Stomach problems

If you don't run does this problem go away? Can you relate it to anything you are eating. Might be a good idea to check in with your family doctor, possibly get refered to a gastroenterologist.

Or, you may just poop a lot.

I know that I do, or try to anyway. I've always been like that ever since I started running.

How do you think I am on letsrun.com all the time?

The laptop computer and wireless internet connection were two of the greatest inventions of all time.

Well the problem only happens after a run. I think i've noticed it after a harder type run or a long steady run with lots of hills and stuff. It never bothers me while on a run, its usually like 15 to 20 minutes after the run is over and I'm just chillin. From what I can remember, it mostly happens when I run in the morning, which is when practice is.

I was actually about to write a similar type of post.

I've always had stomach problems, but lately they've been acting up several days a week.

Not sure of any complete cures, but it's definitely driving me crazy. The last 2 nights I've gone to bed sick, one night throwing up dinner, the other skipping it, and have woken up weak and dehydrated.

I'm in probably the best running shape of my life, but the stomach pain is making me consider quitting. The only thing I've ever found to be an actual workable cure, where I can eat afterwards, is by vaporizing (smoking works too, but not so great for the lungs) a bowl of marijuana. The summer is pretty dry as for as weed goes though, so I'm more on my own when I feel nauseated.

GItrouble,

I had (sometime still have) the same problem. Below are my suggestions:

You might be lactose intolerant...a lot of people become LI at age 20 (don't need milk anymore). This is what used to do it for me.Buy lactaid pills and eat them with dairy...solves the problem. Also dairy + running + heat was always the worst combination.

Try drinking more water/gatorade before runs...cut down on coffee, fruit, refined foods (grease) before you run.

Try eating at different times before you run. I used to think 2-3 hours was too little time, but sometimes I eat 1.5 hrs before runs nowadays.

Beer. I swear that beer is the best possible thing to drink AFTER your run when you are experiencing pain. Whenever I have this problem, I'll come home chug a beer, chug a water and then sip a beer. Soda works okay...but not as good as the beer (fizzle and alcohol combination). if no beer, try a run n coke. Basically the alcohol will combat the pain. Drink water on the side so you aren't dehydrating yourself.

Sometimes this "virus" (I know it's not a virus) stays in your system for a few days and can bother you the morning after. It causes a lack of appetite.

Let me know if this helps.

GItrouble,

I had (sometime still have) the same problem. Below are my suggestions:

You might be lactose intolerant...a lot of people become LI at age 20 (don't need milk anymore). This is what used to do it for me.Buy lactaid pills and eat them with dairy...solves the problem. Also dairy + running + heat was always the worst combination.

Try drinking more water/gatorade before runs...cut down on coffee, fruit, refined foods (grease) before you run.

Try eating at different times before you run. I used to think 2-3 hours was too little time, but sometimes I eat 1.5 hrs before runs nowadays.

Beer. I swear that beer is the best possible thing to drink AFTER your run when you are experiencing pain. Whenever I have this problem, I'll come home chug a beer, chug a water and then sip a beer. Soda works okay...but not as good as the beer (fizzle and alcohol combination). if no beer, try a run n coke. Basically the alcohol will combat the pain. Drink water on the side so you aren't dehydrating yourself.

Sometimes this "virus" (I know it's not a virus) stays in your system for a few days and can bother you the morning after. It causes a lack of appetite.

Let me know if this helps.

Sorry for posting twice...

One additional thing - I've found that morning runs are worse (for stomachs) than pm runs. In the winter (when I have to run in the am) I experience great displeasure. I may start getting the WashPost delivered to one of the porta johns on my route. Obviously, I can't drink beer after my morning run per work later in the day.

GItrouble,

This sounds identical to a problem I have been suffering from for years. I haven't let it get the best of me yet as I'm still running/improving each year, but just like you I have considered quitting running because it's so painful and can last for quite a while.

