Scared

[Olivechan]

So lately I've been really scared, about like 3-4 weeks ago I started to get really constipated and no matter what I would do, prune juice, exercises, etc- nothing would come out but when I did get something to come out, the next day after I would have diarrhea with very bad stomach pains, almost like I ate something bad. At time this started, I had dizzy spells and I would get a very bad stomach ache that made me want to puke. So I had went to the doctor, not one but two at different times and they told me the same thing, I had the stomach flu. After awhile the dizzy spells have stopped and so does the puking feeling but the constipation is still there, along with the diarrhea.

I've been told by my family that I may just have IBS, and that I need to eat more (I have a poor diet, I tend to go awhile without eatting) but still, I'm extremely scared, I keep thinking I may have cancer and how my life would be ruined if I did. It's made me a very, almost depressed person and the doctors wont do anything else.  I'm only a 19 year old girl, with a boyfriend I want to spend my life with, get married and have kids, but this is taking a toll on me.
I have no other signs, like blood in stool, or rapid weight lost, just constipation and diarrhea and a bit of gas but not a lot. I do however have a dull pain on the left side of my lower stomach, but I believe that's where I have the muscles strain from trying to have a bowel movement.

I just want some answers and if anyone has experience what I've been having and if there's anything I can do about it. I just want to be told this isn't cancer and not to worry about it. I'm under a lot of stress and I don't know if that could  be the cause of it too, it's just one thing after another.

[sizzlesazz]

i have just returned from the doc, and she seems to think its stress related, she also mentioned stress can cause your mouth to become dry, and worry is what brings this stress on....she gave me a app to have a blood test on the 22nd (so she cant be to worried) and said i can cancel if i like. i think she did this because this is the 3rd time iv been to the doc in a row, all for diff reasons, so im starting to believe people that stress and worry and bordom can be the cause of this! DAM not having a job! i hope this helped, im going to try and reduce my stress level, i will let you know how this goes.x

[sizzlesazz]

hay i have the same problem, but somtimes ill have very large soft poos like icecream! and then ill have little bits of poo! but iv also been passing liquid from my anus aswell! iv been told by family members that its ibs aswell, as mine really flares up when im stressed or worrying about somthing. i have also been told colon cancer is very rare under the age of 60! im only 22, and i also have a very bad diet :(, my worries are the same as yours i have a boyfriend that i want to spend my life with aswell and the thought of me having somthing as bad as cancer scares me! which is why i worry and this symptoms come most probably i have the doctors at 4:20 (english times) today so ill post with news x

[B_Shel20]

Yes, what you have sounds very consistant with IBS. Im sure you have been googling your symptoms and have seen what you have as being a symptom of Colon Cancer as well.

Well, heres the issues, Colon Cancer is a GI disease. IBS is a GI syndrome. Your digestive system can only give off so many symptoms, so naturally, IBS and Colon Cancer(Along with several IBD's) will all have the same symptoms.

Heres the good news. Colon Cancer is in people 60 and over 90% of the time. In people your age it drops dramatically. Somewhere around .06%. Something that low. Meaning a few hundred people a year your age, and a majority of them come from people who have a strong family history of Colon Cancer. Do you have any family members that had colon cancer? If not, it is even more unlikely for you.

I know it can be frustrating, difficult and depressing to have these issues. IBS is a difficult thing to have to deal with. Anxiety can cause your symptoms to be even worse, so step 1 will be to calm down a bit, and realize your chances of having colon cancer are extremely rare. Next step will be to talk to your doctor about referring you to a GI doctor, so that they can check and see if you have any infections that will need to be treated. A GI will make the final diagnosis that its IBS.

So try and relax a little bit, and and see if just having some relief of anxiety will lessen your symptoms!