Worried its something sinister: Hi all, My first... - IBS Network

IBS Network

47,322 members15,524 posts

Worried its something sinister

Jaycey62 profile image
9 Replies

Hi all, My first posting on here. I've had Ibs for ovrr 30 years and alway know when a flare up starts , which mine are always due to stress..I have bad flare ups maybe only once or twice a year., however this latest flare up, brought on by a very stressfull Sept/Oct, has now lasted 5 weeks, the longest ever!..It started with bad integration which lasted 2 weeks, my stools being in clumps instead of regular daily whole stool. I have acid all the time and lots of gas..I saw Dr after 2 weeks as was having dull aching under left ribcage around heart area and also aching lower back, (which has now almost gone).and occasional sharp pain low in right buttock...She said she was certain its my ibs and gave me Buscopan, Fybogel and gaviscon for acid...Two weeks went by and no better so I went back, as she suggested, ..I had to have stool sample and bloods tested ..I am going back on Tuesday for the results, but am paranoid its a cancer, either in Pancrea, stomach, spleen or lungs!..My anxiety has gone through the roof - its 5 weeks on and am still not going to the toilet properly..as stools are lighter shade than normal Im thinking Malabsorbtion problems...I just want to feel well again and be "back to normal" how I was 5 weeks ago.. Everyone is telling me I'll be fine and I must stop worrying, but I cant help it..I had blood tests, an Endoscopy and ovarian scan last November and all was clear, but I just feel so nervous about things this time... Does anyone else suffer like this?

Written by
Jaycey62 profile image
Jaycey62
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Read more about...
9 Replies
Fruitandnutcase profile image
Fruitandnutcase

Sounds really horrible. Know what you mean about worrying about cancers. I'm exactly like you, I've had IBS for over thirty years with odd flare ups that I can cope with.

Recently I've just had a massive stress induced flare up. I began to think like you 'what if I'm just ignoring it because I think it's IBS and it turns out to be something really bad.

I asked for and didn't get blood tests to check for cancers. I had a barium enema etc when I was first diagnosed all those years ago.

I had other blood tests done this time - one was to see if I was coeliac, that's a waste of time because I went completely gluten free a year ago so it's not likely to show positive and I don't know what the others were. My doc also sent off a stool test and I was given a box of stuff called Normacol - it looks like cat litter, you put a sooonful on your tongue and wash it down with a drink of cold water. I haven't heard what if anything thetests showed up. Probably nothing or I would have heard by now.

You could ask to be checked for Helicobactor pylori. I was tested for that ages ago when I had really bad acid reflux and indigestion plus the usual IBS symptoms. Nothing showed up though. I was given omeprazole for the acid but after I went gluten free, stopped eating chocolate and drinking fizzy Diet Coke I was able to stop taking the omeprazole which was good.

Hope you get sorted out soon, I can see why you are worrying though because I was just the same myself.

MaggieJemima profile image
MaggieJemima

Same here

Try yoga breathing to control worry panic

Watch old tv progs to get you out if yourself for a bit

Tell yourself to calm down dear and try treat a day

Knit furiously long scarfs

Fruitandnutcase profile image
Fruitandnutcase in reply to MaggieJemima

Good thinking MaggieJemima, you won't believe this but I've only just discovered the pleasures of watching old TV programmes. I've discovered New Tricks and Rebus. I say discovered because I never saw them first time round. Then there's Dad's Army, no matter how often I see those I still laugh and a treat a day can be anything, definitely doesn't have to cost money.

Hi, I've had IBS now for around 21 years and have been suffering with it more for the past few months and so much so that I went to my doctor. I have to say I am very lucky as I have a doctor that listens. I had blood tests but also had another Colonoscopy (I had one many years ago when I was first diagnosed) and that came back clear. What I did notice though was when I had to follow a low fibre diet for 2 days and then a day of basically no food before the Colonoscopy (this was the preparation period), my IBS was almost non existent. Once I had had the procedure and it came back clear I decided to follow a low fibre diet for a month to see what happened. I had very little pain for the whole month, felt so much better but was, I have to say, bored with the diet as I love my veg.

