I'm a 31 year old male from Wales. A month or so ago I started noticing that it was taking me longer than usual to finish peeing, I was also peeing more than usual, and having to go in the night.
This concerned me and I started trying to track my loo habits. In doing this I noticed that I kept going from slightly constipated to having to poop multiple times per day for several days running (I apologise if this is tmi). The nature of the stool isn't particularly consistent and can sometimes look healthy, and sometimes soft, thin, and loose. There is no blood present, but the persistent change in bowel habits has given me hemmorhoids.
Then about a week ago I felt quite ill and lacking in energy, and for a couple of days I lost my appetite. Whilst that came back, my stomach hasn't felt quite right since. I get on and off nausea that usually goes away for a bit after eating.
After searching my symptoms, the thing I keep coming back to is bowel cancer. I have quite bad health anxiety, but my stomach issues never last more than a couple of days and the fact that it has been a week and still doesn't feel right worries me.
I don't know if this is all down to anxiety from the issue with my peeing, and has lead to more anxiety (which does usually give me mild stomach and bathroom issues). I had a phone consultation with my doctor earlier this week and they have arranged for blood tests and a stool sample, which has spiked my anxiety again.
I don't know if anyone else has had similar symptoms but I'm going out of my mind reading up about this. Thanks for taking the time to read this.
S
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Scatterbrain1990
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Hi there I know how u feel I too have health anxiety it is terrible I had a health concern in dec excruciating pelvic pain left side I've had blood in my stools on and off for years as struggled with constipation due to medication for arthritis and prob not enough fibre or fruit too much sugar...had ultrasound to rule out female issues nothing there that would cause pain I was convinced I had bowel cancer the poo test came back positive omg the feeling I had was indescribable I just convinced myself bad news I had a colongraphy with dye and showed up nothing at all wrong with my colon all good showed a small cyst in my pancreas 5mm so having a repeat in 12 months incase its changed so pls pls dont overthink it all..it will make you ill they put the pain down to ibs and it's gone now which is weird..I've started eating more fibre and fruits so toilet visits are ok now ..ask for a referral if you are worried but if your bloods are ok mine were and fit test is negative its prob ibs..but like I've said ask if you can be referred to put your mind at rest or if I can afford it go private to see a gastrologist like I did 150.00 to 200 and it will put your mind at rest and its quicker..good luck pls dont worry yourself sick like I did xx
Sorry to hear about your symptoms and the anxiety it is causing you. We know how upsetting it can be to feel something is "off" with your body, and then you start to google and wonder and think the worst-case scenario.
As hard as it is, try to not let the anxiety get to you too much. (I know that it is a lot easier said than done!). Our GI systems are very sensitive to stress and anxiety, and can make symptoms worse.
That is good to hear that you are tracking your bowel habits. We recommend you call your primary care doctor and discuss next steps. They may end up referring you to a urologist as well as a gastroenterologist due to the urinary symptoms and the bowel symptoms.
Many many people who post in our group are sure that they've got colon cancer, and thankfully, most of the time they do not. We do believe that if something is "off" it is very important to get it checked out. Sometimes that means changing Doctors. If you do not feel that your Doctor is taking your health concerns seriously, they may not be a good fit to be overseeing your medical care.
Before you speak to your doctor, be sure to have written down a list of all medications that you are currently taking, including over-the-counter medications and supplements. Often, patients with GI issues will also keep a food journal to track food and beverage intake, bowel movements, any pain or bleeding, etc. This could be useful information for your doctor. Additionally, it could show you a pattern (for instance, possibly being lactose intolerant, if you experience diarrhea after eating dairy).
There are many possible chronic conditions that could cause the symptoms you are experiencing. It is also possible that you are experiencing an allergy or a reaction to an environmental factor, medication or food. Try not to get ahead of the diagnosis, but definitely do seek out a doctor to be examined.
You may also find some support and answers in these two communities on HealthUnlocked:
Please make an appointment and get checked out to get answers as to why you are experiencing these symptoms.
Good luck!
~Nicole, GCCA Staff Member & Colon Cancer Connected Site Administrator.
Just a reminder - this group is here to offer support, share experiences, and offer our thoughts - but this is not medical advice, and you should always consult your medical professional(s). Additionally, for all emergencies, seek urgent medical care, never delay.
