Stool question..please help..

[Alexy]

What should they actually be like? Im a little worried that mine are loose..but im not sure if its just normal? Like the doc says they should be "soft"..by loose, does this mean like diarrea?so like..3 or more times a day, and like water?

[viremarthius]

hey!! mine are like that too. I have been worried about it for a little while, but I'm assuming it's nothing.

[theforester]

Hey Alexy, I'm no doctor, but I'm 95% sure I know what your doc means by "soft". I believe that this means that the stool is formed and has shape but is not at all difficult to pass. Diarrhea would be a bit too loose and hard ones that take some strain to pass would be too...well hard. The ideal stool is formed and easy to pass. Keep in mind though that there are many things that can effect your stool, not the least of which is your diet. I hope that this helps a bit!

Anyone who knows more about this, feel free to chime in :)

[Jjeni]

ha ha ok well this is an area i feel experienced enough to reply in ....

I have suffered with irritable bowel for 7 years and i have been throgh numbers of tests and investigations and i have also done a diploma in diet and nutrition.

So basically a soft stool is fairly normal - hard stool one of which maybe hurts to pass or is caused by constipation , and a lose movement is one of which is slightly looser than normal as in bit softer not so hard to pass maybe comes out a little easier than normal - diareah is classed as watery, urgency to go type stools ( sory for info but u asked lol)

I would say if you have no other symptoms then u are fine - it can be caused by anxiety / stress / slightly dif diet - maybe something u ate didnt agree with u wholely ( but this isnt to say it will disagree with u again) .
If your bowel habits change drastically and by this i mean i went from being normal to having diareah every morning 3\4 trips to the bathroom before i could even go to work then maybe get checked out and of course if u ever see bood in your stool that should also be checked out ( i also have this though and it comes from being constipated or pushing too hard)

i cant really say much else at the moment - however if you have any other symptoms then dont hesitate to contact me - ifi can help you i will do or advise wat i think.

[Alexy]

Hey thanks for all the replies guys:)

Um Jeni, i tried to figure out how to PM you, but it wouldn't let me:S..

But its not just that really..Iv been having kinda pains in the anal rectum kinda area for months, and pain in my tailbone also..im convinced they are related, and im convinced its a tumour of some kind..Im also worried iv caused it myself..i used to have issues with eating, and everytime id eaten a big meal, id suck my stomach in as far as possible repeatitively, and im scared somehow iv now given myself cancer. Also iv had issues with blood in stools, but had 2 stool bloods, both came back clear. And this with loose stools, i think mine might be..but occasionally i get periods where i don't go for a few days or so..im so so terrified theres something very wrong with me, and that iv waited too long to sort it:( I am currently waiting on a referral, but im too scared to go:S im 17 and this is taking over my life:(

[theforester]

Hello again Alexy

Pain and blood in the stool certainly don't always mean cancer. They could be caused by many things including your diet. If you don't mind my asking, what is your diet like? Do you eat well balanced meals? Lots of sugars, meats, veggies? And do you think you are drinking enough water? I don't want to assume anything, but I know from experience that certain eating habits can give you some very unpleasant...issues. :blush:

How often have you seen blood?

As you've probably gathered from all of the info on these forums, anxiety can cause a whole host of different (and seemingly unrelated) symptoms. Your anxiety about the (very remote possibility of) cancer can not make you any better, it can only complicate matters. It could even be the main factor in your bowel issues. I know it's about as helpful advice as not spitting into the wind, but try to relax about that aspect of it. You can be cautious and concerned without feeling so anxious about what it could be. I would suggest taking some deep breaths, listening to some calming music, and asking your doctor what they think. And make sure your doctor understands just how concerned you are about it.

The variable bowel movements sound to me (again, I'm not a doctor) like pretty typical anxiety related GI disturbances like IBS. As I understand it IBS very often makes people have varying periods of diarrhea and then constipation AND it can feel extremely uncomfortable. If it is IBS you should know that it can't hurt you, it can be very annoying and unpleasant but it is not harmful. There are some drugs that help with IBS, but I think one of the non-medical things that is usually suggested is increasing your intake of fiber (eat lots more leafy green veggies) and decreasing (you don't have to combletely eliminate, at least right now) your intake of refined sugars, coffee, alcohol and various other things that can be irritating to your system.

I hope this is of some help Alexy, just hang in there and try not to worry about it too much! It feels impossible I know, but try to relax anyway! And don't worry about the doctor's appointment either, it is highly, highly unlikely that you have cancer and even if you do, seeing your doctor is the best thing you could do! In the mean time you know you have support and a good group of understanding people on these forums if you need them. :)

Take care :flowers:

[Alexy]

Thanks for your reply:)

I think my diet is okay, im pretty healthy really, maybe a bit more chocolate than i should, but nothing thats too bad:S
I have had blood on a tissue twice, and i feel iv seen it a few times on the stool, but iv had two blood stool tests, both of which came back clear..

Im just terrified cos iv had the pains for so long, that its cancer, and its developed, and its just too late:(

[theforester]

Ok, good to know you're eating well! I've had some issues, first with eating too much protein (got things all clogged up) and then not eating enough (felt terrible in general). If you are eating pretty healthy and balanced then it is probably not that. It could possibly be a food intolerance of some sort, but I'm not sure how much weight I'd give to that. If you wanted to you could cut way back on the chocolate for a week or two and see if it changes anything. It's worth a try, although giving up chocolate is not a decision to make lightly! :winks:

How long have you had the pains and associated symptoms?

Since you are on these forums I assume you have anxiety related issues? Did you have anxiety before the pain and stuff? If you did then your symptoms are very likely just a side effect of the anxiety. It can certainly do that.

However, if you really are worried about it and can't get cancer out of your mind, you could try to get an MRI scan and do some basic bloodwork (or something similar) so that you can put your mind at ease. Obviously you have to go to the doctors to accomplish that, so you'll need to face your fear of going.

Try not to worry too much though. It is highly unlikely that it's cancer There are many other much more likely (and much less terrifying) possibilities and as far as I know none of those possibilities are really harmful.

I think I mentioned it before, but anxiety can cause IBS and one of the most common effects of IBS is alternating diahrrea (or very loose stools) and constipation. If the constipation is bad it could easily cause a little bit of blood. As an example: You could have ate something bad that gave you diahrrea or another effect. Then you got worried and anxious about that...and the anxiety is now causing IBS which is continuing the (completely unrelated, but) same type of symptoms. I tell you this so you can see how complicated anxiety can make things. Your symptoms may have started as a "real" bodily reaction to something (like eating a bit of spoiled food for instance) and have now simply become symptoms of your anxiety over them! You may just have to break the cycle, so to speak.

Sorry if I rambled too much! I get a bit carried away sometimes :roflmao: .

Good luck Alexy! :hugs: I really hope you get it all figured out.

[steven67]

hi alexy my bowels are getting better now my ha is carming down a bit ,cramps gone i do still have back and hip pain and all the ha pains but i do have all kinds of stools, but now i don't bother me, one thing i done was to stop self cheaking my body. i have had my ibs for 3 1/2 yrs and ha for 5 1/2yrs and plies for 23yrs remeber one thing if its something bad you will be very ill ,ever to ill to come on this web site, sounds like ibs x ha just like me ,take care steve.