Anxious about stools/bowel movements.. advice/help needed!

Hi all,

I have posted on here before but I’m having quite a bad day and could use some advice/help.

I’m a 26 year old male, 5ft 10” weighing 13st 12/13 - so slightly overweight. I have no bad health history, no family history of anything. My worrie started about a month ago, when I started getting severe chest pains etc and thought I was having a heart attack. This led me to the GP multiple times and to A&E where I had multiple tests including ECGs which all were fine. Mind at ease!

Then now for about 2 and half/3 weeks I’ve been having some issues with my bowels and it’s causing extreme anxiety. Basically, I’ve started having a bowel movement as soon as I wake up now - where as before it’s be after my morning coffee/tea. I will then go again 2/3 times in the morning - again this is actually normal for me as I’ve always been someone who has frequent bowel movements. Normally the stools are easy to pass and have varied from small broken up flat pieces, to well formed snake style. I also seem to be quite constipated later in the day and find it hard to pass stools normally small dropping pieces, sometimes small flat pieces. I did have slight bleeding on toilet paper but this has completely gone for the past week after I introduced toilet wipes and used germoloids cream. I’m still having the same issue with bowel movements though. I seem to have a very noisy belly (lots of rumbles) I haven’t had much pain, though I have had it now and then. More so after I added fibre supplements. I seem to be burping and farting a lot also and I have passed Just mucus when going for a bowel movement maybe 2/3 times over this period. I also have frequent urination. No fatigue, no blood in stool, no weight loss (stayed 13st 11 - 14st) over the period fluctuating daily. No loss in appetite, if anything I’m eating more. However, I have switched up my diet a bit - cutting out a lot of rubbish I’d eat..

Now I’ve been to the GP multiple times, first time I had bloods done, came back and were perfect bar infection showed as raised but still normal (10 - when the average is 8) they put this down to me having a chest cough/cold at time of bloods. No anemia, all over bloods perfect. I have then been in touch with GP again, who reaffirmed to me that it isn’t my fear (bowel/colon cancer) and my bloods were extremely reassuring. Diagnosed with Health Anxiety and have been recently prescribed Sertraline (2nd day of tabs) and also said symptoms sound like IBS as Anxiety can cause this.

I’ve been obsessed and convinced myself I have bowel/colon cancer - Googling for hours a day (Symptoms, Forums, Stories) inspecting stools etc. Constantly worrying about it.

So recap symptoms;

1. Change in Bowel Habit
2. Flat stools and Formed Stools
3. Blood - Treated via. Wipes and Germoloids - No More Blood
4. Occasional abdominal pain
5. Excessive flatulence
6. On Anxiety Ames’s (Hasn’t altered bowel movements currently)

Has anyone dealt with something similar? I’m scared the doctors are missing something? I’m an anxious mess and would benefit from any advice/help.

Thank You and sorry for the long post!

Most days I’m going as soon as I get up, and I’m lucky if it’s less than three times before the day gets going. I’ve also passed just mucus in the past, and expect I will some point again. I have IBS and just expect these things now but I do have very good days when things are ‘normal’

Seeming as your bloods were good and your doctor is confident I think you can trust in this. There are over the counter remedies that can help, there’s a capsule that’s just peppermint oil that I’ve found useful for the gas and some of the frequency issues, to settle the stomach you could also try peppermint tea - plus it’s nice and relaxing!

Positive vibes

C


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Hi, thanks for sharing that Midnight-Mouse - it’s comforting to know other people have similar symptoms to me! :)

Yes, I should trust in this - she was very reassuring on the phone when I contacted last about there be nothing to signify this! It’s mainly due to my HA mixed with the current symptoms I’m having as to why I’m in the mess I’m in I think :(

Hopefully the Sertraline will start helping in time! - I will definitely look into peppermint tea and capsules! :)

Thank You

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Originally Posted by JayWright91

Hi, thanks for sharing that Midnight-Mouse - it’s comforting to know other people have similar symptoms to me! :)

Yes, I should trust in this - she was very reassuring on the phone when I contacted last about there be nothing to signify this! It’s mainly due to my HA mixed with the current symptoms I’m having as to why I’m in the mess I’m in I think :(

Hopefully the Sertraline will start helping in time! - I will definitely look into peppermint tea and capsules! :)

Thank You

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I’m always happy to share, if only we could just give these issues away! ;) perhaps someone who can’t go would like some of our going too much and then we would all be happy.
If it helps any further my mum is exactly the same except she has very watery movements and has had all the investigations and nothing came back other than ibs.

Hope things settle out a little for you soon!