I would say this lower stomach issue is worst on either my long runs or fast workouts. It's frustrating because you feel like you can't complete more than half the workout before you are sprinting to a bathroom only to find that you can't go to the bathroom, so you continue to try running and the same terrible pain/need to go comes back.

I'm not a doctor but I've described the problem to numerous doctors and looked up a lot of information. Many doctors have explained to me that hard running does cause trauma to your intestines/stomach because you are constantely bouncing up and down; depending on the person I think it effects some worse than others. Also, if you suffer from IBS (irritable bowl syndrome) then I believe this probelm is going to be even more aggrivated by running, esp. the hard workouts/longer runs where your body is under a greater ammount of stress. There isn't really a cure for IBS or the stomach problems but there are things you can do to minimize the terrible pains/spasms/cramping that you are feeling afterwards.

1. What are you eating before you race/do a workout/long run? It's good to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables but I would try to eat something more gentle probably for the 2 meals prior to your run. Things like a bagel with jam/pbutter and a banana are great. Bananas tend to slow down your bowl movements. Don't eat high fiber foods like apples/oranges etc. This will cause that noisy "blub-blub" noise in your stomach which will probably be followed by the cramping pain after you finish the run.

2. Make sure to be eating enough protein but protein can take up to 5 hours to fully digest so try to eat it near the end of the day (dinner).

3. The other guy's post about avoiding dairy was good. Try to not eat too much of it just before a run. I drink soymilk at breakfast and maybe have some yogurt after my morning run but I try not to have ANY milk/dairy at lunch before I go on my afternoon run/workout. Try to drink only water until you are done running for the day. THe reason is because teas/coffe/juices are diarretics and will make you have to go pee. This can aggrivate your bladder while you are running. I dont think the pain is always in the intestines; a lot of the time, I'll have to go pee bad while I'm running and then about 10 minutes later after I stop I have this HORRIBLE HORRIBLE pain in my lower stomach (near my bladder) and I can't always go after I run even though I have to. The only way I can feel comfortable is in the same position you said, or just laying on my back in my bed until it calms down which can even take up to 2 hours. I hate it so much because you feel like you can't even get up to eat or drink anything because it's so painful.

4. I stop drinking fluids at least 1 hour before I run. I'd stop about 1.5 hours ebfore a hard workout. As long as you have been properly hydrating, this is the best thign to do if you have such stomach problems. I usually eat about 2.5 hours before each run because this seems to give me the best energy/least amount of stomach pain.

5. Visit your doctor and see if they can test you for IBS or try to find a medication that may help. Usually there isn't one, but I did find a doctor who gave me a bottle of pills for people who suffer from chronic bladder spasms. She said I only needed to take it before I raced or had a hard workout/run. I would take it 30 minutes before, and honestly, it really cut down my symptoms. Even if I had to go during the run, at the end the stomach cramping wasn't so severe. You don't need to take it daily, just before hard runs/races.

Hope this helps you out; I definitely know what you are going through and I wouldn't wish it upon my worst enemies...well maybe some haha.

Let me know if I helped you out any!

I used to have the same problem a few years ago and it started happening when I increased my training intensity, mileage, etc and probably lasted just over a year. I finally ended up seeing doctors and what not because I could not believe it was normal for me to come home from workouts 2-3 times a week and be in agonizing pain until the next morning.

What worked for me was changing my diet. Not just what I ate before I ran, but what I ate all the time. I cut out fruit juices because of the acid and cereal, because apparently I was getting a lot of fiber even without the extra morning bowl of cereal. So I would check to see if there is anything you eat regularly that is very acidic and maybe try cutting something out for a week or so and see if it helps.

For me it was seriously just a matter of changing my diet, something so simple that I wish I knew before! Now I very rarely have this problem (only a few times a year) and when I do, I can usually pinpoint it to something I ate too much of (ie acidic foods). Also, for the time being, I would suggest trying a warm bath once the stomach acts up.... that always helped me!

I had the same problem when I ran long and/or ran hard (a workout). I believe the other guy is right when he says running jostles one's stomach around...some more than others.