# How are some foods able to give me diarrhea so quickly **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 27, 2003, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-some-foods-able-to-give-me-diarrhea-so-quickly/157973 "2003-02-27T20:51:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2016, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-some-foods-able-to-give-me-diarrhea-so-quickly/157973/81 "2016-11-06T04:57:31Z")
This poor thread has been through many times, but it was worth it: The “String of Geese” legend has been identified! Now I can die happy! Thank you! ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2016, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-some-foods-able-to-give-me-diarrhea-so-quickly/157973/82 "2016-11-06T14:32:25Z")
Because 13 years ago he started off as a talking meat puppet, and now he’s on tour. ---
**Author:** ![Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/channing_idaho_banks/32/250_2.png) [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Channing_Idaho_Banks)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2016, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-some-foods-able-to-give-me-diarrhea-so-quickly/157973/83 "2016-11-06T16:21:01Z")
this sometimes happens to me after I drink alcohol, but I’m not sure that it’s the alcohol that’s causing it. I’ll be fine through the entire day and have several meals and stuff and then at the end of my work shift have a beer and then all the sudden, boom! got to go! And it’s all water. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2016, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-some-foods-able-to-give-me-diarrhea-so-quickly/157973/84 "2016-11-06T21:40:41Z")
Preformed toxins? Bacillus cereus from reheated rice? ---
**Author:** ![KatTP](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9dc877/32.png) [@KatTP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KatTP)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2016, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-some-foods-able-to-give-me-diarrhea-so-quickly/157973/85 "2016-11-07T01:05:31Z")
> [@ibssufferer](#): > > One other thought – last night I had some tortellini with tomato sauce and broccoli for dinner and some garlic bread. Right after, I had some of worse diarrhea I’ve had in weeks – three times in an hour, and then again this morning. I skipped breakfast, but for lunch I ate the leftovers from the same meal, and guess what? No reaction at all. I feel fine. No diarrhea. This tells me the problem is not a reaction to anything in the food in particular, but something. > > It also makes me wonder: > > 1. Is this diarrhea actually caused/triggered by this meal I just ate at all? Or has the diarrhea been sitting in my intestines for the past day or two and just happened to get pushed out by this last meal that I ate? > 2. Or was everything fine in my intestines up until the point I ate this meal, which turned what was in there into diarrhea and made it all come out quickly? > > The first option seems more likely to me, but I don’t know the science behind it. > > Does anyone know how long does it take for normal stool to turn to diarrhea in your intestines? Is it something that can happen within an hour of eating something your react to? Or is stool more likely to stay in the same form in the digestive tract until coming out? I don’t know, but it’s nice to know im not the only one who thinks about this crap. I had chinese last night, 20 mins later, diarrhoea. Leftovers tonight, and no movement. Wtf? Ibs sufferer for 20 years. ---
**Author:** ![lewandmjl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bc79bd/32.png) [@lewandmjl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lewandmjl)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2018, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-some-foods-able-to-give-me-diarrhea-so-quickly/157973/86 "2018-01-04T03:52:15Z")
First post here, hoping for another resurrection of the subject. Like others here my symptom would appear to be a form of IBS but it is quite specific. Approximately 5 or so years ago I discovered Thai food. I fell in love with Tom Yum soup first time I tried it! It became a habit of mine to order Tom Yum soup with shrimp as my starter and a chicken entree that usually varied. It also became a habit of mine (like clockwork!) to be seated on the toilet within 10 minutes of consuming the soup, and only the soup, the entree never bothered me! I loved the soup so much it didn’t bother me that I knew what was coming EVERYTIME. My family and I lovingly referred to it as “diarrhea soup.” So anyways, to make sure I wasn’t getting tainted food from one establishment, I ordered from several other Thai joints nearby. Same soup, same result. So after that I decided I would try cooking my own soup from scratch at home, often using fresh produce from my garden. I knew I must have made it correctly within 10 minutes after eating it! I have no known food allergies and I have dissected the ingredients individually without reactions. I did however read that many soups, especially Thai, have “cleansing” properties. My movements are quite immediate, but never with cramps, never painful and always “one and done.” Can this be a flushing of toxins? Anyone else experience amything like this? Curiously awaiting replies!!! Thanks for reading. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2018, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-some-foods-able-to-give-me-diarrhea-so-quickly/157973/87 "2018-01-04T03:55:53Z")
