Fuzzy stool with right sided pain

[Cydra]

Fuzzy stools! Hi read the details on this forum regarding the fuzzy stools. Same issue i am having since three months. Whenever i poop i have mushy stools with mucous , i have these attacks in the morning later it gets better. I went to gastroentrologist he said me that it seems IBS to him and i should get my thyroid tested, i am diagnosed with hypothyroidism and taking its treatment , along with it he gave me Mebervine HCL and, Dexlansoprazole. I dont understand how to cope up with it? Google says it direct cancer or cirhossis which i am extremely scared of! i am just 27,,, Kindly help and share your experiences, diagnosis and treatments....

[Hidden]

I’m also 27 & I’m dealing with the same issue. I don’t have an answer for you because I don’t know how to cope with it either but you’re not alone. And avoid Googling your symptoms.

[Cydra in reply to Hidden]

I hope anyone can help us! I am getting into depression state now thinking about it all the time...

[Hidden in reply to Cydra]

Me too! Can’t really do anything anymore. It’s very depressing. I hope we can find answers & feel better eventually

[Cydra in reply to Hidden]

Did u discussed with any doctor? What did he suggested etc

[Hidden in reply to Cydra]

Not yet. I have a GI appointment coming up next week.

[Cydra in reply to Hidden]

Ok do share what he suggested!

[Cydra in reply to Cydra]

Plz share what your doctor suggested

[rosec13]

Hello. This is exactly how I have been, I had a huge flare up that started in May. I had all the tests and everything came back fine. I have lost a lot of weight from not eating for months too.

However, I was prescribed amitriptyline 10mg at night. At first I was so tired and had to take it at 7pm to be able to wake up for work at 9am. I gave it a chance and it really helped me. Like, really helped. So much so that I only take it when I need it now. Mebeverine made me sick so I don't take that anymore unless I am going out for food for example as I cannot control as much. I manage on buscopan when I need it too. My symptoms include indigestion and heartburn so I have antacids daily.

I can't eat big portions anymore and if I have breakfast I feel poorly. But I have learnt what to avoid and have been feeling better. I am not symptom free and still have a way to go but the amitriptyline really helped me.

Hope you all feel better soon.

[TrishG67 in reply to rosec13]

Hi good to hear you finally found some relief with the amitryptaline. How long where you taking the 10mg before you found some benefit? I have been taking 10mg at night for 5.5 weeks and my pain and discomfort in upper GI area/ribs/upper back is as bad as ever. I have diverticular and Gerd too so not sure this amitryptaline is going to help but wandered how long I should trial it for as it is now aggravating my constipation too. 😢

[xjrs]

Did your gastroenterlogist diagnose IBS using a stool sample and blood tests?:

nhs.uk/conditions/irritable...

Here is some information about IBS that I have shared with others in this group:

IBS can be due to a number or combination of factors - these can be stress (including stress from early life experiences) which impacts the communication between the brain and the digestive system. There are lots of free webinars online at the moment regarding mindfulness meditation which might help. Plus you can ask to be referred for CBT or something similar to reduce your anxiety - I would have thought online appointments are available. Exercise can play a major role in IBS in terms of reducing stress, helping your gut microbiome and regulating bowel movements.

There is also not absorbing certain types of carbohydrates called FODMAPs very well, the residue ending up in the colon and bacteria feeding off them causing symptoms. Ordinarily feeding gut bacteria is a really good thing - when you feed good gut bacteria these produce by-products that have great health effects in the gut and throughout the body. However, in some people with IBS bad bugs might have the upper hand over good - these bad bugs may cause symptoms such as excess gas, pain or disordered bowel movements. There is an interesting infographic on this here:

gutmicrobiotaforhealth.com/....

This is why it’s worth trying probiotics such as Alflorex (which has been scientifically studied for IBS) or Symprove to crowd out the bad bugs and make their numbers die down. If that doesn't work you can try the FODMAP elimination and reintroduction diet. This is normally under the guidance of a nutritionist via GP referral - this may not be possible at the moment so you can read about it online. If you download the Monash University FODMAP app it will tell you which foods contain FODMAPs and in what quantities. You can eliminate all FODMAPs for 2 weeks and then introduce each type of FODMAP one at a time starting in small quantities, increasing over a 3 day period and wait up to 4 days for symptoms. I go much slower than this - only introducing a small amount (1/4 to 1/3 of a normal portion size) of the same food for 3 days and then increase if tolerable or no symptoms and cut back to the previous amount if symptoms for longer and then try to increment again . I've read your microbiome can adapt to handling a new food if introduced very slowly and your bad bugs are under control with a good probiotic. Ideally you want to eat as many FODMAPs as you can since they are good for your health. Many people with IBS don't have diverse gut bacteria - it has been found that people who lack a diverse microbiome are more prone to diseases in general. In the long run, if you can get your symptoms under control, the ideal situation is to have a very varied diet - lots of different coloured fruits and vegetables, a variety of protein and carbohydrate sources including cereal fibres. This may seem a long way off, but with the right treatment all of this is possible. Last year all I could consume to control my IBS was white rice, protein and limited low fodmap veg. Using the approach above (particularly introducing Alflorex) I am now able to consume far more foods - more than I've ever dreamed of including wholewheat bread which is unheard of for me.

If you are also suffering from pain, you may be suffering from visceral hypersensitivity (functional abdominal pain) - there is info about it here:

iffgd.org/lower-gi-disorder...

It is where the brain interprets the normal activity of the bowel as pain - this is due to a wearing down of neurons in pain control centres of the brain which can be caused by PTSD, neglect or abuse in childhood, extreme stressful events etc. The first line treatment is nerve pain agents such as low dose amitriptyline. There is a theory that being on something like amitriptyline for 6-12 months can help the pain control centre neurons to regenerate. Note that amitriptyline can cause constipation, but this can be helpful in people who are diarrhea dominant. Unfortunately I couldn't tolerate these. Linaclotide (for IBS-C only) & Alflorex have helped me with this intestinal pain.

You may also find assistance with enteric coated peppermint.

You can find some info on self management here:

theibsnetwork.org/the-self-...

If all of the usual IBS remedies fail, it is worth getting tested for BAM (Bile Acid Malabsorption), which can cause constant diarrhea - there is a separate test and treatment for that. Good luck.

[Cydra in reply to xjrs]

Uptil now Dr asking me all the questions and checking me physically said that all the signs are for IBS.. but still for celiac disease test, I am going for in next week!

Dr haven't advised stool test but yes I will also go for it ....