Hello everyone! I have suffered from ibs-c since I was very young but after changing my diet (increasing fiber, minimizing dairy, drinking more water) I started passing stool regularly with normal consistency. However, since a few months ago, whenever I pass stool, the beginning is always small hard pebbles but is then followed by normal soft stool. I dont have any other symptoms and can usually pass stool daily. Does anyone know what such stool with mixed consistency is called? Should I be worried or is it likely just IBS? Thank you in advance!
Hi sa, hmm i would check this out. Maybe it is a concern maybe not? Let us know how you get on!
Your are describing normal IBS symptoms. Some people experience two different coloured stools or two different consistencies of stool at the same time with their IBS. Your own definition of this symptom describes what you are experiencing perfectly. Remember, everyone experiences and categorizes their IBS differently and IBS can change over time. No one person is the same with their IBS. I would not worry at all about your symptoms because worry makes IBS far worse. Try to stay as calm as possible because being relaxed will help to control your IBS.
I totally agree with Pippa! I experience the same as you from time to time - for me it is just part of my IBS. I have periods with soft, normal stools, periods with loose stools, periods with harder stools and periods with mixed consistence. Try not to worry!
Thanks so much for the reassurance! Whenever reading about it, IBS-mixed seems to always only mention having constipation for some days followed by days of diarrhea, not having it both in one stool. But it does seem like ibs! Much less worried now:)
Thank you so much for the reassurance too!
I will bring it up once I have my doctor's appointment but it does seem to be ibs.
This is very common with ibs-c. The hard first bits are like that because they have been sitting around for longer so have become drier. The softer part is stool that have moved a long more normally. Nothing to worry about.
IBS mixed is slightly different but what you are experiencing is also bowel habit change which is a key factor in IBS. Glad to be of help.
Oh that makes a lot of sense! Thanks so much!
can i jump in and ask if anyone suffers floating stools too with this ?
For me, some of the pebble part of the stool floats sometimes. Maybe start a new topic to get more opinions on this specifically?
Hey, I have the same problem. Anyone figured what it's about?
I know it's been a while, but did you get any answer as to what caused it?
For a month or so now my bm's start just like yours, like pebbles.... Then 2 seconds later its soft and smells faintly acidic....
I'm really worried as I suffer with anal fissures and I'm hoping the two aren't linked
Any info would be great as Dr's are less than unhelpful at the moment unfortunately....
I am also having similar issues. I have been dealing with fissures as well. My stool starts out very firm and turns pushy. Immediately following a bowel movement I experience some discomfort in my abdomen. I fully believe that stress/worrying about it aggravates it. Doctor prescribed a Diltiazem lidocaine cream to apply.
I am also facing this issue since last two years and I have no idea how to deal with this. Its traumatic.
i have this issue as well!! i have internally hemorrhoids that bleed so the first hard/pebbles are so frustrating. i am now trying miralax for relief. any improvement for you?
Hi Pippa,
Ive seen you in forums before. you seem to have sooo much knowledge about IBS. Therefore I would like to ask you this :
I've had for many years 'only' functional dyspepsia (which is similar to IBS but higher up in your stomach and small intestines) ....this has been extremely painful and bad enough. But since one year, I seem to have, in addition, IBS as well ... all the horrible bloating pain, flatulence and burping.
And to make it even more nasty ... I now also have IBS mixed = constipation and diarrhea .
Before I had only constipation ...as I can eat close to nothing and its tough to try to keep my weight. I have to 'force the food down'.
As the bloating was so painful for my stomach I cut out most fiber ... then the pain calmed a bit down .... but then the horror of constipation started....
Do you think that constipation and diarrhea is mainly is caused by the foods we eat/dont eat etc... or do you think it would happen anyhow ....because of IBS ??
Also, do you know what NOT to do when one is temporarily constipated. I was for several days ... then got really worried .... desperately trying to decide whether and/or which laxatives to take or not to take. I then decided against laxatives and ate a pear instead ..... and then got diarrhea .
I normally can only drink milk or eat yoghurt. Fruit usually causes problems for me (even though I love fruit). vegetables especially green ones cause lots of bloating pain.
Any ideas ??
did Miralax help ?? I bought it but didnt dare to try it yet as I'm too scared to try it .... trying not to get terrible bloating pain ...
Does anyone else have an explanation for this? I could have written this exact same post except now instead of the hard pellets to start, they have been mixed into the middle of the stool during the past week.
I've been experimenting with oatmeal fiber and Metamucil. Metamucil did some weird things but the oatmeal has helped to soften everything some, but the pellets are still there.
The doctor I went to was absolutely no help. He said he needed to do a colonoscopy to rule out a tumor and that the odds were in my favor it might just be IBS. I don't know what else to try to make this clear up.