Hi,
I went through a few weeks of having an upset tummy. After it didn't ease off As it was every day, went to the doctors and I provided a stool sample as they thought I might have caught a holiday bug recently in Cyprus. The tests results have come back all clear so I now have another appointment on Friday. IBS runs in the family and it does sound extremely similar but is it? I can be fine for 3 ish days then all of a sudden my tummy swells and then I have upset tummy for a day then I'm ok again?!?! No blood, just bloated and upset tum. I've tried to see if a particular food triggers it however it's not normally just after I eat and can be the next morning
Any advise would be much appreciated. I am also dead set against a endoscopy as I had one before and it was the worst thing one ever done - will I have to have another?
Am I stressing too much it could be something worse like the big C even though I know chances are slim and doctor doesn't seem too worried??
Thanks
I would say you need an endoscopy and colonoscopy if you really want to rule certain conditions out.
My illness is mostly next morning and very rarely the same evening.
Hi Becki,
Yes all these horrible tests rule things out, but I like you have already have had one and it was disgusting and scary.
But your symptoms sound strangely like mine, except I get a big constipated for three to four days, then like you a terrible rush one day, then I'll get a bit of tummy ache for a while as I am completely empty, it's not diarrhea, just loose.
I am going to have a stool test that they do to test for bowel cancer , the acronym for it is FOBT, look it up as I am not sure what the I stands for, think you can guess the rest.
Try not to worry Beckie, I suffer with anxiety and I am almost positive that being anxious upsets my tummy, then I worry about it and it gets worse.
Chat to me if you want. Thinking of you, take care xx
Thank you- it's nearly always the next day and then I can also get constipated. My stool sample all clear so not sure what the next step is but I really don't want another endoscopy as I am still scared from my previous one.
I can then get constipated too it's driving me mad but j really hope I don't have to have an endoscopy as I am still scared from the last one
Beckie,
I was supposed to have a second one, I started the procedure and stopped it, yes scared too it's horrible. I apologized to my GP that I wasted hospital time. And to be honest I wasn't that paranoid about the results, I really thought it was IBS and my thoughts were just running away with me. So I asked what could I have done? He said this FOBT test looks for hidden blood in the stool, do can detect first signs of anything. If it was negative it's fine, if positive then you might need colonoscopy. I had it done and mine was negative and I was happy with that.
I still get urgent loo days, if you get what I mean :-) And don't get me wrong I still freak out and worry as I have to go three or four times on the trot that emptys me out and then not much for a few days, really weird. But you know the more we worry the worse it gets. I even start to worry after a few days, that maybe brings it on, who knows, at least it makes you feel better when you know your not alone. X
Our symptoms do sound very similar. I know me thinking about it all the time doesn't help but when the symptoms are there I
Can't help it
"I still get urgent loo days, if you get what I mean :-) And don't get me wrong I still freak out and worry as I have to go three or four times on the trot that emptys me out and then not much for a few days, really weird. But you know the more we worry the worse it gets. I even start to worry after a few days, that maybe brings it on, who knows, at least it makes you feel better when you know your not alone."
I understand this and until I found this I thought I wa alone for a long time.
Better to get the problem sorted. I dislike the endoscopy too but had one a few years ago. Also a colonoscopy at the same time to get the full invasive feeling.
Sounds like IBS. Have you got any nausea? Do you have any change in bowel habits? IBS symptoms can come and go or be constant. Do you get any pain that moves all over your stomach? You could have a barium meal instead of the endoscopy. If you can't tolerate a procedure, then it is best to ask for an alternative. I had an endoscopy years ago and had a very bad reaction to the sedation.
Have you had ultrasounds,celiac testing done as well?
Hi,
No nausea at all. The bloating is all my tummy and cramps come and go. All the symptom checkers I have done leads to IBS I just worry myself it's something worse.
You could ask your doctor for a pelvic ultrasound to rule out ovarian cysts and try eliminating gluten which can cause bloating if you are sensitive to it.
Maybe have some tests done.
Do not worry unncessarily. This is why you need the tests if only to give you piece of mind.
Just been to doctors. He had a good feel of my tummy and said everything felt as it should do. He said is sounds like stress triggered IBS but wants to do some blood tests to check for celiac, under active thyroid, Anemia. He has proscribed me colofac to try help with the bloating and cramps. Feel so much better for taking to a doctor about it.
Sounds like we had the same doctor especially the feeling about bit. Joking aside it is exactly what he said to me re: stress and anxiety. At the time I was in one of struggling to go to the loo phases rather than can not get out of the loo phases, I swing between both, so he prescribed Lactulose which I did not have time to use as the stress of waiting 3 hours to see the doc resolved my problem.
Glad you feel a bit less anxious today.
Get some good sleep x