unsure what is wrong with me?

[maimorgan]

For about 3 months now I’ve been very bloated and feeling as if I need to have a bowel movement when I don’t. The constant feeling of pressure is there, even if I don’t need to go to the toilet, making it hard to tell when I actually need to go. Sometimes it even makes me feel like my bladder is full when it isn’t, which I think is related to this issue. I am a 19 year old female , so I was hoping my symptoms were not serious and would go away by themselves. At the start I didn't experience any pain but now there is a constant discomfort and pain that gets worse when I strain. It feels very similar to period cramps. My symptoms are only very mildly relieved when I don’t eat anything. I also seem to have a lot of gas which I have never experienced before. My bowl movements fluctuate between constipation and diarrhoea (although mostly constipation), and I also bleed quite regularly. I have tried probiotics for a month as I thought I had IBS but they did not help my symptoms. I do not know what has caused my symptoms as they came on very suddenly and I have never had an issue like this before. Does anyone know what this could be? It is so frustrating to go about your everyday life with constant cramps.

[Sharamina]

Have you seen a doctor?

[allysmith9]

Hi,

My symptoms were sudden onset too, they started when i was 19 and I was fine until the moment it happened. I'm 21 now and finally got over my anxiety to finally see a GI specialist. You aren't in this alone at all. I hope you get answers soon.

[Nicole_GCCA Partner]

Hello maimorgan ,Thanks for posting and I'm sorry you are going through this. Please make an appointment to see a specialist - a gastroenterologist is a good place to start to figure out what is causing these symptoms and discomfort.

Try not to let your anxiety get the best of you. Remember, there are so many possible reasons for what you are experiencing. From dietary/environmental to chronic conditions - there are a lot of possibilities for your symptoms. It will be important to of course rule out colorectal cancer. About 10% of colorectal cancers occur in people under the age of 50.

The best thing you can do right now is to make an appointment with a specialist, keep track of your symptoms, medications, etc. and give your doctor a full picture of what is going on so they can determine the next step in figuring out what is going on.

We're here for you - hang in there!

~Nicole @ GCCA