thinking the worst....and a bit scared...possibly TMI...

[motherwifeteacheretc]

Just wanted to write this down and see if anyone else has any similar experience/thoughts/wisdom/etc.....

Basically 3 weeks ago I went to the GP as for about 6 weeks I have been having bowel trouble :( in summary - Loose stools/Diarrhea - whenever I go, an urgency to go, going up to 4 times a day, pain in my lower tummy, bloating, gross offensive smell to the stools, mucas...and blood both in and separate to the stools, as well as feeling sick and generally fed up -

The gp was great found no obvious reason for bleeding (after an examination) and ordered full bloods and celiac test -

over the last 3 weeks, while waiting for the bloods, have googled and convinced myself it is Bowel cancer - as the symptoms fit - except the one symptom the sites kept saying was a low iron count which I did n't know I had - then today the GP said - well most things on the blood work look clear, except a low iron count and I want to refer you to the hospital.....- When she pressed my stomach today I felt instantly sick, I gag and know I am stressed/worried -

although hubby knows I've been unwell, although we have a great relationship, I have n't gone into any info re: bowel trouble or told him anything, we just don't do that type of talk...anyway I digress - I'm sure the appointment will come through and I know it could be chrons/UC etc but I am worried.....

Has anyone had a similar experience?

It sounds like irritable bowel syndrome, have you been under stress recently?

I'm no expert but I have had problems myself. problem is with bowel issues is that symptoms tend to overlap, so it is difficult to say its definately one, or to rule out another, iyswim.

It sounds to me like it might possibly be ulcerative colitis. That is what I have.

Do you often feel like your bum is about to explode but nothing comes out? (sorry, tmi!)

My dd has all these symptoms and she has ulcerative colitis. I know it's really horrible not knowing what's wrong and waiting for investigations but try not to google. It's impossible not to scare yourself to bits once you start googling. There's a lot of things it could be from coeliac or another allergy, an infection, colitis, IBS. Let us know how you go.

I am going through this atm too. Got to ring Wed for my blood test results. I have IBS, Dr is thinking it may have "turned into crohns". Also being tested for coeliac. I have 2x ds, 4yo and 3wo - I had a meltdown thinking it's cancer but if you read more it normally takes 10yrs for a tumor to form and is generally an "older person cancer" so please try not to worry. Keep us posted and if u want to pm me you can xx

You really aren't in the demographic for bowel cancer. Try and relax, worrying will only make any stomach problems worse. Fwiw I've had all of those symptoms since having ds 5 yrs ago and had a colonoscopy and its IBS.

Bowel cancer is usually a lot more "silent" than the symptoms you describe hence the bowel screening programme. Mucous screams out inflammatory bowel disease - ulcerative colitis/crohns - both of which are worse when stressed so try and relax as others have said - worrying will make it worse.

Hi please don't worry, I had most of those symptoms & have recently been diagnosed with Crohn's disease. A low blood count is also a symptom of inflammatory bowel disease due to bleeding from the inflammation sites. Try not to google your symptoms - it will make you panic. If you've been referred to a gastro you should get some answers fairly quickly. Please come & join us on the 'Could this be Ulcerative Colitis?' thread - we are all in a similar position & may be able to put your mind at rest.

As the previous poster said (sorry can't go back as I'm on my phone) stress will make IBD & IBS worse so try not to worry too much (easier said than done I know). Take care & let us know how you get on.

Thanks for replying :) Not particularly stressed although this is now stressing me out...Baker - I do have pressure and a need to go this is mainly at night and I wake up a fair bit but nothing comes - during the day, well from my first drink/food the urgency and cramps start get really bad (like the same you have with a tummy bug) then once I have gone to the loo, the cramps remain but slowly lesson, basically after I eat the same cycle occurs - I eat early in the evening so the night is more pressure and a need but not actual diarrhea - if that makes sense - In the morning before I have 'been' I am very sick either feel sick or actual sick....

• bit of extra TMI but the turning point for going to the doc was the mucas I was passing, I suddenly realised was from the back not the front and was like the mucas plug you lose before birth, so for a short while when the mucas was there I thought 'I must be pregnant' (even though almost impossible between the 9 month old and separate beds) but then it all clicked and have had 2 (bowel) accidents....hugely The blood has ranged from quite a lot a teaspoon to hardly there - i know im rambling, but aghhh

Aghhhh So glad to hear from you all and that have others are going through the same, the bowel area is just a bit of hard topic for me IRL -

Apart from the low iron being another tick for my self diagnosis, I have also had my gall bladder out last year 2 weeks after giving birth, but thats another story and I have read that increases the risk....

anyway going to watch my secret indulgence of Gossip Girl which at 32 is a guilty secret, but DH home and ready to put toddler (2.5) to bed so I can have at least 1 hr in peace - (baby already asleep...for now)

....Will be back later....

Kat1885 - have your symptoms been similar?

Yea I have mucus with every bowel movement and when I'm rundown my bm become lose, mainly mucus and smell vile, was awful 2 weeks ago which prompted the blood tests. Don't tend to have blood but I used to when I had my original ibs diagnosis. It's horrible and embarrassing as when I have to go I have to go NOW xx

Stop worrying. I have suffered the same symptoms for 22 years. They have never actually diagnosed anything other than slow stomach and overactive bowels (IBS). I have found limiting certain foods help. EG low dairy and if I have dairy not to have wheat. (so no mac and cheese or cheese sarnies or I fart like a goodun! )

Limited experience but given the symptoms I am led to think either IBS or Ulcerative Colitis.

