Coping with diarrhoea
What should I eat if…I have diarrhoea?
What is diarrhoea?
Diarrhoea means that you need to empty your bowels (poo) more often than you usually do and that your poo is looser or runnier than usual. This may be due to treatment, medication, infection, stress, or anxiety. Whatever the cause of diarrhoea, a temporary change to what you eat and drink often helps. As your symptoms improve you may wish to discuss returning to what you normally eat and drink with a health professional.
What can I do about it?
Speak to your doctor or nurse who will try and work out the cause of your diarrhoea and prescribe any necessary medication.
Useful tips to help with diarrhoea
- Drink plenty of fluids such as water, squash, fruit juice, milk, decaffeinated tea and coffee, or soup. Aim for at least 8 to 10 cups (2 litres/3½ pints) of fluid throughout the day.
- Eat small frequent meals.
- Try to avoid highly spiced and fatty foods as these may irritate your bowel.
- Try cutting down the amount of fibre you have by replacing wholemeal bread and cereals with white varieties.
- Try eating less raw or dried fruit and vegetables with skins, seeds, or pips. Also try cutting down on beans and pulses.
- Limit alcohol, coffee, and strong tea with caffeine.
- Avoid excessive amounts of artificial sweeteners, which can be found in many sugar-free or diet food and drinks. For example, do not eat a whole packet of sugar-free sweets in one sitting, constantly chew sugar-free gum, or drink several cans of diet fizzy drinks one after the other.
Watch out for symptoms of dehydration such as passing urine less often or passing small amounts of dark urine. If you think you are dehydrated, contact your nurse or doctor, especially if you are also vomiting.