Questions in the Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases Forum have been answered by Dr. Kevin Pho who is board certified in Internal Medicine and by doctors from Henry Ford Health System.

Question Title: Diarrhea Every Day - worried

Forum: The Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases Forum
Topic: Diarrhea


I'm a 36 year old male in good health.
About a month ago I suddenly had an attack of diarrhea in the evening.
It was very watery with some ochre-colored bits in it and it burned my anus.
It almost ended up in my pants as it came with no cramping - I thought it
was gas. Since then, every BM has been either diarrhea or very loose,
malformed ( ragged, small ), yellowish stools. There is no pain, no cramping,
my appetite is unchanged, no weight loss, no visible blood. Attacks
never happen at night; instead they tend to happen within 2 hours
of eating a meal especially in the morning.
What I eat has no effect.

I went to my GP who put me on Flagyl and Hyoscyamine. He says my
"belly is very noisy" and he's right: when I don't take the Hyoscyamine
I can feel my insides churning. The Flagyl has not helped at all after 5 days
but Hyoscyamine reduces frequency of attacks.

GP now wants me to stop the Flagyl and see a Gastroenterologist and I'm scared I have
something like Colon Cancer. I don't smoke or drink and there's
no history of Colon Cancer in the family. I'd like as many
opinions as I can get...

___
dear Rich,
Your symptoms can be due to several causes but are not suggestive for colon tumors. I would consider additional stool cultures looking for infection, stool guaiac study to exlcude colonic bleeding, a flexible sigmoidoscopy with biopsy ( to exclude colonic inflammation as the cause of the diarrhea) and possibly a barium enema to complete the evaluation of the colon. I would also supplement the amount of fiber in the diet by taking Metamucil. this over-the-counter agent will provide greater bulk to the stool and may be sufficient to improve the diuarrhea.

This information is presented for educational purposes only. Always consult your personal physician for specific medical questions.

HFHSM.D.-rf
*keywords: diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome
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