C


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Originally Posted by Midnight-mouse

I’m always happy to share, if only we could just give these issues away! ;) perhaps someone who can’t go would like some of our going too much and then we would all be happy.
If it helps any further my mum is exactly the same except she has very watery movements and has had all the investigations and nothing came back other than ibs.

Hope things settle out a little for you soon!

C


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I wish we could, mine is very new 3 weeks nearly and it’s already driving me mad! :/ - Ahh, im sorry to hear your mum is all going through same thing also but at least it’s nothing too serious! - I just need to curb my obsession/self diagnosis of a serious cancer. 🙃

Thank you, I hope you also have some restbite from it :)

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Originally Posted by JayWright91

I wish we could, mine is very new 3 weeks nearly and it’s already driving me mad! :/ - Ahh, im sorry to hear your mum is all going through same thing also but at least it’s nothing too serious! - I just need to curb my obsession/self diagnosis of a serious cancer. [emoji854]



Thank you, I hope you also have some restbite from it :)

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Well I’m pretty bad for not helping myself with some of the things I choose to eat sometimes but I’m so used to it I don’t really mind. I’ve been going through this for years now myself.


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Originally Posted by Midnight-mouse

Well I’m pretty bad for not helping myself with some of the things I choose to eat sometimes but I’m so used to it I don’t really mind. I’ve been going through this for years now myself.


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Ah, yeah I have heard some foods can make it a lot worse - see as this all new to me I’m unsure whether any foods are contributing to the issue. My doctor said it’s seems to be from Anxiety and Stress which is contributing to it 🙃 So, I’m hoping the Sertraline helps ease my anxiety and therefore eases my bowel issues. Do you get times when it feels like you need to have a bowel movement but nothing comes out? That ones annoying! 🙃 When you got diagnosed did they do many tests? As I’ve only had bloods done, they don’t want to push a colonoscopy due to age, lack of red flags and the risk of colonoscopy 🙃 - Im sorry you’ve had to deal with it for years! :/ do you find anything eases it for you? (sorry about all the questions)

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Originally Posted by JayWright91

Ah, yeah I have heard some foods can make it a lot worse - see as this all new to me I’m unsure whether any foods are contributing to the issue. My doctor said it’s seems to be from Anxiety and Stress which is contributing to it [emoji854] So, I’m hoping the Sertraline helps ease my anxiety and therefore eases my bowel issues. Do you get times when it feels like you need to have a bowel movement but nothing comes out? That ones annoying! [emoji854] When you got diagnosed did they do many tests? As I’ve only had bloods done, they don’t want to push a colonoscopy due to age, lack of red flags and the risk of colonoscopy [emoji854] - Im sorry you’ve had to deal with it for years! :/ do you find anything eases it for you? (sorry about all the questions)

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Don’t apologise for the questions it’s absolutely fine, I actually had no tests because my doctor was certain with the patterns and lack of all other symptoms that it’s the only thing it can be.
I get the feeling of needing to go but not being able to (even if I have been 2/3 times already that day) Very often especially if things are a little painful in my gut. I think we focus on it a little too much and misinterpret the signals. In fact I have had it this evening.

For me I notice that I am really bad when I’m stressed, or have to go out. And then the foods I eat sometimes are a trigger all in themselves.

Eating well and not worrying (haha!) ease things a little but I’ve just come to understand that my bowel is fickle and decides on a whim what type of day I’m going to have.

Fatty foods are a trigger for me, as is too many vegetables, so a veggie curry take away is bad news but I like it occasionally when I know I have no where to be the next day. Too much cheese is also a problem.



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Originally Posted by Midnight-mouse

Don’t apologise for the questions it’s absolutely fine, I actually had no tests because my doctor was certain with the patterns and lack of all other symptoms that it’s the only thing it can be.
I get the feeling of needing to go but not being able to (even if I have been 2/3 times already that day) Very often especially if things are a little painful in my gut. I think we focus on it a little too much and misinterpret the signals. In fact I have had it this evening.

For me I notice that I am really bad when I’m stressed, or have to go out. And then the foods I eat sometimes are a trigger all in themselves.

Eating well and not worrying (haha!) ease things a little but I’ve just come to understand that my bowel is fickle and decides on a whim what type of day I’m going to have.

Fatty foods are a trigger for me, as is too many vegetables, so a veggie curry take away is bad news but I like it occasionally when I know I have no where to be the next day. Too much cheese is also a problem.



