Second colonoscopy on April 2, pretty scared, please read

Hey all, 38 year old male. My name is John. In 2013 I had a couple months of bad constipation and mucus. Begged the gastro to do a colonoscopy and she did in July 2013 to make me feel better. Aside from some internal hemorrhoids and a little colitis, completely clear. My symptoms vanished.

Fast forward to March 2019. Since April of 2018 I've had almost daily symptoms: sometimes weeks of constipation (never gone longer than a day without a bowel movement but they're clearly hard dried stools), sometimes ragged looking stools, sometimes mucus, sore achy lower back and sides, and constant, CONSTANT, daily gurgling and noise in my bowels. Constant. The gurgling is either this sort of low rapid feeling in my upper right abdomen, or a popping noisy gurgling in my lower gut. Like every damn day, off and on all day. I don't remember experiencing that in 2013. I can count on one hand the amount of times I've had a totally normal looking stool since last April. Nothing I've tried helps. Went back to the gastro in July and she was adamant I didn't have bowel cancer. Then I went again in December. Kept saying "you had a colonoscopy in 2013. We drew blood this year and you have no inflammation. This isn't how bowel cancer works. You have IBS and it can last for years, unfortunately". Over the past few weeks I started noticing off and on smears of bright red blood on the toilet paper. Went back to the gastro two weeks ago and she said "well hey let's just do another colonoscopy and check for inflammation or more hemorrhoids, ok?" I asked if she was giving me another colonoscopy because she's afraid something deadly is going on and she said "no, this is to reassure you". But what if she's doing it because she's really concerned and doesn't want to freak me out?

Guys I have to ask: having a colonoscopy free of polyps in July 2013, what are the odds I now have bowel cancer? Because I've lived in a prison of fear for an entire year now. Not a day goes by where I'm not thinking about this. Everyone from my GP to my therapist to the gastro to my wife insist I don't have bowel cancer and I don't believe them. I need to hear what other anxiety sufferers think. Please.

Bowel cancer is generally regarded as slow growing, so unless there is a family history of it, colonoscopies take place every 10 years (I think - I could be wrong here)

If there is a history of bowel cancer in the family it's every 5 years, or more frequently.

I would add that 'constipation' like you describe is almost NEVER a bowel cancer symptom.

Interestingly, you might read case reports or stories online of people saying their constipation was a symptom of bowel cancer. Upon further questioning, it turns out they were going MORE FREQUENTLY, but felt incomplete evacuation. Hence they called it constipation, when in fact increased frequency = diarrhoea.

Could a polyp form in that time and cause symptoms? Not very likely, no. Especially because I believe it takes 10 years, on average, for the malignant change to happen. Yes there will be outsiders at both ends of the spectrum, but common things are common.

Your symptoms really aren't consistent with bowel cancer,which is usually diarrhoea of increasing frequency and severity, coupled with blood mixed IN with the stool (it will look purple/maroon rather than bright red) weight loss and anaemia if the tumour is in the right bowel.

I think the 'told ya so' gang can be on standby for this one

Good luck

Thanks for the reply. I think I'm at the point where no matter how many people tell me IBS can last this long, I won't believe them until I have another colonoscopy, and it sucks. I've literally had people tell me they have IBS-D and C symptoms daily for years and I still can't bring myself to believe this is just IBS.

Hi

This is just a courtesy reply to let you know that your post was moved from its original place to a sub-forum that is more relevant to your issue.

This is nothing personal - it just enables us to keep posts about the same problems in the relevant forums so other members with any experience with the issues can find them more easily.

Please also read this post:

http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=213239

I had the same fear a couple of weeks ago - that the tech had just told me that to make me feel better while I awaited results. In hindsight, I see it a bit clearer. Really, it's highly unlikely that they would tell you they had no concerns if they did. Why? Because 1. That would make them look like they were dishonest and that would breach the patient/doctor trust. She'd know you would never believe her again. 2. She has no reason to lie to you. Doctors tend to be blunt, even when they sugar coat something.

It's just not something in a doctor's best interest to not be straight with you if they think there is any real chance of concern.

P.s. Everything was fine, just like she told me.

That's good news I've got my first one on May 1st,not looking forward to it lol