Since end of July 2020 I have suffered random bouts of bloating, zero appetite and change in bowel movements. The bout in July lasted around 2-3 weeks and then bloating went as well as my appetite returning, my bowel movements never returned to a fully "normal" consistency.
Fast forward to September 22nd and everything came back again - zero appetite and bloating off and on daily. I've had blood tests which all came back clear, I've had stool samples which came back clear and a FIT test which was fine. I'm scheduled for a colonoscopy in 10 days but I'm absolutely terrified they are going to find cancer. My anxiety and depression has never been worse as I'm convinced it's bad news.
I'm 30 year old female and I am obese. The only odd thing is, my husband started with the same symptoms in April 2020 and is still having the same problems now but they have become much more easier to manage and "flare ups" aren't as often.
Has anybody experienced this before?!
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Moo45678
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Hi, I have had since the end of May the same sort of symptoms. Severe pain in my tummy and bloating. Sometimes constipation and other times diarrhoea.
I ended up in A&E twice as the pain was so severe. I have had lots of blood tests and also a ultra sound with nothing found. I am having a Colonoscopy next Wednesday.
I haven’t had a bout of pain for three weeks now.
Anxiety plays a massive part in mine I am sure and lockdown ( I am in the UK) made it all worse. I also don’t eat gluten now and drink soya milk. Also take Alflorex that somebody mentioned on here. It’s a bacteria tablet. I think it has helped too. Good luck with the Colonoscopy. You are not alone.
Just to let you know I had my Colonoscopy yesterday morning. It was all over and done with in half an hour. I had a mild sedation so cannot remember much. The preparation of drinking the liquid the night before was worse than the procedure. It tastes disgusting but a small price to pay. The Dr told me straight away that he had found nothing but had taken a couple of biopsies for inflammation. I have the results soon.
I just wanted to reassure you that the procedure is fine. Nothing to be anxious about really and I suffer from health anxiety too. Good luck with yours.
I could well be, my husband first for his initial symptom the day after we had a take away curry - classic upset stomach but it spiralled from there, he became quite unwell and was in bed for 2 weeks. He hasn't be right since then (April 2020). Then I had a 2 week stint of the off stomach/bloating/loose stools/no appetite in July 2020 then eased and now re-started. Husband does think it's something I've potentially caught off him, as I started with it on July 2020 once we were having more contact with each other (we had minimal contact in lockdown due to my shielding).
I do have severe health anxiety/general anxiety, so I know my symptoms are most likely exacerbated by my anxiety, that being said it's definitely so strange and nothing like I've experienced before. I can't remember what "normal" feels like anymore with my stomach, it's not as if I get full when eating/bloating, I literally feel nothing when I eat etc.
To put your mind at rest, statistically far more people come back with an IBS diagnosis from a colonoscopy than anything else. You also have youth on your side.
The best thing to do is to try to distract yourself and not discuss it until it is all over and you have your results so that you know how to proceed. Usually the worrying is far worse than the actual outcome. It is a really positive thing that you are getting a colonoscopy soon. You will then find out how you can improve your symptoms and move forward. The worse thing people can do is do nothing and get trapped in a state of anxiety and not move forward.
Good luck with the colonoscopy. You will be well cared for during the procedure. If you are diagnosed with IBS you can check back in here since there is much that can be done to help your symptoms.
Hi Moo, I know how you feel, it’s very frightening... I’ve had a stomach upset since June something that I’ve never experienced before (I’m 49). I had a colonoscopy in August that was clear. Things are very gradually getting better , now just constipated & bloating less. The worst bit of all of it was waiting for colonoscopy. But remember the odds are very much in your favour, also given your husband had the same symptoms.
Thanks Lexi, my Husband keeps saying the same things to me - I think my anxiety doesn't let me thinking logically, as well as sitting on Google all night. I'm just fed up of feeling like this, it's horrendous and just exhausting. My poor Husband has had it worst and he is so Positive about everything, don't know how he does it.
Roll on November 1st anyway, hopefully I can put it behind me and calm down a bit.
Thanks again.
Extremely unlikely. You said the FIT was clear. Only about 2 percent of colonoscopies come back sinister as you say.
Have you been tested for h pylori?? It sounds more likely given what your saying
I know, I can't reason with myself and I just Google things to end up in an spiral.
Unsure if I've been tested for that. I had a large set of blood tests and they all came back clear (including a tumour marker one), I've sent off a seperate stool sample which wasn't a FIT Test and got told that was clear. So unsure what is going on 😥
So. I had the same. Lots of blood tests. So you had all the blood tests including the CEA marker and the FIT! You need to ask if the stool test was for h pylori. It’s normally a separate test to the stool culture one. There is a breath test and a blood test to. But the blood test will only tell if you have ever had it. But you can get this from Lloyd’s online home test. H pylori can cause all manor or symptoms like reflux, lose of appetite, bloating after food, loose stools that can be smelly, gripping , gas feeling in the belly ( worse in the evening) weight loss or gain. It’s also responsible for some anxiety as the bacteria lowers the serotonin levels in your body
40 percent of Uk people have it. Most don’t show symptoms!
Oh wow, thank you, I will have a look and buy the home test one then. I will speak to my GP as well.
My anxiety has never been worst, I've always struggled but usually my Husband can calm me somewhat but the last 4 weeks have been hell, even CBT isn't helping me.
Oh my husband and I have both had horrendous throat clearing/silly tickly cough with all this.
Hopefully this is what it is, as it's driving us both mad, I'm going on about myself more but my poor Husband has had all this since April with his symptoms being worst than mine.
I thought it was a coincidence but wonder if we can both have it? I'll have a look on YouTube and see if it's contagious maybe.
You can pass it on like any other bacterial infection! Stay away from them horrible so called friendly bacteria drinks etc. Just one of them a day can upset your guts terribly. Like an old drain gurgling in your guts. I found out the hard way and they can take several days to clear your system.
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