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Ahh, I see - That reassures me with my struggles currently.. Yes, that is the same with me I also had it this evening - extremely annoying 🙃 - Yes, I also agree maybe it’s due to heightened awareness of that area we think oh, need to go now when in fact we don’t! 🙃 - Looking back over the past few years, I too, would normally have to have multiple bowel movements, if I had a job interview, important meeting at work in a super short space of time - so maybe I’ve been suffering a while and it’s only flagged up to me as a ‘problem’ due to my severe health anxiety! I can’t seem to find a pattern in regards to food. However, that may be due to me being so obsessed on cancers that I’m simply not paying attention to foods and how it affects me - I will have to monitor it now.

Thinking about it when you said fatty foods are a trigger, I have noticed multiple times over the past few years - takeaways tended to give me quite bad bowel movements. Maybe that could be a trigger I need to watch for also!

I’m glad you’re able to be positive with it, it seems :) I hope it does ease up for you as I can sympathise with the annoyance of it!

Before you got diagnosed as IBS, did you also think it could be something worse or? I don’t want to be super nosey lol! - Just interested to see if it played off of an anxiety?

Thank You, for taking time to reply on here has helped ease my mind a little this evening as I was having quite a bad time (partially I think to the Sertraline as doctors said it can amplify my anxiety first few weeks 🙃)

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Originally Posted by JayWright91

Ahh, I see - That reassures me with my struggles currently.. Yes, that is the same with me I also had it this evening - extremely annoying [emoji854] - Yes, I also agree maybe it’s due to heightened awareness of that area we think oh, need to go now when in fact we don’t! [emoji854] - Looking back over the past few years, I too, would normally have to have multiple bowel movements, if I had a job interview, important meeting at work in a super short space of time - so maybe I’ve been suffering a while and it’s only flagged up to me as a ‘problem’ due to my severe health anxiety! I can’t seem to find a pattern in regards to food. However, that may be due to me being so obsessed on cancers that I’m simply not paying attention to foods and how it affects me - I will have to monitor it now.



Thinking about it when you said fatty foods are a trigger, I have noticed multiple times over the past few years - takeaways tended to give me quite bad bowel movements. Maybe that could be a trigger I need to watch for also!



I’m glad you’re able to be positive with it, it seems :) I hope it does ease up for you as I can sympathise with the annoyance of it!



Before you got diagnosed as IBS, did you also think it could be something worse or? I don’t want to be super nosey lol! - Just interested to see if it played off of an anxiety?



Thank You, for taking time to reply on here has helped ease my mind a little this evening as I was having quite a bad time (partially I think to the Sertraline as doctors said it can amplify my anxiety first few weeks [emoji854])

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Well I’m emetophobic (fear of vomiting) so having troubles with my bowels always used to make me very anxious and scared that it could be a bug or something that would make me ill. I also have HA focused on the big C, but never of the bowel or anything of the like, just watch that be the next thing ;) but I’ve always had times even in childhood where I would have pain and cramps with awful bowel movements when I was worried.

I do take it all with a sense of humour now to be honest, my other half has helped me make light of it and it really does help to just accept things than get worked up and make things even worse for myself.

I’m always happy to talk about all this, especially as it’s a topic some struggle with, and everyone has things that worry them regardless of mental health issues and talking about things helps.


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Originally Posted by Midnight-mouse

Well I’m emetophobic (fear of vomiting) so having troubles with my bowels always used to make me very anxious and scared that it could be a bug or something that would make me ill. I also have HA focused on the big C, but never of the bowel or anything of the like, just watch that be the next thing ;) but I’ve always had times even in childhood where I would have pain and cramps with awful bowel movements when I was worried.

I do take it all with a sense of humour now to be honest, my other half has helped me make light of it and it really does help to just accept things than get worked up and make things even worse for myself.

I’m always happy to talk about all this, especially as it’s a topic some struggle with, and everyone has things that worry them regardless of mental health issues and talking about things helps.


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Ooo, I can imagine it would make you extremely anxious, I can sympathise as certain things send me into an anxious state! 🙃 - Hopefully not, as I said mines been quite new with it starting heart related and then jumping to this! 🙃

That’s great! My partner is helpful to, she’s always there whenever I need anything - I am glad you have someone who can help you and understand your feelings when going through it as it definitely isn’t a nice thing :/ I agree a sense of humour about it would definitely be beneficial! Hopefully I can get to that point, soon! :)

I agree 100% - it does help talking about it - I also find it easier to talk to people going through something similar as they can sympathise more than people who don’t understand as it can be a quite hard thing to understand 🙃 - I hope you are doing well atm with it all though and again, thank you for responding in here - has really alleviated some of my anxiety this evening! I’m more than sure it will be back later or tomorrow to bite me though 🙃 lol!

