well... i just got back from the doctor. got my 2nd opinion. this guy, who i trust very much, asked many (many) more questions than my last doctor though his diagnosis and level of concern was about the same.he said it was IBS and because of my age (28) and family history, he thought doing any further testing was unnecissary. (my last dr., who i didn't care for, did hemogram/diff - blood test, sed rate - blood test, stool for wbcs - stool test, stool culture - stool test, o & p screen - stool test)he said i could contact a gastroenterologist and schedule a colonoscopy if i'd like, but he didn't feel it was necissary.symptoms presented:diarrhea / loose stools (AT LEAST 4 1/2 years)flat stools when "solid" - no change or improvement with fiber. no "round" stools in at least 3 yrs.D is worsened when eating certain foods or when under stress.mucus in stools if having bad Dfrequent undigested food in bmstomach "pain" (2-4 on a scale of 10)/cramping near belly button - both sides occasional pain under breast bone - left sidepain is NOT relieved after bowel movement. just comes and goes. usually lasts for a few seconds at a time. have gone days w/o pain but sometimes have pain on/off all day.occasional feeling of incomplete evacuation (1 out of ever 3 or 4 bms)frequent "terrible" (ask my fiance) gasfrequent belchingmorning nausea (if i don't eat soon enough)occasional light headednessmoderate heartburn and acid reflux.no family history of colon cancer or polyps (though father is still in very early 50s)no blood in stool (occasional on toilet paper after multiple BMs in a day)no weight lossno color change (it's normal)what would you guys do? look for a third opinion or accept what you were given? i am a bit of a hypocondriac and can't get the "cancer" thought out of my mind. everyone (and i mean everyone) feels i'm making a big deal out of nothing and because i know i needlessly worry about things, i could use some outsiders' opinions.
really need your imput! don't wanna have to beg!
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Hello. First let me start off by saying IBS isn't "nothing". So if you have been diagnosed with IBS, then by all means, make a big deal out of getting the test's that you feel you need. I myself turned down the colonoscopy and I have to say that I regret it. I will, at some point, have it done. I think you're going to come across people who don't have IBS, that think we are making a "big deal" out of it. Ignore them. Do what you think you need to for peace of mind. Only you can decide what you'll need to do in order to get it.
My only suggestion is to follow the advice of your Dr's. If they really thought cancer was a possibility, I'm sure they'd be trying to find a way to diagnose it.Are you bleeding? Everything you described (symptoms) sound a LOT like a typical IBS patient.If you really are a hypochondriac and you can't get the thought of cancer out of your mind, go ahead and get a colonoscopy done. Ask yourself if that will even get the thought of cancer out of your head if it comes back clear. If you don't think it will, you might want to consider counseling to help you with those kind of thoughts.
thanks for the speedy replies! to clarify, when i say my friends/family think i'm worrying over 'nothing', i don't mean to imply IBS is nothing. what i meant was my fear of colon cancer was "nothing".silent sufferer - the only time there's bleeding is when i'm having a bad D day and i've (pardon my expression) whiped myself raw. that's the only time it's visable at least. occult blood tests came back negative.i tend to agree with you regarding the doctor's diagnosis. that's why i came here to see what you guys thought. i really trust my (new) doctor. he's fantastic and i really feel if he was concerned, he would have ordered more tests.quite honestly, if it wasn't for the "flat" stool, i wouldn't be concerned about this stuff at all. i've been dealing with most of it for so long, it's almost "normal" to me now.
Over the years I've been to many doctors in several states,including gastro guys, had a sigmoidoscopy (negative). Most recent doc wanted to do a colonoscopy but we don't have insurance and not a lot of extra money so I'm avoiding it. I would suggest, mtoafs, that you do what will relieve YOUR mind. Sure I have days when I'm certain the flat & pencil like stool is cancer. But when I really think about how long I've battled this, I'd be worm food if it was cancer.Listen to your gut
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it will tell you whether to go forward with more tests or whether you should relax & just accept this annoying & frustrating diagnosis.Good luck!
i felt the same way... that this is been happening for so long that surely something else would have happened by now if this was the big C. if i did "something" "normal" once in awhile, i don't think i'd be concerned.i've got insurance which is great, unfortunately, they won't cover a colonoscopy because of my age and lack of family history of colon cancer. needless to say, i don't have $700 - $1,500 lying around. i've really been trying to not worry about it and for the most part, haven't been, though my ibs has been kicking my butt for the past few days.
If I am not mistaken, I believe that ribbon like/flat stool is a complaint among many IBS ers and can be caused by the contractions of the intestines. It sounds as though your Drs. have been pretty in depth with testing etc. I understand your worry though...sometimes IBS pain can be so horrific, it just doesn't seem to make sense that it isn't something harmful.
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Hi and Welcome !
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Your symptoms do sound like IBS - I know I went through 4 colonoscopies, parasite tests, SIBO tests, etc. because I couldn't accept the fact (and the docs felt this way too) that my severe symptoms were "just" IBS - but they were.You can read my story in the link below if you want to - I came to this BB just like you- so frustrated - but after years of having IBS and nothing working - this is not an easy condition to have to be sure...All the best to you..
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hey everyone, once question - a little concerned...my father went for his first colonoscopy yesterday and they removed three small(er) polyps. gatro didn't seem too concerned. said he'd see him in three years. he's 52. is this something that i should be concerned about? with my symptoms at my age (28)?
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