Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsAcute CausesChronic CausesWhat to DoWhen to Call Your Healthcare Provider
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Acute Causes
Chronic Causes
What to Do
When to Call Your Healthcare Provider
Diarrheaafter eating is referred to aspostprandial diarrhea. The condition can beacute(sudden and severe) orchronic(persistent or recurrent).
This article will go over the reasons why you might be experiencing diarrhea after eating. It also provides some steps you can take to feel better and avoid future episodes.
Why Diarrhea Happens
1:57Click Play to Learn the Causes and Risk Factors of Diarrhea
1:57
Click Play to Learn the Causes and Risk Factors of Diarrhea
What Causes Acute Diarrhea After Eating?
Acute diarrhea is a common problem that can sometimes happen after eating. It typically gets better on its own after one or two days.
Possible causes of acute diarrhea after eating include:
Causes of Watery Diarrhea
Verywell / Brianna Gilmartin
What Causes Chronic Diarrhea After Eating?
Chronic diarrhea after eating can be a symptom of several health conditions. For people with these conditions, a snack or meal can be enough to trigger an episode of diarrhea.
There are many reasons why you might have diarrhea after eating as a long-term symptom rather than a temporary problem.
Lactose Intolerance
People who havelactose intolerancedo not have enough of an enzyme that is needed to break down a sugar found in milk and milk products (lactose). People who are lactose intolerant can get diarrhea after eating dairy foods.
Sugar Malabsorption
Some peoplecan’t digest the sugarsfructose and sorbitol. Eating these sugars may cause diarrhea after eating. This is broadly referred to as sugar malabsorption.
Fructoseis found in many fruits and in high-fructose corn syrup. Sorbitol is found in some fruits andartificial sweeteners.
Glucose-galactose malabsorption (GGM) is an inherited disease mainly seen in children who lack the digestive enzymes to break down and absorbedglucose.
Celiac Disease
People withceliac diseasehave an immune reaction to a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley calledgluten. It is thought to be autoimmune, meaning that the immune system will launch an inappropriate attack on the intestines when gluten is introduced.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
The two forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)—Crohn’s diseaseandulcerative colitis—can cause diarrhea after eating. IBD has long been thought to be an autoimmune disease, but research suggests that the chronic inflammation may be due to the immune system attacking harmless bacteria in the intestines.
People with IBD may also havebloody diarrhea, along with abdominal pain, cramping, fever, and the need to go to the bathroom urgently.
Microscopic Colitis
Microscopic colitis is an inflammation of the large intestine that causes persistent watery diarrhea. It gets its name from the fact that it can only be identified under a microscope and that tissue will appear normal when viewed during a colonoscopy.
Diarrhea that doesn’t improve with treatment is typical ofmicroscopic colitis. It can occur immediately after eating or on an ongoing basis.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)can also be a cause of diarrhea after eating. It is a poorly understood condition that causes a group of symptoms, including abdominal pain and changes in bowel movements (such as diarrhea, constipation, or episodes of both).
When diarrhea is the main feature, it is referred to asirritable bowel syndrome with predominant diarrhea (IBS-D).
With IBS, you experience symptoms without any visible signs of damage or disease in your digestive tract.
What Causes IBS?
Bile Acid Diarrhea
Bile acid diarrhea is common aftergallbladder removal surgerybut can also occur due to an illness involving the gallbladder, pancreas, small intestine, or other digestive organs.
Pancreatic Exocrine Insufficiency
In people who havepancreatic exocrine insufficiency, the pancreas does not produce enoughpancreatic enzymesto fully digest the foods that you eat. This can lead to diarrhea along with abdominal pain, a constant feeling of fullness, a loss of appetite, and weight loss.
What Is Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency?
Dumping Syndrome
Dumping syndromeis most common among people who have hadbariatric surgeryfor weight loss. The condition is also called rapid gastric emptying because the stomach empties its contents into the small intestine faster than it should.
Eating can trigger diarrhea in people with dumping syndrome, especially when snacks or meals have a lot of sugar in them.
Colon Cancer
This is because fluids can start to accumulate if hardened stool blocks the intestines for a prolonged period. The inflammation can cause the walls of the intestines to release fluids that cause stools behind the plug to become watery.
Blockages like these are common due to the narrowing of intestines (calledstrictures) in people with advanced colon cancer. Other symptoms include bloody stools, mucus in stools, abdominal cramping, fatigue, and unintended weight loss.
What Increases Your Chances of Developing Colon Cancer?
How to Relieve Diarrhea After Eating
Here are some things to keep in mind if you have diarrhea after eating. These tips can help ease the symptom or even prevent it from happening.
Stay Hydrated
Your body won’t absorb fluids and minerals when you have diarrhea because of how quickly stool is passing through your system. Make sure to drink extra water, clear fruit juice, rice water, or broth to replace the lost fluids.
You can also try drinking ginger tea when you have diarrhea to soothe your stomach ache.
