Tumor, Blockage, IBS??

[BrityBrit]

Hello,

I am a 22 year old female who is desperate for some relief. Over about a year now I have dropped 80 pounds (I had a good 100 to lose that I had recently gained while taking birth control) with out really making any major changes to my diet and activity, just like I didn't to gain it. Any way, I have also had a major increase in stools. I wake up every single morning between 3:00 am and 6:00am with discomfort in my stomach and the feeling of needing to go potty. So I will get up to go and it is always difficult to pass anything.. sometimes it is diarrhea, some times nothing comes out at all and recently I have had more thin stools. A couple times they were pencil thin. I will have any where from 4-8 stools a day or attempted stools.

I am always extremely tired and feel ill. I have had a few episodes where I have had real bad diarrhea along with vomiting.  Daily I feel nauseated and always have the feeling I need to go potty and when I can not pass a stool I feel as if my tummy is filling up and its going to come up my throat if I do not puke first.

I feel it is getting worse and worse whatever is going on. My tummy is loud with noise and I believe I have had a little blood a few times when I have wiped. The past week I have been able to feel a slight dull pain on my left side in a very distinct spot. It will randomly come and go, sometimes after going to the bathroom.

I'm so miserable and any help is appreciated.

[Paderla Anitha, DNB]

Hello and hope you are doing well.

FOBT or fecal occult blood testing is used as a screening test to rule out colon cancers. You can request for this test. Will ease your mind. In the meantime, try lifestyle measures they help to reduce the severity of symptoms, if it is IBS. Stop becoming over anxious and practice relaxation techniques. Exercise, go for long relaxed walks. Avoid those foods which you feel are increasing your symptoms. Stop smoking, eliminate alcohol consumption, and avoid caffeinated beverages and spicy food.

Hope this helped and do keep us posted.

[BrityBrit]

Thank you for your response.
My doctor is not concerned with any of the above and hasn't even examined me. I have to wait two weeks for a wellness class on IBS. After I go to that he will then send a referral to gastro. I have asked if he'd please do an MRI of the area and he mocked me. He refuses to do anything. I should be able to get him to order the blood test at least tho. Thank you for the info.

[Paderla Anitha, DNB]

Hello and hope you are doing well.

Understand your predicament.
Alternating bowel habits, bleeding per rectum, abdominal pain, loss of appetite and loss of weight are all indicators of a tumor or colon cancer. IBS can produce a feeling of incomplete defecation. Then again please check for Diabetes as this can affect the sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves leading to bowel symptoms. This can be detected by a simple blood test. Also local pathologies in the rectum like growths or inflammatory diseases can also leave a feeling to defecation. For this a proctoscopy or a sigmoidoscopy will help detect the lesion. So, would advise you to discuss these options with your doctor when you happen to meet him next time.

Hope this helped and do keep us posted.

[BrityBrit]

My moms dad was diagnosed with colon cancer in the last 2 years as well as Chrons. Cancer is everywhere in my family on my moms side. So I am a bit paranoid but am not receiving much help from my doctor. Just concerned and determined to feel better.