Explosive diarrhea doesn't have one specific medical name but describes severe, forceful, watery stools often caused by infections (norovirus, bacteria), food poisoning, or conditions like IBS, often due to excess gas and liquid in the rectum. Specific types include norovirus infection, which is very contagious, or conditions like dumping syndrome after stomach surgery, causing rapid gastric emptying, and parasitic infections like giardiasis, leading to foul, greasy, explosive stools.
Metformin is also associated with gastrointestinal side effects like abdominal bloating, flatulence, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. Metformin-related gastrointestinal side effects are mainly due to alteration in gut microbiota, raised intestinal glucose, and increased ileal bile salt reabsorption.
Diarrhea can be classified into four types:
You should worry about diarrhea in pregnancy and contact your doctor immediately if you have severe symptoms like blood/pus in stools, fever (≥100.4°F/38°C), severe abdominal pain, frequent vomiting, or signs of dehydration (dizziness, dark urine, decreased urination). Also, seek urgent care if diarrhea lasts more than a couple of days, worsens, or if you suspect it's a sign of labor (contractions, pelvic pressure) or food poisoning.
Diarrhea
Viral or bacterial infections. Certain medications, such as antibiotics. Digestive conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) Trigger foods such as eating or drinking dairy, caffeine, and additives or artificial sweeteners.
Five key warning signs during pregnancy needing immediate medical attention include vaginal bleeding, severe headaches with vision changes, decreased baby movement, severe abdominal pain/cramping, and signs of preterm labor like regular contractions or fluid leakage, as these can signal serious issues like miscarriage, preeclampsia, placental problems, or infection. Always contact your healthcare provider or seek emergency care for these symptoms.
Diarrhea symptoms may look like other health problems. Bloody diarrhea is always a concern. Always see your doctor to be sure. Be sure to tell the doctor about any bleeding, fever, or vomiting.
Red flags for diarrhea needing immediate medical attention include blood or black, tarry stools, severe abdominal/rectal pain, high fever, signs of severe dehydration (dizziness, little/no urine, extreme thirst), confusion, or diarrhea lasting more than a couple of days. For children, also watch for no wet diapers for 3+ hours, no tears when crying, sunken eyes, or unusual sleepiness, while adults should see a doctor for nighttime diarrhea or worsening symptoms.
Types 6 and 7
Type 6 is a mushy stool that appears to consist of fluffy pieces with ragged edges, while type 7 is entirely liquid with no solid pieces. These types of stools may suggest a person is experiencing diarrhea, as the stools are loose. They may also be lighter in color.
Medicines that can affect metformin
steroid tablets, such as prednisolone. tablets that make you pee more (diuretics), such as furosemide. medicines to treat heart problems and high blood pressure (hypertension) male and female hormones, such as testosterone, oestrogen or progesterone.
Yes, high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) from diabetes can directly cause diarrhea, often due to nerve damage (diabetic neuropathy) affecting the digestive system, leading to rapid fluid movement and watery stools, or it can be linked to bacterial overgrowth, medication side effects (like metformin), or issues like dumping syndrome. This diabetic diarrhea can alternate with constipation and significantly impact quality of life, but it is manageable, often by controlling blood sugar levels and addressing underlying causes.
Common side effects
Certain cancers can cause diarrhea. These include neuroendocrine tumors, colon cancer, lymphoma, medullary thyroid cancer and pancreatic cancer.
Organ failure, primarily kidney failure (renal failure), is a major cause of diarrhea, stemming from toxin buildup and inflammation in the gut, but liver or intestinal issues (like inflammatory bowel disease or infections, often secondary to weakened immunity in kidney failure) can also cause it, with severe diarrhea worsening kidney function due to dehydration and electrolyte imbalance.
The etiology can be bacterial, viral, or parasitic. The infection may be acquired from other individuals, contaminated food or water, or during travel. In nursing homes, infectious diarrhea is highly likely when multiple individuals have diarrhea in close temporal proximity.
Signs and symptoms of severe diarrhea
Severe pain. Vomiting. Blood or mucus in your stool. Weight loss (this can be a sign that your body's not absorbing enough nutrients).
The 'red flag' gut symptoms
Diarrhea can be a symptom of food poisoning. Food poisoning is an infection or irritation of your digestive tract that spreads through foods or drinks. Microbes—viruses, bacteria, and parasites—cause most food poisoning. Food poisoning usually goes away within a week, but some infections can last longer.
Common causes include:
Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, fever, diarrhea, abdominal cramping, and pain. In severe cases, you may become dehydrated and have an electrolyte imbalance. Bacterial gastroenteritis is sometimes treated with antibiotics.
Schedule a doctor's visit for an adult with these symptoms:
Diarrhea lasts more than two days without improvement. Excessive thirst, dry mouth or skin, little or no urination, severe weakness, dizziness or lightheadedness, or dark-colored urine, which could indicate dehydration.
The "3-2-1 Rule" in pregnancy is a guideline for first-time mothers to know when to call their midwife or doctor for active labor: consistent contractions every 3 minutes, lasting 2 minutes each (or 1 minute long for some variations), for over 1 hour. It helps differentiate true labor from false labor (Braxton Hicks), signaling it's time to head to the birthing center, while subsequent pregnancies often follow the faster 5-1-1 rule.
Symptoms
Most pregnancy symptoms don't start until four to six weeks after conception. While many of the symptoms are common, it's possible to experience no symptoms during the first trimester of pregnancy. The most common early symptoms include a missed period, light bleeding, breast changes or tenderness, and fatigue.