A very confused twenty year old

[Nameofthewind]

Hi, Im 20 Years old, I go to a full time school with lots of stress. I did not have the best diet for a good month- 3 months. There were sometimes that I did not eat dinner at all, and I drank for to much soda and not nearly enough water. There is also no history of cancer in my family.

I didn't take into account the health of my bowels until recently. After a very stressful month of classes I was starting to realize towards the end that my BM's were not as satisfactory. Im usually going to the bathroom at least once a day and its well formed and usually thick. Well as of late it has been less than best. I had felt very constipated and had poor evacuation. I was also not producing as much gas, as in not having flatulence at all. I took a dulcolax and it seems to allow some gas passage. The next day I was referred to a product Magnesium Citrate. It cleaned me out basically and It's been about a week and a half since than. Last week I was home and ate normally. But not healthy. And there was only a  few days where my BM's were semi solid but in small pieces. Most of BM's have been coming out in what feels solid but when I look its scraps. But not always. Sometimes its in small chunks but hardly ever diarrhea. And they are much thinner than what is normal. I haven't had a well formed solid poop in about two weeks, but Im passing it in small bits everyday. I have had no abdominal pain, I have had no bleeding, vomiting, sickness, tiredness, a little gassy and bloated but no soreness really. One more things is that sometimes I feel like I have to go but when I sit to go its like a release of gas with a little bit of mucus almost. And in this is small bits of fecal matter in the toilet, I also sometimes see a small strand of clear mucus from the bit of fecal matter in the toilet stretching to the top of the water in the bowl.

[Nameofthewind]

Well I appreciate all the answers I've been getting on this board, I was surprised to see the amount of information that you all provided. I am very grateful for the time that you spent to help me out and give me the proper information I needed. Thank you all very much.

[ggreg]

I think you should back off on the Citrocel fiber supplements, let the regular food take over. I liked the advice of Dtownstew, on the glycerin suppository, for when things don't move out.  Also, be sure you get enough to eat, it's good to fill up at least once a day, eat enough food.  Exercise will burn it all up and give you an appetite.  Also, drink some Acidophilus milk or eat Activia yogurt for a week or two, it helps break down food.  When you eat fruit, eat it as a snack and not with a meal.  Plenty of grain bread, and actually spagetti and a salad is filling and helps digestion, eat eggs, drink just a small glass of juice.  I love spinach, too.  If your'e taking any other supplements or whatever, back off on those, too.  Just let food, exercise, and water get you back to regular, plus some acidophilus for a short while.  Become a healthy addict.  Anytime in the future you feel stressed out, get that exercise in and distract your mind with creative pursuits, so your digestion won't suffer from being too tense.

[Nameofthewind]

Strike that, I Cannot decide what is wrong lol, One day I'll go and the next day it will be mushy D.

[Nameofthewind]

Hey. Its actually not even that i'm not really going anymore Its become more of the fact that when I do it comes out very strange. Yesterday I took a fiber pill and the next morning it came out with some caliber but today I used the bathroom and It came out like a half mash half soft bm. Like I said I don't have any other symptoms except when I push on my lower stomach, above my groin its a little tender but not really painful. I just don't have any full symptoms of anything but its still not coming out right. I cant classify it as anything I've read before. I don't eat a lot of red meat and I don't eat a lot of rice and but I do eat a lot of spinach and raw veggies and fruits and drink plenty of water which might make it come out much more mushy but truly I'm not a doctor so I don't know.

[Dtownstew]

Hi,
I get this way sometimes too.  It sounds like just occasional constipation friend.
I think the dulcolax is strong and upredictable.  Try a Fleet glycerin suppository.
You can use it just as needed instead of having to take it everyday.  It takes about 15 min. to work and it is very mild.  Give that a try and let me know how you make out.
Talk to you soon,
Matt

[Nameofthewind]

Hey thanks for all of your help and comments, I really do appreciate it. Also to answer your question I have been taking Citrucel fiber supplements and the next day I actually had a bit more of a normal BM but the same day I had spaghetti thin and more of a thick BM at the same time, Hah, strange indeed. I just don't know what to do about it, I have been eating veggies and fruit and whole wheat bread and drinking a lot of water and trying to exercise more. I suppose the fact that i'm not really eating bulk building foods like rice and red meat and the sort my stool might be coming out more thin than usual. Or it could be IBS.. I really don't know.

