Bit of mucous on stool (tmi)

[Button1]

Hi guys (again)

I've had an upset tummy the past day or so and whilst my stools seem to be going back to normal I've noticed a small bit of mucous on the end of my last stool (it was clear, no blood..) I just wanted to know if that's ok? Bowel cancer is my biggest worry (I'm only 31) and I have IBS which doesn't help.


I'm having an awful weekend, I just don't know how to keep going anymore. I'm always anxious and worried and so down. My son is also poorly now and he's only 7 months, I'm going out of my mind. I wish someone could just switch me off, I can't cope anymore : (

[venusbluejeans]

Stool normally contains a small amount of mucus — your intestines make it to keep the lining of your colon moist and lubricated...... so it is completely normal to see it in there.

and also Mucus in the stool is a common symptom of irritable bowel syndrome

hope your son feels better soon :hugs:

[Lilharry]

I wouldn't worry about too much as long as it goes away. If it doesn't, go and see your doctor, but even then it wouldn't be suggestive of bowel cancer or anything serious. Take it from someone who has had blood in her stool for 6 years - doctors keep telling me not to worry.

[Button1]

I keep seeing it as a symptom of cancer : ( how can I feel this desperate on 100mg of sertraline? I should be enjoying my precious new baby not wasting my time on this...

[Lilharry]

Nah, definitely not bowel cancer. I have been terrified of bowel cancer for years because of the blood i get. Do you know what helped me to get over it? The fact that bowel cancer usually has no symptoms! I was all - well if you don't get symptoms with it then why worry? Mucus is nothing to worry about, especially at your age. You are fine. The other thing that helped me was doing the modules in this course http://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/resources/infopax.cfm?Info_ID=53

Hope you feel better soon hun xx

[Button1]

Thanks guys. I just really am in an awful place at the moment. My doctor has referred me to CBT again (it hasn't done the trick for me yet) so hopefully that will help. I'm just so tired and worn down and literally at the end of my tether.

[Dylan]

Mucous is a sign of IBS---i too have a terrible health Anxiety with B/C---but despite many re-assuarnces from Dr and CBT with Psycholgist,becomes worse when i get anxious---generally if i have a few too many drinks and the fear rushes back.The mucous can also be sign of Haemmoroids.
Hope you start to feel better soon

[Edie]

Yes, this is very normal with IBS. Happens to me a lot. I've had every test under the sun and they can't find anything wrong with me except IBS.

[Button1]

I haven't had any tests- my doctor won't send me for anything she doesn't think is 1000% sure I need them because I can't cope with the stress. Whilst that's true I also can't cope with this nagging certainty that I have cancer and no one will listen..

[Lilharry]

That's why you need to deal with the fear not the symptoms. Seriously, give those modules a go in the link I sent you and see how you feel.

[Button1]

I've done something similar but will certainly look at it again. My problem is feeling very unsafe treating my HA as I believe it will stop me from dying : ( I feel like no one ever expects that they'll be the ones to get cancer but people do, why not me? It just feels so inevitable...

[Lilharry]

Yeah, but that's part of it. You may get cancer one day, but you don't want to have cancer AND anxiety. Your anxiety is not stopping you from getting cancer, it's stopping you from enjoying your life. Anxiety is a bitch and needs to be seen for what it really is - bloody unhelpful. Try and tell it to leave you alone - it's good of it to alert you to the fact you have mucus in your stool, but it's done it's job and can leave now because you don't have cancer and there's no point worrying about something you haven't got. There is also no point worrying about something you HAVE got so either way the anxiety is the one that has to go.