I'm 58 years old. For the past week I've noticed mucus when wiping after a bowel movement. This does not happen every time. My diet has not changed and I try to eat the necessary foods. I drink water every day with an occasional soda or iced tea. I drink no alcohol, nor do I smoke or take illegal drugs. My bowel movements have been regular but the last week has increased to about 1 time per daywhich I don't find as irregular. I am taking a medication for anxiety attacks and I do worry easily which could cause stress. I also have CAD
. The anxiety is under control but I have a tendency to worry a lot because as you know, anxiety and MI symptoms, mirror one another. What else could be causing the mucus in the past week? I haven't had any other symptoms other than the mucus and abdominal cramps/aching.
Thank you for any other information you can provide. Please respond to my email address if possible.
Have you ever had problems with hemorrhoids. Mucus is often in internal hemorhoids. But, OK, you say cramping also. One possibility is a slight parasitic infection (food poisoning
of the stool changed? Are (were) you taking any antibiotics recently?
Well, mucus is also in IBS (which explains nothing, I know). Mucus is also in colonic polyps. The only way of diagnosing polyps is colonoscopy.
I would recommend a hemoccult test for blood in the stool and maybe colonoscopy. Anyone had polyps in your family?