Question
I have systemic scleroderma and recently have been experiencing bouts with diarrhea for days.  Is this something that generally is treatable?  Can you live with long bouts of diarrhea if the issue of malabsorption is addressed?

Answer
I'm so sorry you're experiencing this.  There is a GI problem called "small intestine bacterial overgrowth" that can occur with systemic disease.  Some of us also experience rather severe symptoms of "irritable bowel disease," including diarrhea.  Bacterial overgrowth is a result of the bowel moving slower and can be treated with antibiotics.  Irritable bowel is more individualized and can take time to get under control.  There are probiotics like acidophilus that have helped, and sometimes a trigger can be identified - in me it's a high fructose content of something I eat that causes an episode.  Malabsorption seems to be able to occur in many different levels in scleroderma, from iron deficiency to the inability to absorb many necessary nutrients.  Patients are often put on a supplement to their diet to counter this, like Ensure between meals.

There's a terrific bunch of medical articles on GI problems in scleroderma at the Scleroderma Foundation website: http://www.scleroderma.org/medical/gastro.shtm  Find a GI doctor who's experienced in treating scleroderma complications.  Many scleroderma docs work closely with a GI doc at their medical center or university.  You can find locations of scleroderma specialists in the US at the SF site, also.