Frequently asked questions about diabetic enteropathy

  The main manifestation of diabetic enteropathy is diabetic diarrhea. These patients generally have a long and severe course of the disease, which is mostly complicated by autonomic and peripheral neuropathy. The incidence has been reported to be 16.7%. The pathogenesis of diabetic diarrhea is still unclear. Some people believe that diabetic diarrhea is common in patients with poor glycemic control combined with neuropathy; others believe that diarrhea may be caused by delayed passage of the small intestine and excessive bacterial growth; others explain diarrhea from changes in intestinal hormone secretion.  Its clinical manifestations, in addition to the general manifestations of diabetes, the most prominent clinical manifestation of the disease is intermittent watery diarrhea, which occurs as few as 3-5 times a day and as many as 20-30 times a day. The diarrhea occurs mostly at night, and some patients have alternating diarrhea and constipation, or even intractable constipation. Most patients also have peripheral neuropathy, such as weakened or absent tendon reflexes, weakened or absent tactile, vibration and position sensations, reduced muscle strength and sensory numbness. Some patients may have abnormal autonomic function, such as urinary incontinence, impotence, excessive sweating, etc. Based on the above clinical manifestations, combined with laboratory tests and exclusion of other diseases causing intestinal dysfunction, the diagnosis can be confirmed.  The treatment of diabetic enteropathy is divided into two aspects: Western medicine treatment and Chinese medicine treatment. Western medical treatment, for which there is no specific treatment, is based on effective diabetes control, improvement of autonomic nerves, symptomatic treatment and relief of symptoms. Drugs to improve the function of the vegetative nerves such as vitamin B1 and B12, etc. In patients with severe diarrhea, scopolamine and compound phenylephrine can be tried. Chinese medicine treatment of diabetic diarrhea belongs to the category of diarrhea in Chinese medicine, and the common types of evidence are spleen and stomach qi deficiency, spleen and stomach yin deficiency, and spleen and stomach yang deficiency.  1.Qi deficiency of spleen and stomach mainly manifests as diarrhea after eating, with intermittent movements, tiredness and weakness, little breath and lazy speech, lack of color, light tongue with little coating, and slow and weak pulse. The treatment is to nourish the spleen and strengthen the stomach, commonly used ginseng, Poria, Atractylodes, Chen Pi, yam, white lentils, sand, barley, licorice, etc.  2, spleen and stomach yin deficiency mainly manifested as prolonged diarrhea, thirst and dry tongue, body heat at night, with food is more and more annoying heat, red tongue with less coating, thin pulse. The treatment is to nourish yin and produce fluid, such as ginseng and wu mei soup, medicine such as ginseng, wu mei, lotus rice, yam, dendrobium, yu zhu, rhizome, sage, raw earth, maitong, Zhi mu, he shou wu, etc.  3. Yang deficiency of the spleen and stomach mainly manifests as diarrhea, scanty food, fullness of the abdomen, vomiting and belching, lack of warmth in the limbs, or cold pain in the epigastrium and abdomen, white slippery coating, thin and weak pulse. The treatment is to warm the Yang and strengthen the spleen. The formula is Rizhong Tang, with medicines such as ginseng, atractylodes, dried ginger, licorice, sand, half summer, yellow lily, barley, poria, yam, and Chen Pi. Acupuncture can also be used.