Eat Bland Foods
The BRAT diet, which stands for bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast is often recommended to relieve diarrhea symptoms. These foods are low in fiber and easy to digest. They are also starchy, which helps bind loose stools.
Avoid foods that can worsen diarrhea, like dairy products, fatty foods, and foods that give you gas.
Take Probiotics
Use Relaxation Exercises
There’s a close connection between your brain and your gut, so stress can be a trigger for diarrhea.
Deep-breathing exercises and the strategic tensing and relaxing of muscles throughout the body (progressive muscle relaxation) can be effective in calming your body. They may also help slow the emptying of your bowels.
What to Eat If You Have Diarrhea
Should You Take Medication?
There are several over-the-counter (OTC) diarrhea treatments available, but they are not always recommended.
Products likeImodium(loperamide) or Kaopectate orPepto-Bismol(both bismuth subsalicylate) should not be used if you have a fever or mucus or blood in your stools. If in doubt, ask your healthcare provider for advice.
Keep in mind that these medications should not be given to children without their pediatrician’s OK.
Foods to Avoid When You Have Diarrhea
There are some signs and symptoms along with diarrhea that could indicate a more serious health problem. Call your provider right away if you also have any of these symptoms:
When to Seek Immediate CareRectal bleeding, vomiting, lack of appetite, losing a lot of weight without trying, fever,anemia, abdominal pain, or cramping at night are “red flag” symptoms. Go to the nearest emergency room or an urgent care clinic if you can’t see your regular doctor right away.
When to Seek Immediate Care
Rectal bleeding, vomiting, lack of appetite, losing a lot of weight without trying, fever,anemia, abdominal pain, or cramping at night are “red flag” symptoms. Go to the nearest emergency room or an urgent care clinic if you can’t see your regular doctor right away.
Red Flag Digestive Symptoms
Summary
Diarrhea after eating will often get better on its own after a few days. However, it can also be a chronic, ongoing problem.
If you are suddenly having diarrhea after you eat or you’ve had it for more than five days, you need to talk to your provider. In the meantime, drink lots of water to stay hydrated, eat small meals, and be on the lookout for symptoms like dehydration or blood in your stools, which require urgent medical attention.
Why You Get Diarrhea at Night
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.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Definition & facts for diarrhea.Szilagyi A, Ishayek N.Lactose intolerance, dairy avoidance, and treatment options.Nutrients. 2018;10(12):1-30. doi:10.3390/nu10121994Fakhoury M, Negrulj R, Mooranian A, Al-salami H.Inflammatory bowel disease: clinical aspects and treatments.J Inflamm Res. 2014;7(1):113-20. doi:10.2147/JIR.S65979Bohr J, Wickbom A, Hegedus A, et al.Diagnosis and management of microscopic colitis: current perspectives.Clin Exp Gastroenterol. 2014;7(1):273-84. doi:10.2147/CEG.S63905National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).Vijayvargiya P, Camilleri M, Carlson P, et al.Performance characteristics of serum C4 and FGF19 measurements to exclude the diagnosis of bile acid diarrhoea in IBS-diarrhoea and functional diarrhoea.Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2017;46(6):581-588. doi:10.1111/apt.14214Othman MO, Harb D, Barkin JA.Introduction and practical approach to exocrine pancreatic insufficiency for the practicing clinician.Int J Clin Pract. 2018;72(2):e13066. doi:10.1111/ijcp.13066Bodagh MN, Maleki I, Hekmatdoost A.Ginger in gastrointestinal disorders: A systematic review of clinical trials.Food Sci Nutr. 2019 Jan;7(1):96-108. doi:10.1002/fsn3.807Huang R, Xing HY, Liu HJ, Chen ZF, Tang BB.Efficacy of probiotics in the treatment of acute diarrhea in children: A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials.Transl Pediatr. 2021 Dec;10(12):3248-3260. doi:10.21037/tp-21-511Qin HY, Cheng CW, Tang XD, Bian ZX.Impact of psychological stress on irritable bowel syndrome.World J Gastroenterol. 2014;20(39):14126-31. doi:10.3748/wjg.v20.i39.14126National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Symptoms & causes of diarrhea.
