[Kathleen M.]

If they are pencil thin all the time that may be a problem.However anything that would cause that would have been picked up in the barium enema or the sigmoidoscopy or the CT scan. The colonoscopy picks up things further up in the GI tract, but only stuff at the part seen by the sigmoidoscopy would be likely to cause pencil thin stools as that is the area where the stool is solid enough to be effected. Up where the stool is mostly liquid not much would effect the final shape.For the most part unformed-ness and other shape problems are not significant, but if you've never had GI problems and the stool goes to pencil thin all the time then you should consult your doctor about it.K.------------------I have worked for the government and at universities doing scientific research primarily in the area of the environment and the impact of environmental factors on human health, I have never done any independant clinical testing for the pharmaceutical industry, nor have I ever worked for a drug company. I have no financial, academic, or any other stake in any commercial, natural, or any other product mentioned by me.My story and what worked for me in greatly easing my IBS: http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/Forum17/HTML/000015.html

 

[Kathleen M.]

If they are pencil thin all the time that may be a problem.However anything that would cause that would have been picked up in the barium enema or the sigmoidoscopy or the CT scan. The colonoscopy picks up things further up in the GI tract, but only stuff at the part seen by the sigmoidoscopy would be likely to cause pencil thin stools as that is the area where the stool is solid enough to be effected. Up where the stool is mostly liquid not much would effect the final shape.For the most part unformed-ness and other shape problems are not significant, but if you've never had GI problems and the stool goes to pencil thin all the time then you should consult your doctor about it.K.------------------I have worked for the government and at universities doing scientific research primarily in the area of the environment and the impact of environmental factors on human health, I have never done any independant clinical testing for the pharmaceutical industry, nor have I ever worked for a drug company. I have no financial, academic, or any other stake in any commercial, natural, or any other product mentioned by me.My story and what worked for me in greatly easing my IBS: http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/Forum17/HTML/000015.html

 

[Kathleen M.]

With all the tests you have had, as long as they were normal, and your pretty much having "normal" IBS symptoms your probably OK.Now if you start having bloody diarhea, unexplainable weight loss (like you eat 3500-5000 calories a day or more and lose weight and are sedentary to moderately active--if your training for an extreme endurance sport that may explain losing weight even when you eat large amounts of food) become anemic, you may need to go back to have the colonoscopy.The problem comes in that often time large amounts of testing tends to make IBS patients worse so you get to a point of diminishing returns. What is the likelyhood it will find something vs what is the likelyhood of a problem directly related to the test (perferation, etc) and the likelyhood that doing more tests will make the IBS symptoms worse.Everyone (including doctors) weights that equation a bit differntly, and for some people the peace of mind of having every concievable test be negative is worth it, although some people find that getting the negative result, again, is more upsetting than calming.K.------------------I have worked for the government and at universities doing scientific research primarily in the area of the environment and the impact of environmental factors on human health, I have never done any independant clinical testing for the pharmaceutical industry, nor have I ever worked for a drug company. I have no financial, academic, or any other stake in any commercial, natural, or any other product mentioned by me.My story and what worked for me in greatly easing my IBS: http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/Forum17/HTML/000015.html[This message has been edited by kmottus (edited 08-13-2001).]

 

[Kathleen M.]

With all the tests you have had, as long as they were normal, and your pretty much having "normal" IBS symptoms your probably OK.Now if you start having bloody diarhea, unexplainable weight loss (like you eat 3500-5000 calories a day or more and lose weight and are sedentary to moderately active--if your training for an extreme endurance sport that may explain losing weight even when you eat large amounts of food) become anemic, you may need to go back to have the colonoscopy.The problem comes in that often time large amounts of testing tends to make IBS patients worse so you get to a point of diminishing returns. What is the likelyhood it will find something vs what is the likelyhood of a problem directly related to the test (perferation, etc) and the likelyhood that doing more tests will make the IBS symptoms worse.Everyone (including doctors) weights that equation a bit differntly, and for some people the peace of mind of having every concievable test be negative is worth it, although some people find that getting the negative result, again, is more upsetting than calming.K.------------------I have worked for the government and at universities doing scientific research primarily in the area of the environment and the impact of environmental factors on human health, I have never done any independant clinical testing for the pharmaceutical industry, nor have I ever worked for a drug company. I have no financial, academic, or any other stake in any commercial, natural, or any other product mentioned by me.My story and what worked for me in greatly easing my IBS: http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/Forum17/HTML/000015.html[This message has been edited by kmottus (edited 08-13-2001).]

 

[Kathleen M.]

I believe that inadequte preparation is also a problem in colonoscopies. You have to be well cleaned out or stool can still hide some of the things you are looking for, particularly when they only effect small portions of the colon.K.------------------I have worked for the government and at universities doing scientific research primarily in the area of the environment and the impact of environmental factors on human health, I have never done any independant clinical testing for the pharmaceutical industry, nor have I ever worked for a drug company. I have no financial, academic, or any other stake in any commercial, natural, or any other product mentioned by me.My story and what worked for me in greatly easing my IBS: http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/Forum17/HTML/000015.html

 

[Kathleen M.]

I believe that inadequte preparation is also a problem in colonoscopies. You have to be well cleaned out or stool can still hide some of the things you are looking for, particularly when they only effect small portions of the colon.K.------------------I have worked for the government and at universities doing scientific research primarily in the area of the environment and the impact of environmental factors on human health, I have never done any independant clinical testing for the pharmaceutical industry, nor have I ever worked for a drug company. I have no financial, academic, or any other stake in any commercial, natural, or any other product mentioned by me.My story and what worked for me in greatly easing my IBS: http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/Forum17/HTML/000015.html