Hey all im a 21 year old male and ive been having constipation/issues finishing a BM for the last 2+ years. I use to have a lot of pain in the low left side of my stomach but that only comes once in awhile now. The stool is sometimes skinny/flat, "regular" looking, or flat and piles up. Once in awhile there will be a little blood on the TP when i wipe but ive never seen any on the stool. Ive had a couple abdominal CT scans and they all came back normal. ive been to the gastro. 3 times and he insists its just IBS and that I do not need further imaging. I feel like by now my symptoms should be much worse since theyve been occuring for 2+ years and i think theyve actually gotten better. With this should i request further imaging or do i just have IbS? thanks
I would accept your doc tor’s opinion that you have IBS. CTs are very accurate at picking up problems. When you have IBS, nothing will show because it is a functional bowel disorder and not something wrong with the structure of your colon. Having lots of tests doesn’t really give reassurance especially if they are normal. They just make you worry more. One of my doctors told me I needed to repeat all my tests because they were inconclusive. I got a another opinion on that from a different doctor who identified my IBS because of my high anxiety levels and told me I didn’t need repeat tests because my symptoms had stayed the same for three and a half months and had not developed any new ones.This doctor asked the questions that the others had not asked. Since your doctor is a specialist in intestinal disorders, I would trust what he is telling you.
Perhaps try a stool softener when constipated. This will help you not to strain for a bowel movement. Excessive straining can cause fissures or haemorrhoids which can bleed. If you had anything more serious than IBS, your symptoms would be getting worse, not better. IBS has periods of remission and flare ups where you will get the symptoms you describe. Everyone experiences it differently.
You hv been diagnosed with IBS after being checked for worse. I’m guessing you were given a blood test?
I can guarantee you more IBS symptoms if you’re worrying. It doesn’t help your condition.
See if you can pinpoint your flare ups. To either wheat intolerance or anxiety or stress. Yours may hv improved because your better at managing it.