# Mucus, or Something Else?



## jaboop35 (Jan 5, 2010)

Hey all. Yet another quick question. Guess I have a lot of these lately. Anyway, along with my other IBS symptoms, occasionally after I use the restroom the area around my anus can be kinda sticky. Not a lot, but still feels like it a little bit. Now, I don't have a whole lot of visible mucus when I go to the bathroom. Maybe just occasional solid clumps here and there, but not a lot. It almost seems like it's in more of a liquid form when it is present though. For instance, last night I was sitting at the computer and had to pass gas. Sorry for the details, but it kinda felt like a wet fart, if that makes any sense. I then went to the bathroom to wipe, and it was a clear, odorless liquid, maybe with a little bit of yellow in it. Not a lot, but enough to feel strange. Would that be mucus? I was under the impression mucus always came out in clumps when it was present. I'm worried it was something else like pus drainage or something, though it didn't really smell and there are no other symptoms such as any pain that would be associated with the pus. Has anyone experienced this, or something similar?


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## stevefriel (Dec 2, 2009)

i had stuff on my underwear on friday which was like liquid stuff but it had a very disgusting fishy smell, i nearly bokced when i could smell the stench and worst about it i was in a person's house full of people


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## Borrellifan (May 5, 2009)

I've had this before when my symptoms flare-up and turn severe, that yellow/clear mucus always turns up. Pretty normal for IBS, although not normal at all which always begs the question, if your intestines are producing too much mucus then something has to be altered/occuring?


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

The intestines always produce some mucus, but usually it isn't enough to pass separately with a fart in healthy people, but everyone always produces some, and listening to healthy people make enough fart jokes I think even they can sometimes have a wet fart.Mucus is a response to EVERYTHING. There isn't some subset of diseases, it is increased by anything. Including IBS or anything that can irritate the colon of a healthy person.It doesn't mean there must be something dangerous going on.


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## jaboop35 (Jan 5, 2010)

Thanks Kathleen. I think my main problem is that when I get these issues, I tend to worry more about them, which starts a circle that makes my symptoms worse too. Kinda hard to stop too.


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

That can be a really vicious cycle and it isn't always easy to break. Recognizing you get into those is a good step. You might check out the Relaxation Response or Progressive Muscle Relaxation techniques and see if regularly doing that helps with the stress/worry.


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## Borrellifan (May 5, 2009)

Kathleen M. said:


> The intestines always produce some mucus, but usually it isn't enough to pass separately with a fart in healthy people, but everyone always produces some, and listening to healthy people make enough fart jokes I think even they can sometimes have a wet fart.Mucus is a response to EVERYTHING. There isn't some subset of diseases, it is increased by anything. Including IBS or anything that can irritate the colon of a healthy person.*It doesn't mean there must be something dangerous going on.*


No, but clearly it is a sign that something is amiss. Unfortunately the specialists just don't understand what it is. I love when the dr's ask you if you have mucus in your stool and then they just shrug it off as part of "IBS" instead of trying to figure out what is causing the mucus. Something has to be causing it, no?


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

IBS by itself can cause increased mucus production. It doesn't have to be from some other disease.


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