Currently terrified of Bowl Cancer 😢 how can you work out if it’s IBS or sinister?

[HA1989]

Hi All,

a few weeks ago I had loose stools followed by constipation for a few days, feel of pressure down there (&#128578 and lightheaded ness. Basically all symptoms of CRC. Then after a week or so the symptoms passed and I’ve been worried about dry eyes, breast cancer, MS and probably others but yesterday I had loose stool again 😢😢 and now the feeling of pressure again, I believe it’s called tenesmus but it’s not an urge to go it’s just awareness of “that area”.

i used to get a day or so between health worries now they are just back to back. I was at doctors asking about breast cancer and as soon as that fear was sorted I was thinking about bowel cancer before I left her office.

Please help, I’m too scared for a colonscopy but paralysed with fear I’m not going to see my baby grow up, he needs his mum 😢

I just want to know whether there’s any major difference between ibs and bowel cancer or do I need to pay for a colonscopy?

thank you, I’m a 30 year old female btw, getting to that age where it’s no longer super rare

[HA1989]

As you hopefully worked out, I mean bowel cancer not bowl cancer

[RadioGaGa]

A 30 year old female, with no genetic predisposing factors is extremely unlikely to get bowel cancer.

Bowel cancer symptoms, once they start, do not stop. They don't come and go. Because, for them to come and go, the tumour would also have to come and go. So your diarrhoea would have persisted EVERY DAY and there would have been no respite.

Why does bowel cancer cause diarrhoea? When there is a tumour obstructing the lumen of the bowel, the bowel (in simple English) tries to compensate for this by liquifying the poop, to clear the obstruction. But obviously, it cannot clear this fixed obstruction. Diarrhoea persists. Narrow stools are not a symptom of bowel cancer.

Although bright red blood on the toilet paper or in the bowl can be an indirect symptom of IBS due to irritation, blood MIXED IN with the stool is NEVER a symptom of IBS. EVER. This is really the only symptom that would truly differentiate the two; that and also IBS usually has periods of non symptoms, but not always!

IMHO with the history of your anxiety this is almost certainly IBS.

[HA1989]

Thank you, the third pararaph about how bowel cancer causes diarrhoea is interesting because I never understood the science behind bowel cancer making stools loose even after extensive google searching.

i do also have a fear of lynch syndrome as my mum had womb cancer at age 50 and I know a symptom of Lynch which is genetic is womb cancer before age 50. She never has genetic testing and I don’t know anyone else close family with cancer. She is now 53 and well but she doesn’t want any scans so I can never be 100% sure �� god I feel so depressed and anxious typing that paragraph

I genuinely feel constantly traumatised pretty much all the time. I just don’t want to die �� I don’t want to start declining in health I just want to be well and this has been going on over half my life how. Started getting uncontrollable 18 months ago

[HA1989]

Oh, and the stories of younger people getting CRC (or any cancer really) never seem to be those who chain smoke, binge drink, live on takeaways, have uncontrolled IBD and never exercise. They are people who are vegetarian and rarely drink, exercise most days, basically live as “you’re supposed to if you don’t want cancer”.

People like me (ok I eat meat occasionally but not much).

I used to find that turmeric tablets and magnesium, high dose vitamin D with K supplements really helped my IBS. I think last time this flared up I remembered i had ran out of vitamin D 3000iu and hadn’t took for a week so hoping that was the cause. Don’t like to assume though because that is usually what people do before they are diagnosed with something awful

[BlueIris]

Are you receiving any help for your health anxiety?

[HA1989]

Are you receiving any help for your health anxiety?

I was. I’ve had CBT, counselling, psychiatrist, home visits but as it isn’t tailored to HA it hasn’t helped. I know that probably doesn’t make sense but They label me as Anxious and I’m not an anxious person in general! I think it’s more OCD like and I don’t think they understand and it hasn’t helped at all. I want someone who specialises in HA and I’ve been referred to a psychologist but been waiting ages. Psychiatrists just put me on tablets which make HA symptoms worse and i have to come off after a few weeks as I don’t really feel comfortable typing how they make me feel...

diazepam works for like 30 mins maximum which is a waste of time.

ok now I feel bad for assuming this is HA when it is very possible to be something worse :( maybe I shouldn’t come on this forum but I feel so alone and it’s nice to be with people who can relate. I know no one with HA like me

[BlueIris]

HA is evil, but you can wrangle it - I promise!

[nomorepanic]

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