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.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Definition & facts for diarrhea.Szilagyi A, Ishayek N.Lactose intolerance, dairy avoidance, and treatment options.Nutrients. 2018;10(12):1-30. doi:10.3390/nu10121994Fakhoury M, Negrulj R, Mooranian A, Al-salami H.Inflammatory bowel disease: clinical aspects and treatments.J Inflamm Res. 2014;7(1):113-20. doi:10.2147/JIR.S65979Bohr J, Wickbom A, Hegedus A, et al.Diagnosis and management of microscopic colitis: current perspectives.Clin Exp Gastroenterol. 2014;7(1):273-84. doi:10.2147/CEG.S63905National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).Vijayvargiya P, Camilleri M, Carlson P, et al.Performance characteristics of serum C4 and FGF19 measurements to exclude the diagnosis of bile acid diarrhoea in IBS-diarrhoea and functional diarrhoea.Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2017;46(6):581-588. doi:10.1111/apt.14214Othman MO, Harb D, Barkin JA.Introduction and practical approach to exocrine pancreatic insufficiency for the practicing clinician.Int J Clin Pract. 2018;72(2):e13066. doi:10.1111/ijcp.13066Bodagh MN, Maleki I, Hekmatdoost A.Ginger in gastrointestinal disorders: A systematic review of clinical trials.Food Sci Nutr. 2019 Jan;7(1):96-108. doi:10.1002/fsn3.807Huang R, Xing HY, Liu HJ, Chen ZF, Tang BB.Efficacy of probiotics in the treatment of acute diarrhea in children: A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials.Transl Pediatr. 2021 Dec;10(12):3248-3260. doi:10.21037/tp-21-511Qin HY, Cheng CW, Tang XD, Bian ZX.Impact of psychological stress on irritable bowel syndrome.World J Gastroenterol. 2014;20(39):14126-31. doi:10.3748/wjg.v20.i39.14126National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Symptoms & causes of diarrhea.
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.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Definition & facts for diarrhea.Szilagyi A, Ishayek N.Lactose intolerance, dairy avoidance, and treatment options.Nutrients. 2018;10(12):1-30. doi:10.3390/nu10121994Fakhoury M, Negrulj R, Mooranian A, Al-salami H.Inflammatory bowel disease: clinical aspects and treatments.J Inflamm Res. 2014;7(1):113-20. doi:10.2147/JIR.S65979Bohr J, Wickbom A, Hegedus A, et al.Diagnosis and management of microscopic colitis: current perspectives.Clin Exp Gastroenterol. 2014;7(1):273-84. doi:10.2147/CEG.S63905National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).Vijayvargiya P, Camilleri M, Carlson P, et al.Performance characteristics of serum C4 and FGF19 measurements to exclude the diagnosis of bile acid diarrhoea in IBS-diarrhoea and functional diarrhoea.Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2017;46(6):581-588. doi:10.1111/apt.14214Othman MO, Harb D, Barkin JA.Introduction and practical approach to exocrine pancreatic insufficiency for the practicing clinician.Int J Clin Pract. 2018;72(2):e13066. doi:10.1111/ijcp.13066Bodagh MN, Maleki I, Hekmatdoost A.Ginger in gastrointestinal disorders: A systematic review of clinical trials.Food Sci Nutr. 2019 Jan;7(1):96-108. doi:10.1002/fsn3.807Huang R, Xing HY, Liu HJ, Chen ZF, Tang BB.Efficacy of probiotics in the treatment of acute diarrhea in children: A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials.Transl Pediatr. 2021 Dec;10(12):3248-3260. doi:10.21037/tp-21-511Qin HY, Cheng CW, Tang XD, Bian ZX.Impact of psychological stress on irritable bowel syndrome.World J Gastroenterol. 2014;20(39):14126-31. doi:10.3748/wjg.v20.i39.14126National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Symptoms & causes of diarrhea.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Definition & facts for diarrhea.
Szilagyi A, Ishayek N.Lactose intolerance, dairy avoidance, and treatment options.Nutrients. 2018;10(12):1-30. doi:10.3390/nu10121994
Fakhoury M, Negrulj R, Mooranian A, Al-salami H.Inflammatory bowel disease: clinical aspects and treatments.J Inflamm Res. 2014;7(1):113-20. doi:10.2147/JIR.S65979
Bohr J, Wickbom A, Hegedus A, et al.Diagnosis and management of microscopic colitis: current perspectives.Clin Exp Gastroenterol. 2014;7(1):273-84. doi:10.2147/CEG.S63905
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Vijayvargiya P, Camilleri M, Carlson P, et al.Performance characteristics of serum C4 and FGF19 measurements to exclude the diagnosis of bile acid diarrhoea in IBS-diarrhoea and functional diarrhoea.Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2017;46(6):581-588. doi:10.1111/apt.14214
Othman MO, Harb D, Barkin JA.Introduction and practical approach to exocrine pancreatic insufficiency for the practicing clinician.Int J Clin Pract. 2018;72(2):e13066. doi:10.1111/ijcp.13066
Bodagh MN, Maleki I, Hekmatdoost A.Ginger in gastrointestinal disorders: A systematic review of clinical trials.Food Sci Nutr. 2019 Jan;7(1):96-108. doi:10.1002/fsn3.807
Huang R, Xing HY, Liu HJ, Chen ZF, Tang BB.Efficacy of probiotics in the treatment of acute diarrhea in children: A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials.Transl Pediatr. 2021 Dec;10(12):3248-3260. doi:10.21037/tp-21-511
Qin HY, Cheng CW, Tang XD, Bian ZX.Impact of psychological stress on irritable bowel syndrome.World J Gastroenterol. 2014;20(39):14126-31. doi:10.3748/wjg.v20.i39.14126
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Symptoms & causes of diarrhea.
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