Good luck with your forthcoming dr appts xx

thank you all - will try to leave 'google' and 'worry' in the little box in the corner - The bloods showed low iron and autoimmune/Whiteblood markers - but she didn't go into detail and said bloods mostly fine - I was crying a fair bit in the appointment due to pain, feeling down etc so the appointment became a blur - But they are repeating the celiac but looking into Chrons or UC they may also be a fit - I have an underactive thryoid from an autoimmune thing 10+ years ago so that apparently adds to Chron's - but hopefully will be seen in 2 weeks - thanks again :)

motherwifeteacheretc Crohn's is an auto-immune disease & I'm on immuno-suppressants to keep it under control. The autoimmune/whiteblood markers can be significant in diagnosing IBD although they are very sensitive & can be raised quite a lot if you even have a slight cold.

I also didn't realise that the mucus was from the back not the front and just dismissed it until I had such terrible pain in my left side that I couldn't ignore my symptoms anymore. I also had the feeling that my bowel was being 'squeezed' & very loud 'rumbling' noises which are also IBD symptoms.

Hope you don't have to wait too long for an appointment.

Hey have you had an appointment through yet? My blood tests came back with high csr levels which with my other symptoms points to crohns or uc. Having discussion with Dr Tue about results at their request and was wondering if u could shed any light on the next steps as you are a bit ahead of me in this.

OP, do you take any prebiotics? I have IBS and these have really helped. Boots and Holland & Barratt have loads of different ones, but I'm afraid I just went for the cheapest.

I take 3 a day, at the same time, and reduce it down to one a day when my symptoms recede. i can really tell if I stop taking them for any length of time.

Kat - haven't had my appointment through yet, which is frustrating as so many bank holidays coming up I'm sure its going to delay it all - How are you feeling? Have your celiac test come back yet?

Fire: thank you for the link have ordered some anything can help -

BUT on a good note - the doc started me on some tablets - an anti-spasm drug and it seems to have worked wonders - yes the stools are still gross, but the pain/urgency seems to have decreased in the last 2 days - complete chance - possibly, but she did say if they work then it does look more likely to be UC or Chron's rather than anything nasty - so I'm hoping this is a good sign....

I am discussing my results on Tuesday so I will know my coeliac result then. Doubt its that though (although doubt its anything but crapping snot out your bum is clearly not normal).

You are not in the right age range for cancer
IBS is irritable bowel and tho can cause mucous does not cause bleeding.. do NOT accept this as the diagnosis
Sounds most like inflammatory bowel disease , Crohns or UC..

thank you - although 2 good days on the anti spasm all they seem to have done is delayed the problem from being first thing to at night - so have stopped them today to see where my body is at, but more than fed up of needing the loo lots, tummy pain/cramps and diarrhea - but at the waiting place now....

Kat hope tuesday goes ok -

seenitall I really wish people would not assume that bowel cancer only hits the over 60s. I was not in the right age range for bowel cancer, I am also a non-smoker, an extremely light drinker - virtually tt, don't eat red or processed meat and barely any other meat, have a diet high in fruit and veg, get a good amount of excercise, have no family history of bowel cancer, but I still got it!

Now, that being said, I don't want to panic anyone and it is much less likely to be cancer if you are under 60. Also, my symptoms weren't all that similar to motherwife and she is seeing a doctor anyway so I'm sure will get checked for all possibles, but I would hate it if someone with bleeding or change of bowel habit for a prolonged period, delayed seeing a doctor because they were supposedly not "high-risk"

Thenightisyoung - thank you for posting that, I know the age and cancer link sadly can always be disproven - in fact it was seeing young women in her 30's on the tv who had been denied the cancer drug that made me think actually I should go and get this checked, of course i'm not diagnosing myself and is most likely to be UC or chrons, but i think seeing the women's story made me wake up to think 10 weeks of a distinct change in bowel from normal to diarrhea and the blood combined with the gross mucas and having the light bulb moment of where that was coming from....that made me see my gp and I am really lucky that she was a good gp -

May I ask how you are now?

not sure on the talk rules on posting links: but here is the intro section from this amazing women and familys site:

Sheila was diagnosed with advanced bowel cancer at the age of 35. The shock of this will have profound and ever lasting consquences on our family, not least because it could have been avoided if doctors had known the symptoms of bowel cancer.

the website is www.famneal.co.uk/

just adding - I'm no way linking my symptoms or jumping the gun at all - and now I've seen the GP I feel better than my original post - I'm just sharing this for others as it again dispels the age myth, sadly I think cancer doesn't select by age as often as we believe it does and I was shocked to read that bowel cancer is the 3rd main cancer in the UK, yet actually quite unknown in 'younger' people until we start googling our strange symptoms....

Hi motherwife I was diagnosed in December and had some of my large bowel removed in January. It does not appear to have spread and so I haven't had any chemo. I had a CT scan recently and that looked clear as well. I think like many people who have had cancer I am having to learn to live with the spectre of reoccurrence but I am feeling well and happy right now and I'm enjoying life.

My symptoms were far less severe than your's sound and I think that the only reason both myself and my GP thought they were worth checking was that I had another cancer (rare and unrelated) six months earlier.

One thing I have learnt over the last rather traumatic year is not to ignore persistent symptoms. This doesn't mean work yourself up into a panic, just go get them checked (as you have done). Going to the doctor and having tests will not cause a cancer to be there. It will be there (or not) whatever you do. It's just that you will give yourself a better chance at catching it early if it is cancer.

I'm sure you will be fine but it will be good for you to find out what is happening and hopefully get some relief

Must have been such a shock to hear that you had cancer, I hope it all continues to stay clear and you continue to be healthy :)