Bowel cancer worries

[MrLurcher]

Ok, on top of the other worries I have going on atm - MS and Aortic Aneurysm, tonight I've become petrified of bowel cancer.

I've suffered from bloating and some loose stools for around 5 years now, however this year has been the worst and I'm currently going through another phase of bloat/loose stools in as few as 2 weeks. The bloat is relieved when I pass wind, but returns a few hours after. Last night I was breaking wind almost every half hour. I'm also peeing quite frequently and thinking what if it's a bowel tumour pressing against my bladder. My stools have been quite 'sludgy' and thinner recently, and I've been going twice a day.

I've been to the doc in the past and they've mentioned IBS because it's been intermittent and quite sparse between episodes rather than continuos. However after looking on the bowel cancer website, I'm really concerned - was bordering on a panic attack earlier. I first went to the doc about this 3 years ago.

I read some survivor stories and some of them had symptoms for years - much like me, and took lots of doc nagging to get a referral. I'm overcome with worry that I've got bowel cancer based on so similarities with those people on that website.

Sorry for posting again, my partner has lost patience with me and I can't feel I can talk to anyone else in my family because they feel I've lost the plot with my HA. My mental health has probably been declining over the past 6 months, and I've been overcome with stress and anxiety at times.

I'm very frightened right now, and apologies if the post contains to much information.

[jojo2316]

No way!! You really ARE as bad as me!!

---------- Post added at 22:24 ---------- Previous post was at 22:23 ----------

Seriously though- are you getting help with this?

[MrLurcher]

No way!! You really ARE as bad as me!!

---------- Post added at 22:24 ---------- Previous post was at 22:23 ----------

Seriously though- are you getting help with this?

I'm not in a great way admittedly.

After googling a bit more tonight, I think Crohn's is more of a likely diagnosis now - but equally as frightening, especially with the raised cancer chances. I have a sore at the corner of my mouth which is classic Crohn's, along with fatigue and some other symptoms.

Can Crohn's come and go over years before finally developing into a serious episode?

[jojo2316]

I'm not in a great way admittedly.

After googling a bit more tonight, I think Crohn's is more of a likely diagnosis now - but equally as frightening, especially with the raised cancer chances. I have a sore at the corner of my mouth which is classic Crohn's, along with fatigue and some other symptoms.

Can Crohn's come and go over years before finally developing into a serious episode?

I really think it’s not likely. You are in a state of acute hyper awareness. It is awful but it doesn’t mean you have a serious disease. Are you on any meds?

[MrLurcher]

I really think it’s not likely. You are in a state of acute hyper awareness. It is awful but it doesn’t mean you have a serious disease. Are you on any meds?

Do you mean anxiety/depression meds?

I have had a prescription for Citalopram for 3 weeks now, but have been too afraid to take them.

The only other things I take is Mebeverine for the 'IBS' now and again.

[jojo2316]

Do you mean anxiety/depression meds?

I have had a prescription for Citalopram for 3 weeks now, but have been too afraid to take them.

The only other things I take is Mebeverine for the 'IBS' now and again.

I do mean anxiety meds. I think you should take them...
Xx

[nomorepanic]

I would make another appointment with your GP and ask if they would consider doing further investigations as it could be something or nothing but you are worried.

[nomorepanic]

It is a jigsaw puzzle that you have put together though and not someone medically qualified.

You can't assume anything to be honest.

[MrLurcher]

Good evening, having another panic about another potential problem right now.

For anyone who looks at my history, I've been in deep health anxiety for over a month now. Had a variety of symptoms, tingling, fatigue, nausea, weakness, bladder issues, bowel troubles. I've been feeling scared since the start of December.

I've had a lot of 'problems', but my main worries have been MS and some sort of bowel cancer, bladder cancer.

Bowel cancer is on my mind at the moment. For 15 years I've had IBS symptoms, which have come and gone. Mainly diarrhea based, but over the past couple of years really bad bloating and wind - life has gotten a lot more stressful, and I've had boughts of depression and severe anxiety.

Back in May, I had a bought of bloat with pain that spread around my abdomen and had pain when pressing down over my lower right, next to my bellybutton. The doctor at the time, said probably a touch of IBS again. I think I visited back in 2016 about a similar pain.

Start of December, same pain again, lasting 3/4 days. Again, got it checked out, but ruled IBS again. This week, same pain once more, flared up quite badly on Wednesday night - improved after stool and wind passing, but took 2/3 days to die down. Stools were sort of mushy, but have been a mixture of normal and mushy in the middle of these flare ups.

I have been taking Mebeverine (iBS Meds) when having these flare ups.

I had bloods done at the end of December, just to help ease my mind which was spiralling out of control worrying about all sorts of things. Everything normal.

However I'm not sure if I can feel like a small hard lump when pressing deep around this lower right area now - like a marble. Worrying about tumours. Could this be the shape of my intestine or an organ?

Ive read up on some cancer forums that bowel cancer takes a while to 'grow' and doesn't always cause markers on blood tests. I spoke to the doctor on Thursday about this third flare up in the space of 7 months and she said she wasn't worried about anything serious and is probably IBS, made worse by my anxiety - despite the recent flare up happening on a day where I felt ok and relaxed.

Does IBS cause the same sort of pain pattern every time it flares up? And also pain when pressing down on your abdomen? In a specific area? The doc said it can very well do, but I think they're fobbing me off a bit due to my recent history of worrying.

I'm petrified right now that I may have some sort of Cancer or Inflammatory Bowel Disease. I've spoken to nearly 8 different doctors about various health related things over the past month so a bit embarrassed to return again, but I don't see what other choice I have. I've become obsessed with checking my stools recently, and get pretty nervous before going to the toilet incase I discover blood.

(I was hoping not to post on here for a while, but here I am again)

[MrLurcher]

Anyone out there? I'm desperate right now. Just been reading the bowelcanceruk page about people diagnosed young and I'm mortified. I've got so many similar symptoms now, and quite a few people there said they were fobbed off by GP's many times :-(