Good evening everyone.
I've not posted on here in years (thank god) but I'm now at the point where I'm starting to feel my health anxiety resurfacing, so I wanted to ask for some reassurance.
Long story short - I've had IBS since around age 13, and I'm 32 now. Up until recently it's usually been pain based with a bit of constipation, but over the past six months or so I've been getting more loose stools, urgency, and no pain (maybe a little bit of discomfort). I stupidly did one of those at home tests to check for blood in my stool, and it came back positive.
This definitely triggered my symptoms into overdrive, and I did go and see my GP. He did some stool tests (one for a bacterial infection and one for something else) but both came back fine. He also did some blood tests (ever so slightly raised CRP level - I think like 5?) but said all seemed fine. I've got a vitamin d deficiency, so I'm on supplements. And he did a physical exam of my tummy and couldn't feel anything worrying.
Other symptoms are coccyx pain (I've had this on and off for years - think due to desk job, but has flared up a lot more recently), and piles (but no blood). I've also had a lot of mucus (i.e. sometimes I only pass mucus & gas) and sometimes I feel like I'm peeing way more often.
As my GP didn't seem worried I'm trying to just brush it off,but if seems really strange for this to have changed after almost 20 years of fairly consistent symptoms (although worsening with age) to now have a whole different type of IBS.
Does this seem normal? In my lowest moments I imagine that there is a lump up there that is pushing against my coccyx and bladder, and causing the loose stools and mucus. I'm almost certainly bring ridiculous, and I know that at my age in low risk (plus no family history of cancers, I'm a non-smoker, non-drinker, etc).
Any reassurance would be greatly received, or if anyone has gone through anything similar. I might just ask for a colonoscopy to finally put my mind at rest, but the doctor said he didn't feel one was necessary, and I don't really want to put myself through that if I don't need to. Plus Covid-19 isn't making visiting a doctor very inviting right now.
Many thanks in advance for any replies.