diarrhea from year 8-16 years post op

I've dealt with almost constant diarrhea from around 8 years out. I eat, I pee out my butt. I don't understand why I was ok for the first 8 years or so but now 8-16 years I can barely make it to the bathroom in time. My diet hasn't changed, I get a physical with blood work twice a year and everything is good. I'm wondering if there's something going on unrelated to the bariatric surgery. Any ideas?

Definitely seems like something you should take to your GP and/or a specialist.

Please check with a GI doctor. I had the same problem thinking it was from my surgery. Found out it wasn't and now I'm being treated and doing better.

One of the things that can happen to weight loss surgery patients is a partial bowel obstruction. You can form a mass like a concrete dam and the waste flows over it like water hitting a dam in a river. That will result in constant diarrhea.

An x-ray can confirm that type of blockage. Then they will usually prescribe calcium citrate to clear it out. If that does not work, they might put you in the hospital and manually dig it out. Don't try to self diagnose though. If your doctor or surgeon is telling you everything is good and it is not, then ask to be referred to a specialist who specializes in bowel problems.

There may not be any type of obstruction. You may just not consume enough fiber to form a solid bowel movement.

I take magnesium and fiber supplements. I also have suppositories and enemas in case I might need them. There is a product called Butterfly pads that can catch any leakage. Some people insert a small suppository to keep the liquid inside the anus and not leak.

This is not normal and you do need to get to the bottom of this (pun intended).

There are other things that could be happening like a tumor or cancer. Get this checked out and corrected. It is no way to live.

Sounds like you got a IBS-D. You may need to find a god gastro.

My gastro told me that he sees some people post op RNY who deal with small intestines bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) a few years after RNY or DS. For some people (like me) I have IBS-C, but some people have different bacteria in the small intestines and get diarrhea.

google "SIBO and IBS" and "sibo and RNY"

A few possible guesses: SIBO, IBS, chronic gastritis from alcohol abuse (no judgement here, I don't know you, but it is something some RNY vets have).... won't really know until you see a doc.

But I can tell you several years ago I ignored abdominal pain thinking it was just an RNY thing, and ended up with a ruptured appendix. I know you are not in pain, but my point is.... if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, sometimes it's a chicken....

Audrey