I've also been the same with bowl movements being like this aswell as abdominal pain, sharp pains below my abdomen and the lot but now it's settled, it's unreal what anxiety does. From the sounds of it it's IBS all over, I suffer quite badly from it and everything you've said is me down to a T apart from the bleeding aspect, I wouldn't worry about a thing it's just something we have to deal with. Hope it passes!


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Originally Posted by LewisWardell

I've also been the same with bowl movements being like this aswell as abdominal pain, sharp pains below my abdomen and the lot but now it's settled, it's unreal what anxiety does. From the sounds of it it's IBS all over, I suffer quite badly from it and everything you've said is me down to a T apart from the bleeding aspect, I wouldn't worry about a thing it's just something we have to deal with. Hope it passes!


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Sorry to hear you’ve suffered from it also! - The pains when I get them are very sharp too low down in my abdomen - don’t get it often however. Yeah, I’m more than sure the bleeding was due to either piles/fissure or from excess wiping with toilet paper as since I used the cream (germoloids) and switched to wipes instead of paper I haven’t had so much as a drop of blood (Touch a wood!) - The Sertraline I’m on has made me quite constipated today though so that’s not fun! -
Thanks for sharing as again, reassures me that there are other people going through something similar! - I’m glad yours has settled! Was yours anxiety induced or was it due to foods?

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Originally Posted by JayWright91

Sorry to hear you’ve suffered from it also! - The pains when I get them are very sharp too low down in my abdomen - don’t get it often however. Yeah, I’m more than sure the bleeding was due to either piles/fissure or from excess wiping with toilet paper as since I used the cream (germoloids) and switched to wipes instead of paper I haven’t had so much as a drop of blood (Touch a wood!) - The Sertraline I’m on has made me quite constipated today though so that’s not fun! -

Thanks for sharing as again, reassures me that there are other people going through something similar! - I’m glad yours has settled! Was yours anxiety induced or was it due to foods?

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At least you've got others who know what it's like, I wish I joined this sooner! Yes I do think it was all from anxiety, that's what my doctor said, health anxiety is just a viscous circle and makes you think crazy things and then your body reacts to it, I'm sure my doctor hates seeing my name on her register every month haha! It all started from me googling my symptoms and then I just went into a downward spiral but came back on the up after telling my doctor what I'd been feeling. A lot of us are in the same boat, very reassuring knowing there's some people who know what it is like, positive thoughts!


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Originally Posted by LewisWardell

At least you've got others who know what it's like, I wish I joined this sooner! Yes I do think it was all from anxiety, that's what my doctor said, health anxiety is just a viscous circle and makes you think crazy things and then your body reacts to it, I'm sure my doctor hates seeing my name on her register every month haha! It all started from me googling my symptoms and then I just went into a downward spiral but came back on the up after telling my doctor what I'd been feeling. A lot of us are in the same boat, very reassuring knowing there's some people who know what it is like, positive thoughts!


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Yes, definitely helps to know others are going through something similar and actually can understand what I’m talking about! I definitely can agree, seeing as mine started with heart issues and quickly moved onto bowel issues which ironically I didn’t have before the whole ‘heart attack issue’ - it’s rather annoying though! :/ I notice if I don’t concentrate on the symptoms they ease up & I don’t have it 24/7 - it comes in waves :/ & lol! I’m sure my GP is the same the past month! Thanks man - really reassuring to know some other people are in the same boat! :) Hope yours is okay?


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Originally Posted by JayWright91

Yes, definitely helps to know others are going through something similar and actually can understand what I’m talking about! I definitely can agree, seeing as mine started with heart issues and quickly moved onto bowel issues which ironically I didn’t have before the whole ‘heart attack issue’ - it’s rather annoying though! :/ I notice if I don’t concentrate on the symptoms they ease up & I don’t have it 24/7 - it comes in waves :/ & lol! I’m sure my GP is the same the past month! Thanks man - really reassuring to know some other people are in the same boat! :) Hope yours is okay?


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Exactly the same too if I'm not concentrating enough, I try my best to distract myself and it mostly does work. Yeah it's pretty much settled down now in terms of my bowels but it's my headaches that have been my problem now but I'm sure they'll go away and something else will bother me haha!


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Originally Posted by LewisWardell

Exactly the same too if I'm not concentrating enough, I try my best to distract myself and it mostly does work. Yeah it's pretty much settled down now in terms of my bowels but it's my headaches that have been my problem now but I'm sure they'll go away and something else will bother me haha!


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It’s still bloody annoying! :/ lol! - ahh glad you’re bowels have settled down and ah, typical there’s always something like me! Lol :/


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