[ggreg]

Remote chance of cancer, colon cancer is normally found around age 35 max.  Since you are finished with the clean-out, you may have developed a little constipation again, common after a cleanse, and constipation can cause the thinner stools you're having.  When you have a little constipation blockage, then just a little bit of stuff will get through.  If you'll drink tons of water, eat fiber type foods that have been listed before, get some exercise, in a few days your digestion should return to normal.  Exercise is a great way to get rid of stress, it will relax you, and make it easier for your body to let the digestion go on through.  And you can try any number of the suggestions in this thread to get it moving correctly again, like the Acidophilus milk, enemas, that sort of thing.  Tell us some of the things you have tried that have been suggested, and consider trying several of those things, and then post back.  Or if you've tried most everything, and you're still not happy with your digestion, of course visit a regular doctor or a county health department clinic doc and let him take over the situation.  Could be you have a little bacteria floating around in your digestive tract that's doing this, and the doc can give you medicine to get rid of it.  In the meantime, exercise to keep your mind from worrying too much, distract yourself with creative pursuits or movies or reading or learning how to do something new, like playing a guitar, a class in art.

[Nameofthewind]

Hello, I was just wondering what could be the causes of narrow stool, I dont have any pain passing or difficulty passing them and there hasn't been any bleeding or abdominal pain, I don't feel very much different than I usually do except worried and stressed. How likely is it to have some form of cancer at age 20 with no family history of cancer?

[Nameofthewind]

At this point in time, Im going to the bathroom a little more but its still very thin and not fully formed.

[ggreg]

I agree with Michell.  What's happening is, you are constipated again.  This means your bowels are moving slowly, so anything you eat is sort of getting clogged up, and only what is being passed is what gets past the constipated part.  And yes, you can clear this up on your own.  

Michell is exactly right about the water.  You should drink a whole glass of water every time you eat and each time you brush your teeth.  The fiber being mentioned here are simple things like oat cereal (oatmeal), cheerios, salads, brocholli is a wonder food, 100 percent whole wheat bread, or wheat or oat bread sub sandwiches.  And even tho one poster said yogurts don't work as well as the product he suggested, I can tell you that if you will either drink Acidophilus milk from the grocery store or put it on your cereal, or eat Activia yogurt from groc store for a couple weeks, it introduces probiotics, which is the "good" bacteria your bowels need to break down waste.  Some good bacteria are lost through digestion, but some DO get through.  Also, in addition to extra water and more fiber foods, exercise is important because it strengthens the abdominal muscles, which aid in digestion.  

Right now, there are a couple things you can do to sort of jump-start your digestion.  One is to get those prepared enema boxes at the drug store, try squirting a couple of those into your bowel and see if it kind of breaks down the end of your blockage.  If that doesn't work, you can buy at the drugstore tiny boxes of tubes of ointment called BabyLax or PediaLax, squirt two in the rear, and it will cause a surge of muscle contractions that, if the waste is ready to come out but won't, it'll come out in minutes.  

In the future, to keep your digestion straight, since stress brought this whole thing on, then I think doing outdoor activities will help, like biking, jogging, walking long distances, swimming, tennis, horseback riding, or martial arts.  Doing those things will release stress tension, release feel-good hormones, and you'll sleep better.  And as for eating, AT LEAST have cereal and/or eggs for breakfast with a small glass of juice, and for lunch get a subway sandwich, and eat whatever you want for dinner.  And as Michell said, cut back on sodas, ONLY drink name-brand gingerale perhaps, decaff iced tea, milk is fine.  Let us know how things go!

[michell221]

If you develop any new symtoms such as pain, bleeding or you cannot go for a long amount of time then see your doctor since that would be a more serious situation.  Try drinking enough water every day ( cut out sugary drinks and sodas) and add more fiber to your diet and see if that helps.

[Nameofthewind]

I appreciate the information from the both of you. Thank you, Also, Do either of you have an idea of when I should decide that its more than constipation or more than something I can do on my own and seek medical attention?

[harrald]

Michell221 offered a good answer to your query about your digestive disorder. If your problems are diagnosed, and after you receive treatment and relief, there are new digestive supplements you may wish to investigate. I eat fiber regularly, but I needed a cure for constipation. I found supplements that resist your stomach acid and dissolve within your intestines to digest food much better.The brand name is Theralac(www.theralac.com). This product offers billions of cultures that go to work to transform your digestive system. The capsules take about a week to really set-up a barrier and return your bowels
to normal. The makers of yogurt do not reveal that most of the cultures in yogurt are killed in the stomach by concentrated hydrochloric acid(gastric juice). Theralac has a patent on its delivery system that will rearrange your bowels to remove constipation. Go to the website and read about the results obtainable  with Theralac. Good luck with whatever treatment you receive.

Harrald

[michell221]

It does not seem to be anything to serious at this point.  It seems like a constipation issue.  You could try adding some fiber to your diet .

[Nameofthewind]

Hey, No, being a college student I have almost no money and no insurance, Hah. But if something more serious came up such as blood in my stool or vomiting I would go regardless, I just would like to know if Im being overly worried and should just change my diet and wait it out.

[michell221]

You possibly could have IBS C .  Have you been to a dr discuss your symptoms.  That would be the first step.  He can do some basic tests to see if you are ok.