Somebody please help me make sense .. convinced got bowel cancer

Hi I’m new to this forum to cut a long story short since November last year I’ve been suffering health anxiety due to a funny menstrual cycle and then a full blood count showing high white cells, all that’s sorted now periods regulated and white cells normal .

However that’s left me with a very unhealthy bout of health anxiety, past few months I’ve diagnosed my self with all cancers possible everytime a symptom occurs I’m diagnosing 🙄. paying for private counselling session at moment and feel like I’m getting there.

Since the start of this issue my IBS has been through the roof, I’ve not had a major flare up like this that I can remember off and was diagnosed in my teens so my question to all you sufferers are

1) is it normal to pass mucus especially when you’re straining to poo ?

2) sharp pains below your ribs and sometimes pulling pains in your abdomen and your back?

3) sometimes pain travels through to shoulders ( I suffer from acid reflux as well im putting this one down to that ) ?

4) normal to go to loo for Atleast 4 times a day especially after a fatty meal and also sometimes you make your self go hence the straining (never bothered counting before to be honest but I know I used to go Atleast once a day)?

5) in order for it blood in your stools it would have to be black or red? ( not just specks of black pepper like)

I would really appreciate it if any of you fellow sufferes can help me ??? Because at the moment the health anxiety is saying BOWEL CANCER ?

I’m 36 and since I’ve turned 36 I feel like health wise I’m just going down hill 🤷🏽*♀️.

I had a CRP blood test and full blood count done mid January all satisfactory and no follow up needed. And also a pelvic scan which was clear as well.

Currently on colfac and lansaprozle.

Doctor isn’t worried about my symptoms and said as my health anxiety is high my IBS is at its high as well and told me not to worry about the frequency off going to the loo or the shape, as someone with IBS can go more than five times a day when they have a flare up and even on normal days the tend to go more than your average person without IBS.


At the moment I’m fluctuating between going once a day if I’m busy and don’t have time
To think about it to 4 times a day and the more I go to the loo the less and thinner it gets ( not had pencil thin or ribbon like ) my biggest concern is this going More is it a symptom of IBS or something sinister as I mentioned above i can’t remember how many times I used to go before.

Thanks in advance

I'm sure others will chime in but those symptoms are all consistent with IBS and based on the meds you're taking, that's what you're being treated for. If you scroll to the bottom of the page you'll see similar threads and if you do a search, they'll be pages of similar posts/symptoms.

Look into the FODMAP diet. Good for IBS and GERD.

Positive thoughts

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Originally Posted by Fishmanpa

I'm sure others will chime in but those symptoms are all consistent with IBS and based on the meds you're taking, that's what you're being treated for. If you scroll to the bottom of the page you'll see similar threads and if you do a search, they'll be pages of similar posts/symptoms.

Look into the FODMAP diet. Good for IBS and GERD.

Positive thoughts

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Thank you for commenting, IÂ’m sure itÂ’s just IBS but sometimes the stories you read and hear does not help health anxiety sufferers unfortunately and the mind goes in over drive before you know it.

100% of the time, when it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it really is a duck ;)

Positive thoughts

So true ... but doesn’t help when you start to belive everything on internet, now that my HA is somewhat in grasp I have started to question the reliability of things on internet. One person mentioned on a forum the only sign she had of bowl cancer was intermittent rib pain that obviously scared me as that’s what I’m suffering at the moment 😵 but then I thought there must be more symptoms otherwise why would the doctors come with this diagnosis without anything to lead them on from 🤔

So currently I’m trying to over come a bout of HA and I’m doing well so far, checking my poo has been my sort of latest obsession.
I suffer from IBS and I’ve noticed over the last few days my stools have been flat not necessarily thin but wide and flat.
I went to see the doctor about something else and mentioned it and she didn’t seem worried at all she said its normal to have flat stools a lot of people have different shapes and sizes . I did originally panic but because I’m trying to treat my health anxiety I didn’t rush to the doctors and only mentioned this to day, I’ve even checked the NHS website and they don’t even include flat stools as a sign of bowel cancer so I wonder where did this theory originate from? Of course I’m still marginally worried about this as this is new for me as I’ve never noticed flat stools?
Any ibs suffers out there who suffers from this ?
Is flat stools really a sign of bowel cancer? Because my doctor sounded really unconcerned and I asked twice one with the clinician who Triaged me and then with the doctor and both sounded pretty confident that it was nothing.

Yep, thats classic anxiety, everything trivial is an obsession, this is why the last time i asked the doctor to take my blood pressure he refused me, for this very reason, as its just one more thing to worry about.

I am working really hard on my heatlh anxiety and have had a few conuselling sessions and had my first CBT session today. On the good days I can some what rationalise but today I’m struggling.
Past few days I’ve been totally questioning myself if I’ve got Actually got IBS or not I was apparently diagnosed at 14 so I can’t remember much about the flare up or anything all I know is when I’m ill or stressed or eat something funny I need to go to the loo and it’s sudden urge and I need to go.
I’ve never obsessed over my bowles as I accepted the diagnosis as I was a kid didn’t know much all I knew it was a illness that made me poo.
Fast forward I’m 36 and noticing every thing now and I’m majorly concerned about the thin and flat stools. Sometimes I get a range of shapes in one poo sitting fat blobs sausage thin flat . I just can’t understand why I’m getting these thin stools having read on google ( and I know it’s my downfall ) people say it’s bowel cancer and thats when the stool is soft the tumour moulds it 🤦🏾*♀️ Other people say the stool calibre is not a concern . To be honest I’m very confused and worried doctor says it normal , but I don’t think I’ve ever noticed thin or flat stools before not that I’ve been checking this frequently. I just need some words of reassurance that flat stools and thin stools don’t necessarily mean cancer I need something to keep me going until my next cbt session next week and my doctors appointment to discuss this any help or experiences with something similar will be appreciated

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Originally Posted by Sunshinegirl82

I just need some words of reassurance that flat stools and thin stools don’t necessarily mean cancer

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Flat stools and thin stools don't necessarily mean cancer :)

Positive thoughts

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Originally Posted by Fishmanpa

Flat stools and thin stools don't necessarily mean cancer :)


Positive thoughts

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Thank you ... I’m just not understanding the reason for flat and thin stools all of a sudden the only thing I can think is it’s a tumour 😩 I’ve has ibs for ever and I’ve never seen thin stools before not that I’ve noticed