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PaperclipPerfector  1yr ago (text post)   3437 thread views

Small-Scale Question Sunday for July 16, 2023

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.

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Irritable Bowel Syndrome

harmless

Either way, you have my condolences, nasty little disease

I don't actually know if I have IBS, afaik it's an exclusionary diagnosis.

But my symptoms are mild enough and varied enough that I think pinpointing a problem is going to be hard. Symptoms are;

  • Alternating constipation and diarrhea (psyllium fixes the constipation)
  • Very mild abdominal pain before bowel movement.
  • Inconsistent stools. Sometimes narrow, sometimes thick/regular. Sometimes flat, sometimes round.
  • Gas
  • No blood or weight loss. I did have a few drops of blood a few months ago but that was after severe straining (probably a fissure or hemmoroid) and dissipated within 2 days.

I'm meeting a gastroenterologist soon nevertheless, because WebMD keeps on telling me I have colon cancer and the resulting panic (which I should be able to but can't avoid) is probably causing a negative feedback loop.

Given that you don't have weight loss, and that you're not middle-aged, I highly doubt it's colorectal cancer. Still, you're doing the right thing in seeing a GE, since you might need an colonoscopy to really rule things out, including more benign conditions.

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