There is no such thing as “flushing toxins”. Especially in 10 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2018, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-some-foods-able-to-give-me-diarrhea-so-quickly/157973/88 "2018-01-04T04:05:46Z")
And why are you consuming “toxins” that need to be flushed? GaryM ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2018, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-some-foods-able-to-give-me-diarrhea-so-quickly/157973/89 "2018-01-04T15:23:07Z")
> [@GaryM](#): > > And why are you consuming “toxins” that need to be flushed? > > GaryM Perhaps he’s the Toxic Avenger. Adding to the (ten-time?) zombie: In my case, it seems to be dairy that is the major culprit. It seems that I can’t even drink Lactaid, so it doesn’t appear to be lactose that is an issue. Grease is also a problem at times. There’s a burger joint near us that has freshly made, and very greasy, burgers. It’s the one place we go where, when we’re done eating, the wife wastes no time getting us out of there and heading home. ---
**Author:** ![Moris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moris/32/2846_2.png) [@Moris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moris)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2018, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-some-foods-able-to-give-me-diarrhea-so-quickly/157973/90 "2018-01-04T19:16:33Z")
> [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](#): > > Does anyone find diarrhea immediately following coffee? When I have my first cup of the day, I need to be very sure a bathroom is close at hand–the weird thing is that sometimes I get an emergency while the coffee is still brewing–I haven’t literally had a drop to drink yet, but I have the diarrhea anyway. Psychological diarrhea? Conditioned diarhhrhea? It doesn’t make any sense to me. Not sure about conditioned diarrhoea, but my coffee triggers it. Not black coffee, not a glass of milk. But these two mixed together. In 20 minutes or less. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Terrific](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tom_terrific/32/342_2.png) [@Tom\_Terrific](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Terrific)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2018, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-some-foods-able-to-give-me-diarrhea-so-quickly/157973/91 "2018-01-04T19:52:09Z")
I had problems for several years with diarrhea, especially after the first meal of the day. The culprit, Splenda and its store branded copies. My wife put Splenda in the iced tea to try and cut calories easily, just like many other people. I was looking online for hints on what could cause the diarrhea I was having and I read that Splenda sometimes could cause it. I figured here is an easy experiment. It doesn’t cost anything to try. Within two days the diarrhea was gone. That was about two months ago. I like the taste of sugar better anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-some-foods-able-to-give-me-diarrhea-so-quickly/157973/92 "2018-01-06T14:04:26Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > To add: > > I will say it has given me empathy for women who have monthly cramps. While being a guy I can never know for sure but after describing it to my female friends they have said that what I described sounds awfully similar to cramps they experience. > > All well and good to have that understanding but still; I’d be happier never knowing. I can vouch for them being similar. I’ve had IBS at least since I was a teen AND severe menstrual cramping. I can usually tell the difference because the menstrual cramping is more like sustained pressure - it doesn’t go away after I get sick (menstrual cramps send me straight to the bathroom also.) The pain of IBS is absurd given how benign it is. I have it most days and there are definitely days where I think, “Am I _sure_ I’m not dying?” It feels like being ripped open from the inside. But you learn to endure it and the pain is usually brief (10 minutes) and over with, you know, once you finish. Menstrual cramps just never end. I actually had a doctor tell me once that there was no way I could know the difference and I wanted to punch her. I’ve been living with both for 20 years and you think I don’t know by now? I’ve been tested for food allergies, had 2 colonoscopies and a number of other tests and there is no apparent cause. Sometimes I can control it with what I eat (fried foods are right out) and other times it doesn’t matter what I eat. I’ve gotten sick from the most bland stuff before. I’ve gotten sick from salads. If I’m at a restaurant having an IBS day, my safest bet is a steak and vegetables with water. No creams, no mashed potatoes or sauces, no sugary drinks. Some days you really do have to plan your life around it…no going out at all. I’ve missed out on some really fun things due to IBS. > [@Moris](#): > > Not sure about conditioned diarrhoea, but my coffee triggers it. Not black coffee, not a glass of milk. But these two mixed together. In 20 minutes or less. Caffeine is a stimulant and exacerbates IBS. Dairy can also be a common trigger. I avoid caffeine unless I’m really in the mood to suffer. (caffeine also