I started to reintroduce vegetables to my diet again and started suffering with pain, bloating and constipation and still suffering. One vegetable that I found to be really bad was sweetcorn but after reading articles online re IBS I know that's one of the worst things you can eat. From looking at articles online one of the best diets seems to be a soluable fibre diet and I am now looking into this but also I am going to look at an elimination diet and the first thing I am going to try and cut out is dairy as that seems one of the things that affects people with IBS.

Anyway, hope this does help and I hope that you start to feel better very soon.

Alun001 profile image
Alun001

Hi, there is a guy called Mahoney who is known for his IBS work. He is north England based, his recordings are geared to physical and emotional IBS effects, I've heard herd things and know folk who have benefited

ibscds.com

Peace!

Sweepy13 profile image
Sweepy13

Hi Jaycey62

I really feel for you and hope you soon feel better...

I had to read your post twice I couldn't believe you have so many symptoms I'm having right now and I too have had IBS on and off over 30 years, but the last 12 months have been stressful and my anxiety has gone through the roof

I have had a gastroscope last year which was clear and have had regular blood tests... my GP was really tough with me and said I needed to relax and for a few weeks I thought I was on the right side but that left rib tightness real can get me in a visicous circle

I really hope you soon feel normal!!... I totally understand what you mean

Take care

Sweepy13

Jaycey62 profile image
Jaycey62

Hi All...Thank you such for your kind replies..It's comforting to know I'm not alone going through this stressful time...I was awake at 5am yesterday and my anxiety was through the roof. .I forgot to mention I also have terrible neck pain, more so on the right side and at times can't turn my head..My ribs can be so sore, hence why I keep thinking it's something serious and it's spread to my bones..The fear takes over and gets me in a right state.. I've also found that for the past 4 weeks, when I pass wind there is absolutely no smell whatsoever, therefore, indicating to.me that somethings definitely not right.. All my family and friends keep reassuring me, there's nothing serious wrong and it's just an extremely bad flare up of its, but I find it hard to see that it could make me feel so ill and with so many new and unknown symptoms to me..I had to have a routine mammogram last week and am even worrying about that now, incase all the aching, sore ribs and neck pain is bone cancer resulting from something in the breast. ..Every bad thought keeps going through my head. ..I don't want to end up having another Endoscopy, scans and other tests, like I have before..One of the blood tests is for Her. He pylori ..If it was that at least I'd know why I'm like I am...Luckily enough with my ibs, I have never had to worry about what I eat, only when I have a flare up which has always been due to stress..which resulted from losing my mom to cancer when I was a young child..She was only 42. It has affected me all my life and made me paranoid about the "big C".. I'm just hoping my tests come back with nothing to worry about..but it is very worrying with so much going on with my body at the moment..I will keep you posted how I get one. .Once again - Thanks for the kind comments ..Jaycey62

Jaycey62 profile image
Jaycey62 in reply to Jaycey62

Should read..H.Pylori in reply.

Dianemouse profile image
Dianemouse in reply to Jaycey62

I lost my mom to ovarian cancer. She was 69, and I was 40 at the time (21 years ago). I have always been a worrier,and watching my mom die of cancer just made me worse. Every time something isn't right with me my mind goes right to the cancer thoughts. I was very sick 5 years ago with terrible diarrhea that got worse over the course of a year. I found a wonderful functional medicine doctor. She did lots of tests and found iI had Hashimoto's, H. Pylori, and some other bad bacterias. I've never been tested for celiac, because I gave up gluten years ago due to migraines. She said I did have every marker for celiac. I am very much better now, but I do have little flare ups. You are not alone. Best wishes to everyone on this page.

You may also like...

Ongoing stomach problems, is it something sinister?

came back clear, I've had stool samples which came back clear and a FIT test which was fine. I'm...

Something more sinister?

think about it, throughout the day I think about it, last thing at night I think about it. It’s...

IBS Flare up or something else

then mushy fluffy stool, alternating with more or less normal stool. Slightly lighter in colour...

Anal itching worried its serious

grapefruit seed to kill worms fungus and bacteria as she performed iridology but i had gas pain...

Very unsettled and worried at the moment

loose stools with no blood. I have recently developed a new symptom which is upper and lower back...