# Need some help...Please!



## IowaHawkeyes (Jan 28, 2011)

Hey everyone my name is Jordan and I'm a 21 year old male. I've really been struggling with IBS-C and I've lost around 40 pounds..I have no desire to eat as I fear the pain and constipation it causes..And that pain and stuff makes me fear that I was misdiagnosed with IBS and actually have an IBD or Colon Cancer..Is that fear common in people with IBS? Misdiagnosis? It seems like everything I eat upsets my GERD and in turn sets off my IBS...I'm just freaked out to eat because of the pain and the coffee ground spots I see sometimes in my stool and on the TP. This all started as anxiety attacks and has lead to the IBS. I've had a rough two years losing bot of my parents and have been in constant stress/am in debt up to my eyeballs... IS coffee ground stools a common theme for IBS? Besides blood is there anything else it could be? Any of you been through similar IBS related issues and if so how did you overcome them? This is having a horriffic effect on my life and im not sure what to do. Any help would be appreciated and is MUCH needed.. Thank you in advance!


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## misspopstar (Feb 15, 2011)

first of all - try not to stress. i know this is very difficult at times but think of things that calm u (eg sunsets and lakes). im 20 yrs old btw. have u had tests done? i think colon cancer would show up if u have had a cat scan. if u havent just ask ur dr to get one and they will help. also, certain vegetables make me worse. there are gassy veggies (eg brussel sprouts) that can make u feel worse.i also learnt that lettuce is bad (not totally sure why)my only advice is to not stress and get tests done first. they will help clear ur head of any bad things







hope this helps.


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## IowaHawkeyes (Jan 28, 2011)

misspopstar said:


> first of all - try not to stress. i know this is very difficult at times but think of things that calm u (eg sunsets and lakes). im 20 yrs old btw. have u had tests done? i think colon cancer would show up if u have had a cat scan. if u havent just ask ur dr to get one and they will help. also, certain vegetables make me worse. there are gassy veggies (eg brussel sprouts) that can make u feel worse.i also learnt that lettuce is bad (not totally sure why)my only advice is to not stress and get tests done first. they will help clear ur head of any bad things
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 Thanks for the reply misspopstar







. I had blood testing done. CBC, gluten intolerance, and stuff and all came back normal. I can't get a colonoscopy done though because they pretty much told me since I don't have insurance they aren't going to do an endoscopy or colonoscopy which is stressful. I have an appointment with a local limited income based health clinic tomorrow about it and hopefully they will be able to help me more. I have these lumps on the right hand side of my abdomen that I'm mainly going in to see them about because most of the pain is restricted to my right side. All in all I'm sure it's nothing at all but I guess better to be safe that sorry. That's interesting about lettuce! I eat a lot of lettuce salads so I will have to keep an eye out and see if that upsets things at all! Thanks for the help







.


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## everythingishorrible (Jan 26, 2011)

Hi Jordan,Sorry you're suffering so much, especially from the pain. I know it can be really hard to deal with. Lack of appetite is difficult too--I've lost over 30 pounds and it's hard trying to keep up with my food intake. I usually can barely get two meals in a day, if I'm lucky. I would definitely cut out the raw veggies/lettuce for now. Most of us can't stomach raw veggies or salads, as they're harder to digest. So try eating only steamed/roasted/sauteed veggies for a while and it may help a lot with the pain. The longer you cook them, the easier they are to digest, but of course they also lose some nutrients. I wouldn't worry too much about cancer for now. It will inevitably make itself clear during testing if that's the case. However, if you did have cancer, chances are it would show up in your CBC with a high white blood cell count. If your CBC was normal, often times docs won't pursue looking for an infection or cancer. Agree with other poster though--a CT scan, x-ray, or MRI would find this if you aren't able to have a colonoscopy. Since you don't have insurance though, maybe none of these tests would be an option. Keep trying to get a conclusive diagnostic test but in the meantime don't stress out about it--it will only make all your symptoms worse.You're right about the coffee ground stools--usually they imply blood but are usually more serious if you are vomiting then up, rather than pooping them out. Do you take any medications? Pepto Bismol and other over-the-counter meds can cause your stool to become dark. This coupled with your IBS could cause funny looking stool. Other reasons for such stool that aren't as serious as colon cancer include ulcers or hemorrhoids. Ulcers may just be your explanation, as you are having that pain in the same place. When ulcers bleed, they cause blood to be passed in either direction (through feces or vomiting). So I would definitely talk to the doctors at the clinic about this--they will hopefully get you in for an upper or lower endoscopy to confirm, or at least some sort of x-ray or CT scan. I wish you the best of luck! Keep us posted on how your appointment goes


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## Rose (Mar 25, 1999)

Hi Jordan,Your post really got to me. You are way too young to have so much on your plate. I'm so sorry about the loss of your parents. I know one of the posters said try not to stress, which is so much easier said than done. Stress can play such an important role in our bodies and how we function. Stress affects people in all different ways. Some get headaches, body aches, lack of enery etc. But like you, when I am stressed, it all goes to my bowels and how they function. Some people get diarreah from stress and others like you and me go in the opposite direction and our insides tighten up not allowing stool to pass normally, resulting in horrible constipation. The fact you have lost 40 pounds is of concern. I take it, you have no health insurance which is why you can't have a colonoscopy done? To be honest, if I were you I would take myself to the hospital and go to the emergency room, doubled over in pain. This is the United States of America after all, so insurance or not they cannot turn you away. They don't turn away illegal aliens who are swarming our emergency rooms every day for free health care, so they won't turn you away. Maybe they will be forced to do the testing you need, such as a colonoscopy. It sounds to me like this a test you really need to have done, if for no other reason than to put your mind at ease that you don't have colon cancer or some other serious condition. I hope you have some family support though all of this.Take Care,Rose


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