct;9(5):1723-1728. doi: 10.1007/s13300-018-0475-4.
11 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Krishnasamy S, Abell TL.Diabetic gastroparesis: principles and current trends in management.Diabetes Ther. 2018;9(1):1-42. doi:10.1007%2Fs13300-018-0454-9Johns Hopkins Medicine.Diarrhea.Burgers K, Lindberg B, Bevis ZJ.Chronic diarrhea in adults: evaluation and differential diagnosis.Am Fam Physician. 2020 Apr 15;101(8):472-480. PMID: 32293842Joslin Diabetes.Diabetic nerve damage.Celiac Disease Foundation.Diabetes and celiac disease.U.S. National Library of Medicine.Sorbitol solution.McCreight LJ, Bailey CJ, Pearson ER.Metformin and the gastrointestinal tract.Diabetologia. 2016;59(3):426-435. doi:10.1007/s00125-015-3844-9Lee KJ.Pharmacologic agents for chronic diarrhea.Intest Res. 2015 Oct;13(4):306-12. doi:10.5217/ir.2015.13.4.306.Azmi S, Alam U, Burgess J, Malik RA.State-of-the-art pharmacotherapy for diabetic neuropathy.Expert Opin Pharmacother. 2021 Jan;22(1):55-68. doi:10.1080/14656566.2020.1812578.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Symptoms & causes of diarrhea.Kalra S, Sharma A, Priya G.Diabetic gastroparesis.Diabetes Ther. 2018 Oct;9(5):1723-1728. doi: 10.1007/s13300-018-0475-4.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Krishnasamy S, Abell TL.Diabetic gastroparesis: principles and current trends in management.Diabetes Ther. 2018;9(1):1-42. doi:10.1007%2Fs13300-018-0454-9Johns Hopkins Medicine.Diarrhea.Burgers K, Lindberg B, Bevis ZJ.Chronic diarrhea in adults: evaluation and differential diagnosis.Am Fam Physician. 2020 Apr 15;101(8):472-480. PMID: 32293842Joslin Diabetes.Diabetic nerve damage.Celiac Disease Foundation.Diabetes and celiac disease.U.S. National Library of Medicine.Sorbitol solution.McCreight LJ, Bailey CJ, Pearson ER.Metformin and the gastrointestinal tract.Diabetologia. 2016;59(3):426-435. doi:10.1007/s00125-015-3844-9Lee KJ.Pharmacologic agents for chronic diarrhea.Intest Res. 2015 Oct;13(4):306-12. doi:10.5217/ir.2015.13.4.306.Azmi S, Alam U, Burgess J, Malik RA.State-of-the-art pharmacotherapy for diabetic neuropathy.Expert Opin Pharmacother. 2021 Jan;22(1):55-68. doi:10.1080/14656566.2020.1812578.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Symptoms & causes of diarrhea.Kalra S, Sharma A, Priya G.Diabetic gastroparesis.Diabetes Ther. 2018 Oct;9(5):1723-1728. doi: 10.1007/s13300-018-0475-4.
Krishnasamy S, Abell TL.Diabetic gastroparesis: principles and current trends in management.Diabetes Ther. 2018;9(1):1-42. doi:10.1007%2Fs13300-018-0454-9
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Diarrhea.
Burgers K, Lindberg B, Bevis ZJ.Chronic diarrhea in adults: evaluation and differential diagnosis.Am Fam Physician. 2020 Apr 15;101(8):472-480. PMID: 32293842
Joslin Diabetes.Diabetic nerve damage.
Celiac Disease Foundation.Diabetes and celiac disease.
U.S. National Library of Medicine.Sorbitol solution.
McCreight LJ, Bailey CJ, Pearson ER.Metformin and the gastrointestinal tract.Diabetologia. 2016;59(3):426-435. doi:10.1007/s00125-015-3844-9
Lee KJ.Pharmacologic agents for chronic diarrhea.Intest Res. 2015 Oct;13(4):306-12. doi:10.5217/ir.2015.13.4.306.
Azmi S, Alam U, Burgess J, Malik RA.State-of-the-art pharmacotherapy for diabetic neuropathy.Expert Opin Pharmacother. 2021 Jan;22(1):55-68. doi:10.1080/14656566.2020.1812578.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Symptoms & causes of diarrhea.
Kalra S, Sharma A, Priya G.Diabetic gastroparesis.Diabetes Ther. 2018 Oct;9(5):1723-1728. doi: 10.1007/s13300-018-0475-4.
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