Can indigestion cause diarrhoea?

Indigestion affects the upper digestive tract and may cause burning, discomfort, fullness, belching, nausea, or acid reflux. Diarrhoea is loose or watery stool and points to faster movement through the bowel. A stomach bug, contaminated food, intolerance, excess alcohol, or a medicine can produce both upper-abdominal discomfort and diarrhoea.

Conditions such as gastritis, Acid Reflux, gallstones, peptic ulcer disease, or Helicobacter Pylori Infection may cause indigestion, but diarrhoea alongside it does not identify one condition. A hiatus hernia is linked mainly with reflux-type symptoms. Consider when the symptoms began, recent foods, travel, sick contacts, medicines, fever, vomiting, and whether anyone else became unwell.

Take frequent sips of fluid and choose simple foods as your appetite returns. Avoid alcohol, very fatty meals, and foods that clearly worsen the symptoms. Wash your hands carefully, particularly after using the bathroom and before preparing food. Do not take anti-diarrhoeal medicine if you have blood in the stool or a high fever without first getting medical advice.

If upper-abdominal burning continues after the diarrhoea settles, a pharmacist can discuss options such as an antacid or Acid Reflux Medication. Tell them about pregnancy, long-term conditions, allergies, and all current medicines before starting a product.

Contact a clinician if diarrhoea does not settle, keeps returning, or prevents normal activities. Seek urgent help for severe abdominal pain, blood or black stool, repeated vomiting, confusion, fainting, very little urine, a dry mouth with worsening weakness, or breathing difficulty. Children, older adults, pregnant people, and people with significant medical conditions may need earlier advice because fluid loss can become serious more quickly.

Ask whether an infection, food intolerance, medicine, or reflux-related problem could explain the combination. Discuss whether you need an examination or tests, and ask which fluids, foods, and medicines are appropriate for your situation.