To panic what the hell is wrong with my insides? TMI

[mystomachhatesme]

Have had a funny tummy for months and months if not years, used to be only occasionally but now near constant diarrhoea . I’m mid thirties, no other illnesses .

GP said it was probably stress causing IBS but asked me to do bloods, and samples just on the off chance it wasn’t - phoned and said to their surprise samples have come back saying signs of bleeding and bloods saying I’m anaemic (folate not iron) . I’ve lost a stone in weight since Jan 1st and zero appetite . Hospital said they’re taking me in for a camera next week .

There’s a pattern of constipated for a couple of days, then running to the toilet for a couple of weeks (day and night, most mornings but am woken up at times at 12/1am), then back to bunged up again .

It’s ruling my life as I can’t go out without knowing where the nearest toilet is . Scared to eat as I’m doubled over afterwards . Scared to go to cafes and out for coffee etc .

I’ve had it for years and years that if I eat a meal I’m in the toilet for 3 hours or so after, worse with fish, vegetables (of any sort), fruit, bread, dairy, wheat, sugar - anything that isn’t very, very bland . CMPA as a child and told I’m maybe intolerant to red meat protein as well . Tested for coeliac disease a long time ago and told they didn’t think it was that .

I’m mortified this morning as got up, went to loo 4 times or so, sat down to do some work, then stood up to go to loo at 12, coughed and didn’t make it . I’ve only done that once before years ago when I had a bug, thankfully was home alone but absolutely horrified . Was meant to be going out for lunch but the thought of that happening in town has put me right off leaving the house at all .

Silently panicking that I’m going to go in for tests and come out told I’ve got cancer or something similar, if it is cancer I’ve left it long enough that they won’t be able to do much .

I don’t really want to tell anyone in r/l that this is all going on, family know I’m getting tests but not why .

I'm so sorry. I have absolutely nothing helpful to say but I couldn't leave your post without commenting. As someone who had IBS, I have a limited understanding of your symptoms but can't bear the idea of living that way. I really hope you're able to get some kind of resolution soon. But whatever you do, Don t be fobbed off. Push and push your GP to give you every follow up test available. Many, many manly hugs.

Sounds like crohn’s might be a possibility. Don’t be freaked out if you Google it, lots of amazing treatments available if it is that.

I'm the same OP. I go through a lot of imodium. Try taking 2 imodium every night before bed and see if it calms your guts a bit the next day.

Sounds like it could be ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease, have you ever been investigated for these?

Hang in there. So many things it could be which are hard to deal with, but so many people do. Whatever it is it might be that stress exacerbates it. And no wonder you are stressed. Once you know, you will begin to find how you can live with it. I hope you get the answer from this next test and it will be onwards and upwards from there.

My guess is colitis.

Have you been tested for allergies ?
Have you tried cutting out dairy ?

Gluten? I had similar years ago, had been told for years it was stress, IBS. Had the camera which found diverticulosis. When it had got really bad that had been an episode of diverticulitis.

I cut out all gluten for a month. Eat just chicken and steamed vegetables, rice and potatoes for a month. Leave all citrus out, take a Vitamin C tablet instead. You mustn’t have anything with gluten at all.
If you’re feeling better and bowels are more normal after a month, introduce one other food.if you react, you know what’s done it.
It’s very boring, takes several months to get back to a varied diet but you learn what causes yoyr stomach to kick off. I have a long list.
Wait until after you’ve had the camera as they need to see you at your worst ( GP advice to me when I suggested elimination diet)

Keep a food diary because if the camera shows nothing they will want that

My dad has had multiple cameras his mum died of cancer in that area (the name has escaped me) he is clear, regular tests showed an ulcer and piles (explained the bleeding and the iron issues) but no cancer

Do not stop gluten before the camera they need to see it to diagnose it

Sounds like they'll be testing for IBD (of which crohns is part) which is good because it could fit.

30s is a very common time for IBD to manifest, although you if it is that you have displayed symptoms for years.

Coeliac disease would be another one to rule out again.

Try not to be too upset, I know its distressing bug urgency and not making it to the loo happens to most people at some point in their lives, even if all they've had is a tummy bug.

Don't panic about cancer - I know its what the mind jumps to but there are so many other things it could be. It's all treatable. Even if you did receive a cancer diagnosis you have no way of knowing it would be untreatable.

Please try to panic less, it won't do you any good.

So many people have diseases like IBD and, it sounds like a cliche, but they really do bring out new revolutionary treatments for it. I was diagnosed as a child and there are so many more options available now than there were even 10-15 years ago.

@Theunamedcat

Do not stop gluten before the camera they need to see it to diagnose it

Oh this is really important!!

Cut out dairy before/switched to soya .

All I ate yesterday was chicken noodle soup, bread with butter on, then plain chicken with a few peppers/mushrooms and a wrap . Then a bit of bread and butter this morning and apple juice .

Will definitely keep a food diary .

GP did say possible Crohns/UC and said they might take biopsies and stuff to check . I did ask re ammonium but they said better to find out what it is first .

Hopefully its stopped for the day now, although I'm wary of eating anything at all just in case .

I have similar symptoms and is IBS and anxiety. Camera showed signs of inflammation but not enough to diagnose IBD.

For me knowing trigger foods helps - pasta, milky drinks, sour dough bread, alcohol etc

It's horrible

For me the apple juice and bread would cause flare up.

Also look up Bile Acid Malabsorption...my partner has this and it sounds the same

At your age it’s far more likely to be IBD than cancer. Try to to panic.

Have you tried the elimination stage if the fodmap diet! It's possible that it could change everything.

Have you been scanned to rule out gallstones? Low low fat diet is the key if it is, until you can get an operation. Sounds awful. Sorry its happening x

Please please please do not start cutting out allergens before having proper testing. If you're a celiac then it needs to be active to be diagnosed.

I have ulcerative colitis myself, so I sympathise. You need a camera and some biopsies taken to rule out crohns, UC or celiac.

Good luck! And keep pushing of they're slow!

No been checked for gallstones no - the majority of the pain is very low down though near where I’d normally get period pain .

It is absolute agony - get a horrible feeling that I still desperately need to go even after all that, I’ve worked out that I’ve spent about 2 hours in the bathroom today alone . If it doesn’t stop by 5/6 I’ll ring 111 and ask for help .

I’ll google fodmap diet too .

Hospital said it should be a two week wait for the colonoscopy, referral went through a week ago - said I should get a date within the next 7 days or so. So hopefully not long now .

I had similar symptoms and it turned out I had Giardia. It was found in a stool sample.

My money would be IBD. Ask for a stool calprotectin test. Very reliable indicator if high.

Peppers are a trigger for me. Didn’t used to be but now I am getting older they are

@BattenbergdowntheHatches

Have you been seeing your GP for long? As one of the very unlucky few who got diagnosed with colon cancer in their 30’s, I wish I had known at the time that it was a diagnosis of exclusion ie should only be made once all other causes are ruled out, usually by colonoscopy.

I hope your GP has been more helpful than mine was! I had “IBS” for a year. It’s very unlikely to be cancer btw - rare as hen’s teeth at your age - but I was unlucky.

No, I put it down to IBS for ages and ages, its just that its suddenly much much worse and every day as opposed to after certain meals ...

went to GP on 21st Jan, GP hoped that night and said thought I'd be going to hospital asap for tests - blood tests and samples handed in on Thurs 27th, phoned on the Monday and told bloods were off, then rang on the Friday and said samples were off too and said be seen in two weeks for a scope . So they are going quite fast I suppose ... which is concerning but also reassuring .

I'm sorry your diagnosis was cancer , how are you doing now?