IBS or something else??

[Jrocket0083]

Hello,
    
For the past 2weeks have had problems with stomach from irregular bowel movements mainly constipation to no having normal bowels to now which is i just found blood in my stool this afternoon after getting home from a wasted visit to a so alled Doctor. I have a lot of mild pain and discomfort now more so on my left side on my colon..and i am thinking that maybe i have a slight obstruction of blockage but who knows! I was obviously very concerned when i saw the blood wrapped around my stool although it was light in color i am still worried! I had x-rays and blood tests and urine tests all done today and everything looked normal except for the x-rays have to wait til Monday for those. The Doctor prescribed me DICYCLOMINE and MiradLAX she thought maybe most likely i have "IBS" i was referred to a GI Doc that i have to wait to March to see and i really don not want to wait that long for something that could be serious! PLEASE  HELP! Thank you- Jrocket0083

[Jrocket0083]

I appreciate the very informative advice and info. I can sleep a little more easily know that well hopefully it isn't anything serious! Idk things just weren't adding like how it come on so random..3 weeks ago started with severe cramps and bloating and well discomfort in general. Before 3 weeks ago I had no problem with normal healthy bowel movements. I have been drinking more water than usual and eating alot more fresh fruit and veggies (salads) hopefully everything will get better soon!

[ggreg]

The blood part, that is most likely from hemorrhoids, which is swollen vascular tissue where the waste comes out, it comes from constipation.  A person will strain to get waste out, so those tissues swell, and when the compacted and larger and dry waste goes by them, they will bleed.  These are quite common in people, so that's probably where the blood came from.  They do go away shortly after digestion is restored to normal.

Lots of things can cause constipation, including some medications.  If you are taking any medicines, check side effects, and adjust as needed.  Some vitamins are not as good as others and if they tend to constipate, just take them once or twice a week and not daily, or switch brands.  Antibiotics can cause constipation, which the specific relief for that is to get "probiotics" in you, which help return the "good" bacteria to your intestines that the antibiotics kill, you can get it in any yogurt that says "live cultures" or "bacteria" on the label somewhere.  

And in general, the main three rules for good digestion are:  Drink plenty of water (try five extra glasses per day), exercise regularly (even if it's just daily stretching or a walk), and eat enough fiber foods (oat cereal, whole grain bread, vegies, dark green salads).  And to help you straighten out faster right now, you can try doing an enema, they have pre-mixed bottles in the store, it will help reduce any waste stuck in your colon now.  Also, there's a mild natural laxative called Senokot that will help your bowels move, altho the Miralax your doc gave you will have a similar effect.  The Dicyclomine is a very good medicine for the bowels, it relaxes them, which once in a while constipation can be caused by too much stress, and thus body tension, and that drug relaxes the digestive tract muscles.