Can coffee cause chronic diarrhea in elderly?

Yes, coffee can contribute to diarrhea. So can apple juice. Both I stopped with Mom. It also could be a med she is on.

The question is, 'Is coffee contributing to Mum's chronic diarrhea?', not can it cause it in the general population. There can be many contributing factors in what is causing diarrhea in a person. As a woman who has suffered from IBS for decades, it is a challenge to work out the triggers.

I know many many people who say they have their morning bowel movement after a cup of coffee. Me, I cannot drink more than two sips of coffee with out trouble.

Have you taken Mum to a dietitian? I had been able to determine many of my triggers on my own, but it was just this year with the help of a dietitian and a supervised elimination diet, that I was able to get a much better understanding of what triggers my IBS. I have also learned that I can tolerate small portions of some trigger foods occasionally.

2 cups a day isn't very much but it is easy enough to abstain and see what happens. My mom's NH added a daily probiotic for this.

Yes coffee can cause it.

Not that little, no. If she’s got chronic diarrhea she needs to see the doctor.