Hello, I saw your post and immediately related to your concerns. I have been have stomach/digestive issues that really came to a head the first of the month. Loose stools quickly turned to diarrhea, intermittent nausea that resulted in some vomiting (one morning I couldn't even keep water down). I immediately made a doctor's appointment and had a virtual visit with the PA at my doctor's office. She listened to all my concerns and diagnosed it as gastroenteritis, but said if I didn't feel better within a couple of days to come down to the office and pick up a kit for stool samples. I didn't feel better so I ran and grabbed the samples, but I didn't wait "a couple of days," - I ran over the very next day. Long story short, because I feel like this has been going on for twenty years at this point, my stool samples came back negative for things like C Diff and food-borne bacterias. The week went on and I completely lost my appetite, nothing looked or sounded good and I was frankly afraid to eat, fearing it may immediately come out anyways. I've lost about eight pounds in two weeks. As the weekend came, I was in full-blown panic. I took myself to the ER last Sunday night, where they did blood and urine tests and a CT scan of my entire abdomen and pelvis. All came back normal, including the CT. That allowed me to sleep for the night. Then I went back to Dr. Google, and found horror stories of stuff being 'missed,' in tests. I saw things questioning the accuracy of CT scans. With my appetite still pretty much gone, my stomach still upset and unpredictable, and even some blood in a couple of my stools, I --just last night-- went back to the ER to question the doctors and nurses on the validity and accuracy of my CT scan from the week prior, because I had gotten myself so worked up. I felt bad for going back and taking up more of their time, but in my mind there was truly something 'wrong,' and I couldn't calm down. Anyways, they reassured me and even took more urine and blood which still came back normal. They of course weren't going to do another CT scan due to radiation, but they took the time to explain to me that the scan wouldn't 'miss' something like cancer -- which was my main fear and the thing really driving my panic. My family has a history of cancer, and my mother went through colorectal cancer in 2012 and then a cancerous lung nodule in 2019. But, if it helps you, when she had colorectal cancer, she had been experiencing bleeding for *years* before going and getting it checked out. I didn't know this until recently, that it had been a long term issue. She's a *very* private person, and extra when it comes to this sort of stuff. But she finally told me that, and it provided some insight into what she experienced that I hadn't previously known. I don't know if that will ease your worries, and I don't hope or think that these chats replace medical advice, but in your situation it sounds like a very positive sign that you're not experiencing any bleeding. And even if you were, it could still be due to other causes/conditions.
In my case, the ER doctor recommended seeing a gastroenterologist, as it could be something like IBS or a combination of things. Especially being that I have both anxiety and depression, and specifically health anxiety which is a form of OCD. The gut and the mind apparently have a very strong relationship, so my anxiety could even be causing or exaggerating symptoms (and others have said the same about themselves regarding their anxiety). At this point, mine is debilitating. I'm in the throes of it, and it isn't fun, but talking to people here helps me realize I am not alone and you aren't either!
I would just suggest following up with your GP and never feel 'guilty,' as some of us do for asking as many questions or voicing as many concerns as you need to. That is what they are there for, and fortunately many of them are receptive to their patients' desires for testing even if it's just for peace of mind and doesn't unnecessarily expose them to risky procedures.
Dear Scalir ,Thank you so much for posting your story and sharing with our community. It can be hard to know at what point to trust that the tests are showing that you are healthy vs. continuing to push for additional testing.
You are so correct on the relationship between anxiety and our guts - it is a pretty rough combination when anxiety increases, people experience all types of GI distress.
It sounds like your mother's experience with two types of cancer had an impact on you and that is totally normal to have increased anxiety around health when a family member has had a cancer diagnosis (especially when there has been more than one type of cancer.)
As I said before, it is hard to know - IS there something going on with me and the doctors are missing it? Or is my health anxiety causing these symptoms and physically there is nothing for them to "find"? Many people experience this and we've seen people with health anxiety be successful at finding this balance when sticking to the facts.
Tracking intake of food and bowel movements, as well as any other symptoms or pain can be very helpful in speaking with a doctor.
Check the facts -look at how long symptoms continue, and consider seeking out a specialist when not in an urgent panic and in need of the emergency room.
Health anxiety can make it very confusing to know what to do - seek more medical treatment or seek out help to work on the health anxiety? Sometimes the answer is both.
Thank you again for sharing your experience, I think it is so helpful for people to talk about health anxiety and with COVID-19, it seems to be on the rise worldwide.
Please know we are here for you and again, we appreciate you sharing our story.
~Nicole, GCCA Staff Member & Colon Cancer Connected Site Administrator.
Just a reminder - this group is here to offer support, share experiences, and offer our thoughts - but this is not medical advice, and you should always consult your medical professional(s). Additionally, for all emergencies, seek urgent medical care, never delay.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Worried about bowel/colon cancer, anyone had these symptoms?
finding out you have bowel cancer 
Sorry for photos , but concerned with bowel movements