wrecks my sleep… Bad idea for me all around.) There is a psychological component. I actually had a book once that used Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to treat IBS. There’s a strong link between IBS and anxiety, and there is some evidence that cognitive restructuring can reduce IBS. People with IBS are hyper sensitive to the slightest gut feelings which activates the nervous system’s anxiety response. It can become a self-fulfilling prophesy. So it could very well be that your body expects diarrhea whenever you look at coffee. Your brain sends that signal to your gut even if you haven’t ingested it. The brain and the gut are really oddly connected. There is evidence, for example, that imbalances in gut flora are linked to mental health issues. Cite: [Mental Health May Depend on Creatures in the Gut | Scientific American](https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/mental-health-may-depend-on-creatures-in-the-gut/) ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-some-foods-able-to-give-me-diarrhea-so-quickly/157973/93 "2018-01-06T14:51:00Z")
Man, what’s the record for revivification? This thread might have the record. It’s happened enough that I can remember it being brought back and back and back. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-some-foods-able-to-give-me-diarrhea-so-quickly/157973/94 "2018-01-06T15:26:49Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > Man, what’s the record for revivification? This thread might have the record. It’s happened enough that I can remember it being brought back and back and back. Well, one needs something to read while sitting on the toilet, doesn’t one? ---
**Author:** ![debbie41](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f6c823/32.png) [@debbie41](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/debbie41)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2018, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-some-foods-able-to-give-me-diarrhea-so-quickly/157973/95 "2018-01-08T08:58:13Z")
I had this problem with meat balls with soya sauce. I stopped eating those allergic foods and my problem got resolved. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2018, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-some-foods-able-to-give-me-diarrhea-so-quickly/157973/96 "2018-01-08T09:53:12Z")
Oh, goody, I’ve been dying to tell someone about my problem with French Onion Soup. One of my favorite things, I only have it in restaurants, and it would give me that get-up-and-go feeling within hours. That was a few years ago, now that I’m older and my plumbing is starting to wear out (I mean my innards, not the bathroom plumbing) - last time, I didn’t even make it out of the restaurant before I had to go. BAD. And it was one of those quaint old houses made into a restaurant, with one powder room and seating for one customer at a time. Mercifully unoccupied. (Like my dentist’s office, the same thing, a beautiful little arts and crafts cottage converted to a dental practice, and one tiny bathroom right smack in the middle. I never eat or drink before going there, everyone in the whole place would enjoy the sound effects.) ---
**Author:** ![botchen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f07891/32.png) [@botchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/botchen)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2018, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-some-foods-able-to-give-me-diarrhea-so-quickly/157973/97 "2018-09-05T22:53:25Z")
Speaking of Zombies… I’ve always said the quickest way to clean out your system is to drink 2 glasses of red wine and have a salad at a restaurant. Could it be a combination of alcohol and something that keeps lettuce from wilting (like potato white) and/or guacamole from turning brown? Almost always seems to happen to me after dinner & drinks, and then I literally have 10 minutes to make it home. Happens after Italian food and Mexican food, but not always. Interesting about the canola oil too… never thought about that. ---
**Author:** ![DIARRESURECTION](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dc4da7/32.png) [@DIARRESURECTION](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DIARRESURECTION)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2021, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-some-foods-able-to-give-me-diarrhea-so-quickly/157973/98 "2021-02-17T18:42:29Z")
Why does italian sausage and chicken sausage give me DIARRHEA??? ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2021, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-some-foods-able-to-give-me-diarrhea-so-quickly/157973/99 "2021-02-17T18:49:11Z")
Intolerance to spices??? ---
**Author:** ![Kropotkin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kropotkin/32/18045_2.png) [@Kropotkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kropotkin)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2021, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-some-foods-able-to-give-me-diarrhea-so-quickly/157973/100 "2021-02-17T21:08:16Z")
Is it a coincidence that I’m getting ads on how to unclog gutters in this thread? Not making it up [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-some-foods-able-to-give-me-diarrhea-so-quickly/157973.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-some-foods-able-to-give-me-diarrhea-so-quickly/157973.md?page=6)