Results 1 to 6 of 6

Thread: Change of IBS symptoms has me worried

  1. #1

    Question Change of IBS symptoms has me worried

    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.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Posts
    354

    Re: Change of IBS symptoms has me worried

    My IBS has definitely changed over the years. I never get the crampy, painful episodes anymore. Now I just get diarrhea, and even then not that bad. It's more like I have to use the bathroom every hour until things settle down. It's nowhere near like it was when I was younger. It like my attacks happen in slow motion now. I had a colonoscopy about three years ago that was fine, so I chalk it up to getting older and anxiety taking new forms. When I was younger I had panic attacks, but I don't get those either, anymore.

    What was the doctor's explanation for your positive home test? I know those aren't always 100% reliable. Where I am in the US, that kind of result would be followed up by one of those stool cards where you have to three or five samples to see if the result was repeatable.

  3. #3

    Re: Change of IBS symptoms has me worried

    Quote Originally Posted by Sparky16 View Post
    My IBS has definitely changed over the years. I never get the crampy, painful episodes anymore. Now I just get diarrhea, and even then not that bad. It's more like I have to use the bathroom every hour until things settle down. It's nowhere near like it was when I was younger. It like my attacks happen in slow motion now. I had a colonoscopy about three years ago that was fine, so I chalk it up to getting older and anxiety taking new forms. When I was younger I had panic attacks, but I don't get those either, anymore.

    What was the doctor's explanation for your positive home test? I know those aren't always 100% reliable. Where I am in the US, that kind of result would be followed up by one of those stool cards where you have to three or five samples to see if the result was repeatable.
    Thank you for responding - that's reassuring to hear that IBS can change with age.

    He said it was probably due to piles, although I don't really get visible blood from those. If things don't improve once we're in a better place with this pandemic I might go back to the doctor just to put my mind at ease.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Aug 2017
    Posts
    1,083

    Re: Change of IBS symptoms has me worried

    After 10 years of urgency, loose movements and cramps I switched almost overnight to constipation and passing just a lot of mucus. After a year of that I now seem to have a mixture of the two!

    My mum has also seen changes in her symptoms, she did have a scope but only because she was due one anyway due to them finding benign growths in the first one they wanted to monitor every 5 years. Nothing was found.

    Positive vibes

    Mouse.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    __________________
    The woods are lovely, dark and deep,

    But I have promises to keep,

    And miles to go before I sleep. - Robert Frost

  5. #5

    Re: Change of IBS symptoms has me worried

    Quote Originally Posted by Midnight-mouse View Post
    After 10 years of urgency, loose movements and cramps I switched almost overnight to constipation and passing just a lot of mucus. After a year of that I now seem to have a mixture of the two!

    My mum has also seen changes in her symptoms, she did have a scope but only because she was due one anyway due to them finding benign growths in the first one they wanted to monitor every 5 years. Nothing was found.

    Positive vibes

    Mouse.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Thank you Mouse! That's definitely reassured me.

  6. #6

    Re: Change of IBS symptoms has me worried

    I’m also the other way around. After years of very soft stools, for the past week I have been straining to go and when I do it is very thin! I too am very worried as I read this is a symptom of colon cancer?

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Similar Threads

  1. Replies: 1
    Last Post: 04-03-18, 16:45
  2. Worried about colon cancer - severe symptoms - ibs?
    By marissav1.0 in forum Health Anxiety
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 22-05-16, 05:12
  3. can IBS symptoms change...panicking
    By JustJules in forum IBS, IBD, Bowel, Stomach problems
    Replies: 5
    Last Post: 08-11-14, 14:44
  4. ibs and change in routine
    By bronte in forum IBS, IBD, Bowel, Stomach problems
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: 05-08-12, 20:28
  5. Worried about IBS Symptoms
    By jay28 in forum IBS, IBD, Bowel, Stomach problems
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 11-07-11, 17:23

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •