I am so fed up and very anxious that my body can’t produce a ‘normal’ stool

[rustydog]

It’s actually becoming an obsession with me and driving my already out of control anxiety to a point where I feel I may go crazy!

I have had IBS for 24 years but for some reason it ramped up a notch about 4 years ago and has been really bad this year.

In 2019 I had a colonoscopy, a gastroscope and ct scan. This year I had a pill camera endoscopy as I also suffer from upper issues. All came back ok but my symptoms have gradually become worse since 2019 and showing no signs of abating.

I suffer almost daily now with just 2/3 ‘good’ days per month (I have no idea what brings these good days).

I have nausea, burping, acid, very, very gurgling guts (upper and lower), trapped gas (which ‘pops’ inside me and trapped gas in my rectal area which can be hard to pass sometimes. I get a stitch-like like feeling in the lower right area of my colon (maybe where the small intestine and bowel connect?).

The thing which drives my anxiety over this condition is not just all these daily symptoms and the stress of navigating my life with them always letting me know they are there but my stools stress me so much too.

I never seem to pass what I would call the perfect poop (you know, the no. 3 or 4 on the Bristol Stool Chart). Recently, I just pass a pile of mushy poop just like the poop emoji 💩, very sticky and hard to flush (sorry of TMI 😳).

Today, I passed lots and lots of really small and formed but soft/raggy poops like a no.5.

I live in constant, constant fear there is something wrong as it leaves an uncomfortable feeling in my rectal/anal area (been waiting almost a year to see my gastroenterologist as he cocked up my telephone appointment which was scheduled for July).

I really have had enough of stressing over my guts and poop. Most people I know wouldn’t give it a second though like when you pee, cough or breath but for me, it’s a complete obsession which really is taking over my life but if I mention that to non-sufferers they look at me like I’m crazy!

(BTW I am low fodmap and so very careful what I eat and drink)

[Maureen1958]

Hi rustydog, I have had IBS for over 35 years now. I don't actually suffer from anxiety but it does make me anxious. I have had it everyday since my son was born 30 years ago. Before that it was about every other day.

I have nausea with it too. I also am pretty sure I now have Fibromyalgia and TMJD (Temporomandibular Joint disorder) although not been diagnosed!

I actually have stools these days that look normal but felt better when my stools were more runny!

I am also actually scared of going wee as well because I may get more than I bargained for (if you get my drift) and I am constantly holding my breath for some reason I am not sure of.

I think it grinds you down because it is always there in the background or more in the foreground these days.

So I guess what I am saying is you are not alone.

[rustydog in reply to Maureen1958]

Thank you. It really does grind you down doesn’t it? I also have TMJ disorder, I wonder if there is a connection? Do you do anything in particular to get your stools back to ‘normal’. Occasionally I will get constipated (not sure why) and they are my happy days, I can function much better and for some reason being a bit constipated actually calms my gut down. This is such a strange and individual condition isn’t it?

[Maureen1958 in reply to rustydog]

It certainly is!

There is definitely a link between Fibro and IBS and TMJD seems to be linked very closely with Fibro too.

I belong to a site called Stuff the Works and am a member of the IBS, Fibro and TMD sites. You may be interested in joining them. Here is link to TMD site.

stuffthatworks.health/tmj

I didn't do anything to change the consistency on purpose, it just sort of happened over time, personally I would prefer them to be more like yours as I know how to deal with that!

[Luisa22 in reply to rustydog]

I know what you mean. This morning I woke up feeling quite well and optimistic. I don't always wake up feeling that. I thought I must have had a nice dream in the night which I'd forgotten.

I was constipated this morning!! It was a nuisance and I ended up not feeling brilliant after all that, but usually constipated means I can eat some of my favourite foods (like chickpea stew....and potatoes with skins, lettuce...and other "make you go" veggies.) that I have had to even be slightly careful about even when going through a pretty normal phase.

The C doesn't last very long, Usually I feel good energy when I have that too. But today I didn't for some reason.

[Luisa22]

I feel for you. I went ages like this in 2020, with only occasional normal stools. My tests were clear. I was surprised by that as I was sure something more serious was happening.

After the good test results my doctor didn't see the need for anything more invasive he said. I found it irritating. like, why is my gut doing this when I'd always been normal??

That was usually once a day, and even though I was confused & annoyed by it, I was worse when a real flare up came.

I didn't use any pharmaceuticals, but did get appointments with a homeopath.

Not much made any real difference to it. I tried everything, Fodmap diet, Manuka honey (honey is high Fodmap but it seemed to help a little bit), herbal remedies. Going low fibre as much as possible which also steadied things a bit. I found some low Fodmaps definitely didn't suit me and had to eat less fibre. That did seem to make a bit of difference.

This year it hasn't been so bad and I've been able to eat more foods, more veggies, spelt bread toast instead of white, brown rice sometimes instead of white, and a bit of peeled fruit. I can even eat chips again and raw watercress etc!

Since about May I think, I have had better stools generally with fewer bad days.

I have been through those times when I was obsessed with what my gut was up to and it was freaking me out. I kept finding myself googling everything....too much.

I found that on the days when my stool was normal, I could actually concentrate on other things.

All I can say is there has been some change with me over the past 2 years. Some of it is good, but there are still glitches such as now I sometimes get a bit constipated.

[rustydog in reply to Luisa22]

I totally understand when you said you could concentrate on other things when you had a ‘normal’ stool. That is exactly what happens with me. On the odd day I am ok my world opens right up and I can enjoy myself again but it’s always so short lived.

[b1b1b1]

Double check for SIBO. I know not everyone believes this is a "real" thing, however, I did have. very sticky, mushy poop. I was tested for SIBO at a major medical center in NYC and was treated with antibiotics. The poop problems were resolved.

[rustydog in reply to b1b1b1]

Thank you. I have a test kit from my local hospital, which I need to do. I do often wonder if I have SIBO as I have many of the symptoms these days. Did the solution you have to drink, for the test, upset you at all? I’ve been putting off the test because of this worry!

[b1b1b1 in reply to rustydog]

No, not at all. It was absolutely no problem--just takes about 3 hours.

[rustydog in reply to b1b1b1]

Fab, I need to do mine asap.

[xjrs]

Have you tried Alflorex probiotic which has been scientifically studied for IBS? The root cause of many people's IBS is a gut bacterial imbalance, so might be worth a try. The strain that is in it is a particularly strong one that is passed from mother to child during the natural birthing process. This primes a baby's gut to help with the immune system and to keep away the nasties in the gut.

Additionally, I believe that being low fodmap for a long time can end up making the condition worse. This is what happened to me. I started to get symptoms such as pain no matter what I ate, including low fodmap foods. Many fodmaps act as feed for your good gut bacteria, which help to keep away the bad bugs which can give symptoms. I found that Alflorex made me more tolerant to a wider range of foods. The wider range of foods help to increase the diversity of good bacteria in the gut, which can help stave off IBS. My diet is not 'perfect' and there are some foods that I still can't tolerate, but I can eat much more now.

[rustydog in reply to xjrs]

Thank you, I really do need to explore this avenue. I have been recommended Alflorex or Biokault by others. I agree with you about low fodmap. I have been on it for far too long, never was able to reintroduce as I never got a lower reduction of symptoms during elimination but am ‘stuck’ on the elimination diet as I am now scared of high fodmap foods. Not good!

[Luisa22 in reply to rustydog]

I have a friend who had IBS. I was shocked when she told me she stayed on the low Fodmap diet for 2 years! Then she said she woke up one day and suddenly felt okay and could eat anything after that. It sounds inadvisable, and it also sounds too good to be true but she doesn't lie, and that's her story.

She may have taken probiotics too. I don't know. But low Fodmap for all that time didn't seem to hurt her. But she could eat the full range of low Fodmap foods and there are a lot to choose from, whereas I could only eat some of them.

I did the strict elimination for 8 weeks only. I did sometimes get issues re-introducing, but discovered little 'hacks' that helped. Like trying with very small amounts, leaving it for a few days, doing it again, and gradually sorting out which high Fodmaps were okay for me and which not. There are still some foods (some on the 'low' list!) that don't suit me at all. But generally I have been able to eat more foods and high Fodmaps again within reason.

I also didn't generally find that being on the low Fodmap diet made any big difference to my symptoms, but some of the foods were a bit easier to digest I admit.

[grumpyold]

I agree with b1b1b1. I was getting nowhere with my ibs c with doctors. I got a private SIBO test done and it came back positive .

SIBO definitely is a possibility with your symptoms.

[rustydog in reply to grumpyold]

Thank you. I have the test here at home to do. I must complete it.

[Allot]

I can I ask where you got a SIBO test done and what it involved ?

[rustydog in reply to Allot]

I am in the U.K. It just came through the post the other week, from my local hospital. My gastroenterologist must have ordered it for me. It says they are no longer offering the test directly at the hospital so are using the Healthpath SIBO tests now instead. I have to complete the test then return to the hospital.

[Allot in reply to rustydog]

thanks very much - I hope things improve for you

[Winke]

I have suffered for 63 years with stomach problems but after reading your letter i seem to have a soul mate i am in constant pain from my stomach and my right buttock is in a vice the painkillers i take wich seems to easey it co codamol

I can only wish you all the best

And as My Granny used to say to me there is ALWAYS some poor sod worse off than you.

[rustydog in reply to Winke]

Thank you. Sorry you have been suffering for so long. All the best to you too.

[Luisa22]

IBS is baffling. After about 2 months of generally normal stools in the mornings, few other symptoms, and exactly the same diet, exercise, sleep patterns, low stress levels....all of a sudden my gut decided to flip again (why??) Even when I eat white rice and hard boiled eggs now (my emergency diet!) I can't produce a 3-4 either. Too loose. I have no clue why. IBS can drive us nuts trying to work out why it behaves like it does. :/

[JT1992]

Rustydog, can I ask how you are now? I have just come across your post and your symptoms sound exactly like mine.. really praying that you found some miracle cure and can share with us?

[rustydog in reply to JT1992]

I’m sorry to report that I am worse than ever. I just can not get my digestive system to settle. Sorry you are going through the same