Please help. Fear over change in stool

[jessieblue]

Hello, I am really struggling with my Health anxiety at the moment. I had a campylobacter infection in september and it was really bad. I feel traumatised and keep thinking that I will get sick again. After about 4 weeks the bug passed and things settled down. My anxiety stayed sky high though. Then 3 weeks ago I started having some looser stools and I became terrified that I have bowel cancer or something sinister. I paid to have a CT scan of my abdomen to see if there were any masses, but all was normal. I will not have a colonoscopy because of the prep. I have a phobia of diarrhea and vomiting, so taking a medication that causes d is impossible for me. My private GP agreed to the scan.

Even though the scan was normal I find myself panicking. I am obsessing about my bowels, feeling like I need to go all day when I don't. Some days normal, some very loose, but mostly just this obsessive thinking about it.

Can anyone relate to this? I feel like I am going crazy and its hard to get help from the doctors. They have tried some meds, but if anything I am worse since taking them.

I feel like I need my stomach to be normal before I can stop worrying, but I imagine my anxiety is causing my stomach to be upset. I have suffered with IBS most of my life, so tummy problems are not even knew, but since the bug I feel extremely sensitised.

It would be really good to hear from others that understand and have survived this. I feel I am literally dying. The fear is terrible and I now feel I need to go back and get more tests.

Thanks for reading.

[NinnieRitchie]

Hi there, as you say, it's a bit of a vicious circle. One sets off the other. My tummy was bad with Covid and 3 months later it's still gurgly. Also used to suffer a lot with IBS and my tummy is the first thing to 'go' (if you get my drift) when I panic.