What could cause stomach pain that comes and goes in waves with diarrhea?

When your stomach hurts in waves and you have diarrhea, it could be because your intestines are reacting to an infection or irritation. One possibility is acute gastroenteritis, which happens when a virus or bacteria causes inflammation in your stomach and intestines. This infection can lead to crampy, waving pain along with diarrhea as your body tries to get rid of the germs. Another possible cause is diverticular disease. In this condition, small pouches in the wall of your colon can become inflamed (called diverticulitis), and this can lead to crampy pain that comes and goes, often accompanied by changes in your bowel movements like diarrhea. In both cases, the muscle contractions in your gut can make the pain feel like it's coming in waves. To better understand what might be causing your specific symptoms, you can use Ubie's free AI symptom checker to get personalized insights in just a few minutes. It is important to notice if you also have other symptoms such as fever, blood in your stool, or if the pain worsens, and then seek help from a healthcare provider. They can perform tests, like stool examinations or scans, to find out exactly what is causing your pain and help you feel better.