Should I be worried

[Lovehate]

Not sure if I have IBS or colon cancer it's been about 3 years now and I have had bloating and I have been constipated and I've had diarrhea on and off no blood in stool but my stool is a lot thinner what bothers me the most is my poo being a lot thinner like if I have some kind of blockage can anyone tell me if I should be worried . I guess because I don't see blood it makes me think its not colon cancer but I could be wrong

[Maureen1958]

Hi, I used to get thin stools regularly years ago, when my tummy was more runny. They got thinner each time I went. I just assumed it was because there wasn't much left inside me. No google back then! As long as your doctor is aware and you have no blood and have any checks your doctor thinks are needed, I shouldn't think you have anything to worry about.

[Lovehate in reply to Maureen1958]

Ty

[Baenav]

Thin stools are classic symptoms of IBS. If you are going regularly and there is no blood, it doesn’t sound like anything sinister. Three years is a considerable time; has your doctor referred you to a consultant? A simple colonoscopy will help to rule things out and allay your concerns - by the way, your anxiousness may be making things worse (another classic symptom), so the sooner you are reassured the sooner you can put your concerns to one side and concentrate more on what Dietary intakes upset your body.

[xjrs]

Best for your GP to conduct tests to officially put your mind at rest. They take stool sample and blood tests. These tests will indicate if further investigation is needed. Even if they need further investigation, it doesn't necessarily mean anything sinister. The vast majority of cases will come back with an IBS diagnosis. However, it is always best to be on the safe side. Best not to self diagnose or ask for a diagnosis on forums.

If you come back with an IBS diagnosis and you still need help, you can check back in here since there is much that can be done to help your symptoms if you're not already getting this support from your GP. Good luck.

[gurgleguts]

Get to your GP and get a few stool tests done. Theyre the first port of call to rule out any nasties. The FIT test is the one that detects blood in the stools that isnt visible to the eye which catch the nasties in the very early stages. More than likely youre in the IBS club that has a combination of a million symptoms so its a case of managing your diet accordingly which is no mean feat. A food diary app can help get you started though. It could be something simple in your diet. Iceberg lettuce seemed to be a big trigger for me. Who would have thought that. It doesnt taste of anything and its mostly water but I can eat a madras which contains pretty much everything im told to avoid on the fodmap diet with no problem but a plate of salad can cause problems. First off, try and remove processed food from your diet. No low fat spreads etc. That also helped. If it doesnt, at least not poisoning your body. Best of luck

[Viklou]

If you had a blockage you wouldn't be able to poop or fart and the pain would be extreme. Ask your doctor for a stool test. Or maybe an ultrasound to check your abdomen

[Stressed20 in reply to Viklou]

Does abdomen ultrasound see the colon? I had one done a year ago

[Viklou in reply to Stressed20]

Yes

[Stressed20 in reply to Viklou]

Ok thank you. Can you take a look, if you have time please, at my post I just put. I would love some advice and appreciate it

[Viklou in reply to Stressed20]

Will do

[Linley]

Suggest the best thing to do to stop you worrying is to contact your GP as you have not mentioned in your post that you have seen him/her.

Your GP can do a few tests and if your symptoms are worse at period time your GP may do a blood test. Agree with xjrs come back to us on this site once you get a IBS diagnosis. Good luck