Tummy issues scaring me

[fbmb]

I'm new here, and thought I would create an account since I always read the site when I'm anxious. I'll start out by saying I have HORRIBLE health anxiety. I'm 28 (female) and it started when I was about 21. I've always been healthy, but people in my family weren't, and I experienced a lot of trauma in watching people be sick when I was a child. So that brings me here....

Over labor day weekend I got some kind of bug. I don't know what it was. But I had loose stools for a few times a day for like 4 days. I figured it would go away. By day 9 it hadn't, so I went to my doctor and he told me this can happen, and even said that it could be because of my anxiety. He told me to try probiotics and that it would clear up. Well, now I'm on day 24 and I'm still having this issue. It's definitely not as bad as it was, but I've been waking up in the morning with loose stools still. Today there was mucus. So I am freaked out bigtime. I haven't had any pain, fevers, etc. And I usually feel fine throughout the day. It's just that when I go to the bathroom it's loose. And that's not really normal for me. I'm never "regular" and if anything I am more on the constipated side of things, but for the past 3 weeks I've been opposite. I've been googling everything from colon cancer to crohn's to UC, and I'm just panicked. I wonder if this could all be IBS from my severe anxiety. The thing is, I've always been anxious and this is a first for me.

I had a full blood panel (the whole shebang) done a couple weeks ago and everything was normal. My blood count was great, white count was normal, iron isn't low. But I went back today for another set of tests at my local health fair. And of course that makes me anxious because I hate reading the results. If anything is out of range I will go nuts. I wanted to see how my white count is and how my iron levels are. I don't think I am having any bleeding but I don't know. I almost bought one of those colocare kits, but stopped myself because I know that's a little extreme. Yesterday I had a celiac blood test done because my mom has 3 siblings who have celiac. But I really think this all started from the bug I caught a few weeks ago. Is it normal for that stuff to linger? Does it sound plausible that the bug wiped out my good bacteria so I'm having ongoing issues? Is the mucus normal?

Does anyone else have this happen to them from time to time? I've called my doctor to ask her if I can give her a stool sample for testing, in case the bug I got is hanging on. My mind doesn't want to go there though. I can't think that it's just a bug or that it's just anxiety. I have to think the worst possible scenario. This sucks :(

[Maggy May]

did you have full bloodwork done?

I know when I hit my peak of anxiety I get issues with loose stools.
My mother also has anxiety and it gives her full on diarrhoea so it can be part of anxiety, obviously it is still best to get everything checked out with the doctor to rule out anything medical.

Do you get any cramping? if there is no pain I would think it's not IBS but again I am not a doctor.
Is your anxiety high at the moment?


I hate getting results from the doctor also, I have quite a few conditions so I do understand but it always better to know and rule things out.

[fbmb]

Hi! Yes, I have had full blood work done. A couple weeks ago they did a CBC, a chem panel, my thyroid, my lipids, and a metabolic panel. I had no numbers out of range, which my friend in med school says is pretty rare. She said most people have something come up weird.

But I went to my health fair today to have MORE done. another CBC and another chem panel. I'm grateful for them because my husband is about to kill me over the medical bills.

I think the mucus just startled me. I guess maybe I've had that before, but since I'm fixated on my bowels I'm noticing everything now. And nobody talks about their poop, so I don't know if other people experience this too. You know?

[Maggy May]

a small amount of mucas can be normal too, so try not to worry about it too much (I know its easier said than done)

submit a stool sample to be tested so they can double check, but the fact you have no pain/discomfort is a good thing. Again I am not a doctor but have an auto immune disease so I am quite clued up when it comes to poop

You do find when you fixate on something you notice things you never noticed before. You haven't changed your food recently? things like eggs can affect your bowel movements.

Keep that chin up

[fbmb]

I haven't really changed my diet, aside from staying away from dairy, introducing a probiotic, and laying off the gluten. What's frustrating is last week after starting culturelle I felt almost normal. My stools were great for a few days, and then Monday they started going downhill. I had never noticed the mucus before. I have some gurgling and some gassiness. Aside from that I would never think I'd have diarrhea in the morning. Does it sound like it could be crohns or UC to you? I don't know anyone with that so I don't know much about it. I just saw it when I googled "mucus in stool" today :(

[Maggy May]

Again I am not a doctor, but from what I have been told / experienced, if it was crohns or ulcerated colitis there would be indicators in your blood results, and you would be in pain or at least in discomfort.

I would try not to google symptoms as it makes anxiety so much worse - I speak from experience.

[fbmb]

I guess I've always just blown off the thought that stress and anxiety can actually impact you physically. I've lived under stress for so long that I've gotten used to it. So when someone says "this is because of your anxiety" I'm like "Yeah....ok...."

But it sounds like it can be a real issue, especially for your stomach.

[Maggy May]

I was exactly the same. I think it is a normal thing to assume a psychological issue can't create physical symptoms but it is 100% true. It is obviously always best to double check with the doctor before just putting it down to anxiety but it can cause a number of physical issues.

I hope this gets better for you hopefully you can relax a little and it might improve the issue.

All the best

[fbmb]

Do you notice tummy upset when you're anxious? Like gurgling and gassiness, and loose stools? Is that pretty common with anxiety in general?

[Maggy May]

I am new here so I'm not sure if I am allowed to post links to other sites so I apologise admins if it is against the rules I just want to help.

I found this that you may want to read through, sounds like what you describe, may help set your mind at ease a bit.

http://www.anxietycentre.com/anxiety...-anxiety.shtml