I'm scared I might have something seriously wrong with me

[dan1025]

I am truly scared I might have something seriously wrong with me, like cancer serious. I was alright until the 13th of August when I started getting intense pains from a kidney stone that I passed on the 22nd of August (3mm stone). During the time while passing the stone I had no hunger even when not in any pain from the passing of the stone. So I wasn't able to eat much during that week and as a result lost about 6 or 7 lbs. Since the stone has passed I noticed other unrelated issues that have been bothering me ever since. I still don't get hungry anymore, like I can eat when I sit down and decide to eat something, but I only eat cuz I know I have to and not because I am hungry. I seem to be able to eat the same amount of food I ate when I did get hungry, just the hunger isn't there even if I go a whole day without eating. I don't seem to get thirsty anymore either. I have read that cancers of the colon or stomach can cause loss of appetite and I am concerned with my loss of hunger. This also has come with gas, a lot of gurgling of the stomach seems to be present usually right after I wake up. A few days ago I had a lot of burping but that has subsided since and it's only every so often, usually after eating or drinking. During the day the stomach gurgling doesn't seem to be too bad, but it seems to start up again later at night anywhere from 10 to 1 in the morning i'll notice the stomach start to gurgle. As for the belches, I'll also have an aftertaste of what I last drank or ate that comes with the belches. The taste remains even if the last meal was several hours prior to the belch. Both the gas and the belching did get progressively better from where they were back about 4 or 5 days ago, which may be a positive sign. My stools have varied from normal looking to soft, mostly soft but not watery. There is always undigested food in the stool. The stool sometimes floats and sometimes it sinks. Sometimes i'll have 1 relatively long stool and sometimes lots of broken up ones, usually the broken up ones are smaller in volume. They vary in appearance from slightly flat to round. Usually when I am passing stool it doesn't feel like I need to poop more that I have to pass flatulence and I squeeze the stool out along with it. I don't see blood in the stool, just undigested food. Some parts of some of the stools have been harder than other parts and some parts are a lighter more pale brown. Some of the stools will have one half float and the other half sink, making it longways from the top of the water to the bottom of the bowl. I seem to only be able to pass stool easily in the morning after waking up and not throughout the day. Though throughout the day of late I don't feel like I need to pass gas or stool anyway. I also have experienced minor (not extreme) lightheadedness randomly throughout the day. I am completely scared and unsure what is going on. I don't believe there is a history of cancer in my family, I had been drinking a lot of tea with aspertame in it before the kidney stone showed up I dunno if thats related or not. I have an appointment with the GI doc on september 9th and I am terrified. I have medicare part a and b with medicade supplimental. I hope that it covers in full any tests I might have to have done. I am a 28 year old male. Right now as I type this I can feel the gurgling and it feels every so often like I have to fart but when I try to squeeze the fart out it doesn't seem to wanna come out.. Edit: just managed to pass a little bit of the gas a few minutes after writing this and the gurgling seems to have calmed down a bit after the passing of a small bit of the gas but then the gurgling returned again about 10 mins later. Also, outside of what I described in this post I have no other issues. I don't have nausea, I don't have cramping, etc. I otherwise feel perfectly healthy with the exception of the things I mentioned in this thread. I am still terrified though that I might have something serious like cancer of the colon or stomach or intestines or something.   Please help!

[cocobd]

I just read your post. I am post gallbladder surgery by 4 weeks... I still have very little appetite and wake up many days with nausea all day.... Before surgery, I was nauseated for three weeks with belching and bile diarrhea---they did so many tests:CT scan, ultrasound, small bowel study with barium, endoscope, many blood tests----all normal---I am scared of pancreatic cancer too because I also have pain in my left ribs----my doctor says the CT scan would have shown cancer---he says I have had no abnormal test except the HIDA scan showed low functioning gallbladder---did you suffer after your surgery? I am on prilosec 10 days and now take carafate the past two days and gaviscon as needed---I just feel so much fear. I have read about others who had problems after gallbladder surgery ---oh and my gastro doctor did find inflammation with the endoscope---

[dan1025]

I noticed eating or drinking (no matter what I eat or drink) triggers brief lightheaded spells.  I wonder if that is related to what I am going through right now.

[dan1025]

Thanks for the replies.  So far still not very hungry.  Am still able to eat though when I sit down and eat just because I know I am supposed to.  No problems still with eating a decent amount in one sitting.  It seems to be much more difficult in the morning to eat though than it is later in the day, probably because the gas is worse in the morning.  Since writing this I have gotten a bit more constipated, I was only able to squeeze out a small tear dropped shaped stool about 5 minutes ago, the larger end of the tear drop was much firmer than the other end.  For some reason I still can't figure out some parts of my stool are firmer than other parts.  I should also be producing more stool than what I am producing because like I said I -AM- eating an ok amount, I had a chicken cheese steak on Sunday (light on the cheese) and a half a pizza earlier today. Ive been drinking an 8 oz boost a day an 16 oz of fuze health drink and also some peach mango V8 vfusion fruid juice.  I also noticed that with my light headedness it comes more when I lay on one side and also when I eat or drink something.  All I know is the GI appointment can't come soon enough.  I don't know what is going on with me but I don't like it.  

[Caryopteris]

I had trouble regaining my appetite after gallbladder stones and surgery for that.  In fact, for six months before I found out it was my gallbladder, I had no appetite and didn't even want water, despite the fact I was working outside in the heat.  I thought I had pancreatic cancer, so that's why I didn't bother seeing a doctor.  Thankfully I was wrong.  

Do see the GI doctor.  I do not think you have cancer, but you need to find out if anything is going on that needs treatment or diet changes.  You may have reflux esophagitis, hiatal hernia, an ulcer, gallbladder stones or dysfunction, food allergies or Celiac disease.  Celiac disease is an allergy to wheat gluten that is becoming very common.  If you have that, you will need to stop eating gluten-containing foods.  Failing to make the change will make you susceptible to cancers in the future, so that's why you need to see a doctor now.  

Until your appointment, you should try to eat lean meat and vegetables that are not too gassy.  Keeping a record of what you are eating and what reactions you are having later may be helpful.  

Taking a product like Gas-Ex (something with simethicone) may help your comfort level while you wait to see the doctor.  

[Toby89]

Having had stomach issues on and off for years now, I wouldn't worry too much. Anything that is traumatic to the body (a bad virus, kidney stones, surgeries, etc.) are bound to leave some aftermath. I haven't felt hunger for almost two years, and I'm still doing alright! I just know to eat on a schedule, and fortunately (or unfortunately) I have low blood sugar, so I know to eat when I start to shake. The lightheadedness could be related to your lack of appetite in that same way. You need to eat to keep the sugars up in your blood, otherwise you may feel faint, or lightheaded.
On another note, aspartame is really not good for you. If you can, try switching to honey, stevia, or even raw sugar. All of these things are remarkably healthier. Especially unpasterized honey, which can help with any harmful bacteria in your body.
As for the rest of what you wrote (gas, varied stools, etc.) I cannot offer you much. I am not a doctor, and you should definitely speak with your doctor about all of these things.
Good luck, and I hope you feel much better soon!