Not Sure what it is????

I am a 31 year old female who for the past year or so has been having problems with diarrhea.  It seems like I get it frequently.  Sometimes it is worse than others, but it is a problem. I usually get it after eating and when I get the urge to go, I have to go NOW... I can't hold it in for very long at all which can be very embarrassing and it causes me to not want to do things because of it.  IF my family goes on vacation or road trips, and I have to go, we have to stop at the first place for me to go.. I hate it and don't know what is causing the problem. I have noticed that sometimes I have blood in my stool but I always thought it was from a hemorrhoid but I'm not really sure anymore.  Sometimes it also has mucos in it but I'm not sure why.  There are periods where I have nothing and then all of a sudden it starts up again.  I usually get really bad cramps when I have to go and when I do it starts out like a regualr BM, but then gets looser and looser.  Sometimes I wake up a night to cramps and I have to get to the bathroom..  
Thanks I hope someone has an answer for me

[Kevin Pho, MD]

IBS or IBD are amongst the possibilities.  I would also include malabsorption and colitis as possibilities as well.  

If the symptoms continue, a colonoscopy should be considered.  I would also send to stool off for fat malabsorption and obtain blood tests looking for celiac disease.

If negative, IBS can be considered and appropriately treated with antispasmodic agents and increasing the amount of fiber in the diet.

These options can be discussed in conjunction with a GI referral.

Followup with your personal physician is essential.

This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice - the information presented is for patient education only. Please see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.

Kevin, M.D.
kevinmd_

[jkfrench]

Hi~
My husband has the same thing.  He has IBS.  That is what yours sounds like to.  The colon just out of the blue starts to spasm and you have periods of loose stools and bad cramps.  At your age, I would assume it would be something like that, although I'm no doctor so get it checked out for piece of mind.  Plus there are medicines available to help control it.
Frenchie

[lizziecee]

Please go and see a doctor, preferably a gastro...  I had similar symptoms when I was 24 yrs old, no pain or blood, but horrendous diarrhea and loss of weight, down to 70 lbs.  I am now 63 yrs old at midnight, and have learned to live with my Crohn's disease (and breast cancer to boot!). I now get spasmodic pain and awful rectal bleeding,,, but it can be controlled with immuno-suppressants, if this is what you have.

Blood in the stool, always needs looking at... could be something simple like haemorrhoids, but they don't usually cause pain, cramps or urgent bathroom trips. It could be an inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's or Ulcerative Colitis) and if so, medication can help put these diseases into remission. Just don't ignore blood in the stool please.
Good luck, and please get your problems properly diagnosed so you can live a good life.
Liz.

[secret female]

Thanks for the input.  I don't have blood in the stool all the time. It's not like it just bleeds alot, but every once in awhile I notice it when I wipe.  I figure it's probably IBS.  

[secret female]

I have also had problems with strep throat lately. I'm not sure if it is related or not.  I was on antibiotics a month ago and it came back 8 days ago. I had a positive strep test and was on 2 different medicines becasue the first was not working. NOw I have sore throat problems again and It is driving me crazy. Is there anyway this could be related to either IBS or IBD?

[lizziecee]

Blood in your stool, in my limited experience with Crohn's, is not indicative of IBS, but I don't have that so really can't comment. Strep throat, in the context of my problems, has no bearing on IBD.  Antibiotics usually give you constipation. You really need to get to a gastro and sort this out.The bleeding would really concern me ....I got Crohn's some 37 yrs ago, but never any bleeding until about 20 yrs ago - and it was horrendous, not drops on the paper, but like turning a tap on. You don't want to get that far. Please go and see a gastro NOW!!

Love, Liz.

[cloud58]

Question - The shape of my stool is very strange.  I have pain in lower left abd. and now radiating across the lower abdomen when it is time to void.  saw the Dr. today and she said she is not too concerned about the shape of the stool.  She has put me back on anti biotics for diverticulitis since I do have that  every once in a while.  In fact just treated for it in July 07.

Should I be concerned about pain and wierd shape of stool?

[dorinda007]

I saw a show on television recently, and they had someone on who had uncontrollable diarrhea as well.  It turned out the person had something called "Habba syndrome."  I don't know if that is what you have, but you might want to find out for sure.  Here is the website that can tell you more about it.  Hope it helps.  http://www.habbasyndrome.com/

[musicchick581]

Crohns, celiac or ibs. cut out gluten and wheat for a few weeks, see if there is an improvement. It also could be stress which leads to a weakened immune system which leads to strep. otherwise, it's prob. not related. Although, the antibiotics take the good bacteria out of your system. Take acidophilus in a high dose for about a month. that should do the trick. (Trust me on the acidophilus-anyone who has antibiotics should take a course of it)