Is this worth seeing a doctor about?

[Noseynoonoo]

DH, who is a hypochondriac, thinks I should go to GP. I don't want to waste GP's time and am a bit embarrassed.

So, have had loose stools and wind, sometimes pretty horrible smelling, since early August. It's not all the time but is starting to wipe me out. I'm not sure how I can put a stop to it.

Any ideas.

Your DH is right, get thee to a doc

There are a number of things it could be so best get checked out

I think I would go ,that's quite a long time .

My friend gets this sometimes ,vague about cause ( sorry ) but think some low level infection type thing .

In mean time get some Dioralyte down you should make you feel less wiped out .
You can mix up your own
travel.gc.ca/travelling/health-safety/rehydration

rehydrate.org/solutions/homemade.htm#recipe

I'm a big fan of those little hard salty pretzels - lots of starch so help with the diarrhea and godd if feeling a bit sick .

good luck

Thanks for quick response. I shall make an appointment.

Being married to a hypochondriac, there is a 20-pack of Dioralyte in the medical cupboard.

and I love those salty pretzels too...

Every cloud ....

Cud be lots of things.. Ins, an allergy... U need to have some tests

I mean ibs

Haven't made the appointment yet. Surgery seems to be closed and I am a coward

My sister has IBS. My gran had Crohns Disease. I am most probably in denial.

Phone tomorrow noonoo ,you'll have to do it some time .
Better sooner than later ,you'll only get more wound up .

We'll be here waiting with and sympathy for afterwards.

It could also be coeliac disease or similar, so def worth checking it out. Have you been having mouth ulcers? This can be another sign of CD. Be prepared for lots of questions about your poo!

I finally got through to the surgery today - first available appointment is on Monday.

Thanks for your support so far.

Well done noonoo ,let us know how it goes .

Good luck. Definitely worth seeing the doc.

Well, off I went to the GP and I was surprised.

I have to deliver a stool to hospital but he has put me on the 'urgent care pathway' and I'll have a colonoscopy next week if there is no unexpected bacteria in my stool.

He said that I met 'all the criteria' and I asked what this criteria meant and he said possibly cancer! I wasn't expecting that, it hadn't crossed my mind at all.

I'm genuinely not worried. I still think I'm wasting everyone's time. I'm more worried about producing a stool sample at this point.

There are soooooooo many other things apart from cancer to choose from!

Still, it is better to have it looked at and find out for sure that it is nothing, than to thing it is nothing and find out later that it was........that sounds a bit Donald Rumsfeld...........

I had to 'produce' a sample for my toddler son once - they gave me a very small pot with a very small scoop in it. The potty helped though.

Blood in stool is the usual sign of bowel cancer and as you have not given a specimen yet, I think your GP was a bit OTT in saying that you had all the signs of cancer.
However, better to be cautious than just assuming it is IBS or Crohns.

A colonoscopy will put your mind at rest when it is not cancer, and discover if anything else is causing your symptoms.

Have you changed your diet - increased your vegetable intake?

So, I have provided my stool sample.

I also have an appointment for next Friday. I collected 3 days of preparations I have to use beforehand. A 'helpful' patient told me how she hadn't been able to leave the loo for 3 days and the nurse warned me it is 'powerful' stuff. Hmmm, I work, how am I going to work around that. Crikey!

I do think this cancer business is a bit OTT but I got the impression from GP that since I ticked all the boxes, he had to follow this protocol before we can get down to really working out what is wrong with me. I suppose the colonoscopy will be helpful in determining whether anything else is going on up there.

Turns my stomach just to think about it...

Good attitude noonoo ,GP is correct ,collection of symptoms = check for cancer .
Hope the laxatives aren't too bad for you ,everyone is different .
Good luck and let us know how it goes .

My DH has to have a colonoscopy every three years due to a family history of bowel ca. If the prep before hand is picolax I would book some annual leave. DH in the past has had to take a duvet into the toilet with him as in there a very long time.

You won't be going to work op whilst you're on those laxatives. You will be spending a day on the toilet! Book yourself the day off work. Good luck.

Oh dear. It is Picolax. DH is going to have to pitch in for school run. Not looking forward to this!

Just thought I'd update. I had procedure 7 weeks ago and have been told I still have to wait 3 more weeks for results. I am assuming the delay means everything is OK 'up there' but we can't move on with what is actually wrong until we have these results.

Am very frustrated.

Have you got an appt with a consultant at the hospital? Mine were always a fair while after scans etc. They're usually pretty good about calling you in pdq if there's anything really serious so I'd be taking the wait as a good sign. Soooo many other bowel conditions out there other than the big C so chances are it's one o' them. Good luck x

I haven't met the consultant yet - presumably at least 3 weeks until that might happen. It's almost certainly not cancer but whilst we wait for the verdict, my GP and I can't move forward with a diagnosis.

The diagnosis will come from the consultant not the GP in my experience. The GP in our area gets a copy of all Let's sent by the consultant so they know what's going on but once the consultant was involved my GP took a step back.