Murdock
23-09-17, 20:06
This is quite a long post but please bear with me.
I’m a 30 year old female with a history of health anxiety. I’ve always had odd bowel habits (mucus, constipation, hemorrhoids etc) plus I also have a diagnosis of GERD.
This summer I decided to try a vegetarian diet. Things were fine at first but then I began to notice a change in bowel habits (more frequent and a bit more loose) along with excess gas. I eventually went to a doctor after become bloated from eating lentils and being only able to pass mucus. The doctor took some blood and tested me for celiac disease (not sure if they tested for anything else) but this came back negative. They also did a physical examination and said my abdomen felt fine.
After this I decided to put meat back into my diet but things haven’t seemed to settle down totally. I do have periods of having bowel movements which are more normal for me but at times they still come out softer (but fully formed) than they used to and can be messy.
I’ve been back to the GPs several times since where they’ve done stool samples for H Pylori and calprotectin and again all negative. My GP says it’s just IBS.
However it has now gotten to a point where I have gone back to a somewhat regular diet for myself but I’m still having symptoms such as:
Flatulence after eating (doesn’t happen all the time and it’s more common when I’m stressing about my health)
Messy poops at times and on average going slightly more than I used to
1 more episode very recently of being constipated and not going for 4 days and only passing mucus
A feeling that my anal passage (tmi I know sorry) just doesn’t feel quite right but I don’t know how much of that is me just obsessing on that part of my body
Lower back pain which I have a history of but I seem to be noticing it more recently
All I’ve been able to do for weeks now is think about having bowel cancer and it feels like it’s taking over my life. I constantly look at myself in the mirror to see if I’m bloated (as I know that can be a symptom). My partner tells me I look fine but I’ve become obsessed.
Has anyone been in the same situation or can anyone offer any reassurance? I have an appointment with my GP this Friday and I’m currently waiting for a referral back to my psychiatrist and for CBT.
Thanks all,
Murdock.
I’m a 30 year old female with a history of health anxiety. I’ve always had odd bowel habits (mucus, constipation, hemorrhoids etc) plus I also have a diagnosis of GERD.
This summer I decided to try a vegetarian diet. Things were fine at first but then I began to notice a change in bowel habits (more frequent and a bit more loose) along with excess gas. I eventually went to a doctor after become bloated from eating lentils and being only able to pass mucus. The doctor took some blood and tested me for celiac disease (not sure if they tested for anything else) but this came back negative. They also did a physical examination and said my abdomen felt fine.
After this I decided to put meat back into my diet but things haven’t seemed to settle down totally. I do have periods of having bowel movements which are more normal for me but at times they still come out softer (but fully formed) than they used to and can be messy.
I’ve been back to the GPs several times since where they’ve done stool samples for H Pylori and calprotectin and again all negative. My GP says it’s just IBS.
However it has now gotten to a point where I have gone back to a somewhat regular diet for myself but I’m still having symptoms such as:
Flatulence after eating (doesn’t happen all the time and it’s more common when I’m stressing about my health)
Messy poops at times and on average going slightly more than I used to
1 more episode very recently of being constipated and not going for 4 days and only passing mucus
A feeling that my anal passage (tmi I know sorry) just doesn’t feel quite right but I don’t know how much of that is me just obsessing on that part of my body
Lower back pain which I have a history of but I seem to be noticing it more recently
All I’ve been able to do for weeks now is think about having bowel cancer and it feels like it’s taking over my life. I constantly look at myself in the mirror to see if I’m bloated (as I know that can be a symptom). My partner tells me I look fine but I’ve become obsessed.
Has anyone been in the same situation or can anyone offer any reassurance? I have an appointment with my GP this Friday and I’m currently waiting for a referral back to my psychiatrist and for CBT.
Thanks all,
Murdock.