7 Sneaky Signs It's LBM (Lose Bowel Movement)

Your breakfast buddies—pancakes, cereals, donuts, or sandwiches—shouldn't take the blame for your bathroom pains just yet! The real culprit here could be diarrhea or Loose Bowel Movement (LBM).

Stop your game of tug-of-war against the toilet. No more guessing games. Check out these symptoms to help you determine if it's indeed LBM causing your discomfort.

Abdominal Cramps

Those cramps you're feeling aren't necessarily from tension or menstruation. And, they certainly are not from sitting around. Abdominal cramps can be a telltale sign of diarrhea or LBM. So, if you're experiencing these, it might be time to pay closer attention to what's going on in your gut.

When you have diarrhea, it often makes gut imbalance (dysbiosis) worse by quickly flushing out not only the bad germs but also the good bacteria in your gut.¹This imbalance can cause several symptoms, including cramping.

Here's why cramping happens. Bad bacteria can cause inflammation in your gut lining. This inflammation can make the muscles in your intestines contract in an irregular way, leading to cramps. Moreover, gut imbalance can lead to more gas being produced by harmful bacteria. This gas stretches your intestines and causes painful cramps. Some bad bacteria produce toxins that irritate your gut lining. This irritation can cause spasms and cramps as your intestines try to get rid of the toxins.

Bloating

When you have LBM (Loose Bowel Movement) or diarrhea, bloating can occur due to various reasons. Aside from incontinence, the rapid movement of stool through the intestines can lead to gas accumulation.²

Gas causes bloating by accumulating in the stomach and intestines, leading to a feeling of fullness and discomfort. This buildup of gas stretches the stomach and intestinal walls, which can cause noticeable swelling and pressure, often resulting in abdominal pain and discomfort.³

Moreover, certain foods or beverages consumed during episodes of diarrhea may also trigger bloating in some individuals. Overall, bloating during LBM or diarrhea can result from a combination of factors related to digestion, gut function, and dietary choices.

Dry Mouth

Make sure to keep your tumblers filled with water handy when dealing with diarrhea. Alongside the discomfort in your stomach, a clear sign of LBM is dry mouth. When you're experiencing LBM or diarrhea, your body loses fluids rapidly, leading to dehydration.⁴Dehydration reduces saliva production leaving your mouth feeling very dry and thus, making swallowing difficult.

So, don't forget to sip water regularly to help keep yourself hydrated and alleviate that uncomfortable mouth sensation. Additionally, avoiding beverages that can further dehydrate such as caffeinated or alcoholic drinks, also helps.

Decrease in Urinary Output

What's even worse than a dry mouth? Feeling like your bladder took a vacation without you! And trust me, that can leave you in a bit of a panic. LBM or diarrhea itself doesn't typically directly cause oliguria (the medical term for decreased urinary output). However, severe diarrhea can lead to dehydration, which can subsequently result in decreased urine production.

When someone experiences diarrhea, they lose a significant amount of fluids and electrolytes through frequent bowel movements. If this fluid loss isn't adequately replaced by drinking fluids, it can lead to dehydration.

Dehydration reduces blood volume and consequently decreases blood flow to the kidneys. In response, the kidneys conserve water to maintain blood pressure and overall fluid balance, resulting in reduced urine output.⁵

Nausea

Experiencing frequent bowel movements throughout the day can indeed bring a sense of relief, indicating a healthy digestive system at work. However, when coupled with the urge to vomit, this could signal a potential issue.

While LBM only typically involves loose, watery stools and increased frequency of bowel movements, the addition of nausea and the urge to vomit can intensify discomfort. Nausea accompanying LBM is not uncommon and may be a result of electrolyte loss or imbalance.⁶

Persistent vomiting, which may also occur, can further contribute to fluid loss and complicate the body's ability to recover. Thus, nausea as a symptom of diarrhea can signal a more severe underlying problem and requires careful management to prevent worsening of the condition.

Fecal Incontinence

As embarrassing as it may seem, losing control over bowel movements is a normal symptom of LBM or diarrhea. But why does it happen? When experiencing diarrhea, the body's digestive system is often in a state of imbalance, leading to frequent and loose bowel movements. Fecal incontinence or the inability to control bowel movements can occur as a result of this heightened urgency and frequency.

The urgency in bowel movements is primarily due to cramping and irritation. These symptoms cause the muscles in the gastrointestinal tract to contract more forcefully and frequently, leading to a sudden and strong need to relieve oneself. This can be quite uncomfortable and may disrupt daily activities.⁷

Dealing with LBM

As annoying and uncomfortable as the symptoms of LBM can be, there are various strategies and interventions available to help manage and alleviate its effects. One way to manage diarrhea is by drinking enough fluids. This helps replace the fluids and electrolytes lost during diarrhea, which is important to prevent dehydration.

Oral rehydration solutions are specially designed to replace these lost fluids and electrolytes better than just plain water. Eating bland and easy-to-digest foods like bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast can also help ease symptoms and provide important nutrients without making your stomach feel worse.

Additionally, probiotics can help relieve diarrhea. They help improve digestion, and enhance nutrient absorption.⁸ The World Health Organization defines probiotics as live microorganisms that provide health benefits when taken in sufficient amounts.⁹ To be called a probiotic, there must be scientific proof of these benefits. Nevertheless, it's important to use these products with guidance from a healthcare professional.

If you're interested in trying a supplement to help with your symptoms, you might want to consider BIOME® GutCare.

BIOME® is a probiotic supplement that contains Saccharomyces boulardii, a known probiotic that can help reduce frequency and duration of diarrhea. It contains 5 billion active CFUs of a probiotic called Saccharomyces boulardii.¹⁰ These are known for providing various benefits such as promoting a healthy intestinal ecology, assisting in the improvement of lactose malabsorption, improving digestion, and boosting the body's natural resistance against intestinal infections.¹¹

The appropriate dose or amount of CFUs will depend on the health condition or symptoms that need to be addressed. It has to be said though, that supplements with 5 billion CFUs or higher like BIOME® Gut Care, may be more effective in managing gastrointestinal issues.¹²

By supplementing with Saccharomyces boulardii, individuals experiencing diarrhea can potentially reduce symptoms and improve overall gastrointestinal function.^13,14

Take one (1) capsule of BIOME® Gut Care a day, alongside food. It is best to consult your doctor when initiating any supplements.
Always store BIOME® Gut Care capsules in a cool and dry place, away from direct sunlight.

MAHALAGANG PAALALA: Ang Biome® Gut Care ay hindi gamot at hindi dapat gamiting panggamot sa anumang uri ng sakit.