# Anxiety, skinny stools, freaking out



## MissAnxious (Jul 6, 2011)

Ok all, I am 28... no history of colon cancer in family etc... mom has IBS, and Aunt has Ulcer colitis (sp) and our family has a history of anxiety and panic issues... I have had anxiety problems on and off my whole life... I also I guess am under stress with being a single mom, having a 1 1/2 hour away relationship where I travel there every weekend or everyother... My boyfriends daughter is 5yrs old and has stage 4 Neuroblastoma cancer, I am thinking about moving etc...Well about two weeks ago I noticed changes in my BM... Let me mention I was on antibiotics for 3 yrs for acne... which made me the first round get diarreah then really gassy while on them... I also had severe heartburn and about a month ago went to see the doctor. He told me to get off the antibiotics. Well around this time I noticed I had gas but when I went potty my stools were really skinny.. gooey consistency and then I couldn't go for two days.. I googled it and saw COLON CANCER! Freaked out and immediately went into a panic attack and have been severe ever since... this set my anxiety into overdrive... Went to the doctor and he took an xray saying I was constipated... Took laxative... started to go to the bathroom. Now I have no problem going.. but my stools are staying gooey and skinny.. Except for the occasional thicker one which temporarily eases the colon cancer anxiety... I was put on Lexapro for the extreme obsessive anxiety and have had worse side effects such as no appetite and more panicky/nervous never feeling calm... I made a ASAP appt to the GI doctor about my pencil stool concern and he said he could give me a colonoscopy to ease my nerves but doesnt' believe I should waste my time. So I feel better because HE IS THE DOCTOR and **if** he would have suspected the slightest he would have made me get checked. But the severe anxiety in me is thinking constantly "what if" He claims he thinks I have IBS... On this forum I've seen IBS'ers talk about skinny stools... I have not had blood yet(knock on wood) however, I wiped today and thought I saw a speckle of red blood... but not sure if its from that or because I'm on my period... Sigh... Sorry to be gross just extremely anxious and freaking out... I looked at stool and saw no blood on there... etc... Just a dot on TP. I seem to be obsessed with going to the bathroom and checking it... probably trying to go more than I normally would hoping it'll be normal... I need to take a deep breath and I hope this anxiety medicine kicks in soon.. Sorry for my post and thank you for listening.


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## Prezwilson15 (Jul 5, 2011)

MissAnxious said:


> Ok all, I am 28... no history of colon cancer in family etc... mom has IBS, and Aunt has Ulcer colitis (sp) and our family has a history of anxiety and panic issues... I have had anxiety problems on and off my whole life... I also I guess am under stress with being a single mom, having a 1 1/2 hour away relationship where I travel there every weekend or everyother... My boyfriends daughter is 5yrs old and has stage 4 Neuroblastoma cancer, I am thinking about moving etc...Well about two weeks ago I noticed changes in my BM... Let me mention I was on antibiotics for 3 yrs for acne... which made me the first round get diarreah then really gassy while on them... I also had severe heartburn and about a month ago went to see the doctor. He told me to get off the antibiotics. Well around this time I noticed I had gas but when I went potty my stools were really skinny.. gooey consistency and then I couldn't go for two days.. I googled it and saw COLON CANCER! Freaked out and immediately went into a panic attack and have been severe ever since... this set my anxiety into overdrive... Went to the doctor and he took an xray saying I was constipated... Took laxative... started to go to the bathroom. Now I have no problem going.. but my stools are staying gooey and skinny.. Except for the occasional thicker one which temporarily eases the colon cancer anxiety... I was put on Lexapro for the extreme obsessive anxiety and have had worse side effects such as no appetite and more panicky/nervous never feeling calm... I made a ASAP appt to the GI doctor about my pencil stool concern and he said he could give me a colonoscopy to ease my nerves but doesnt' believe I should waste my time. So I feel better because HE IS THE DOCTOR and **if** he would have suspected the slightest he would have made me get checked. But the severe anxiety in me is thinking constantly "what if" He claims he thinks I have IBS... On this forum I've seen IBS'ers talk about skinny stools... I have not had blood yet(knock on wood) however, I wiped today and thought I saw a speckle of red blood... but not sure if its from that or because I'm on my period... Sigh... Sorry to be gross just extremely anxious and freaking out... I looked at stool and saw no blood on there... etc... Just a dot on TP. I seem to be obsessed with going to the bathroom and checking it... probably trying to go more than I normally would hoping it'll be normal... I need to take a deep breath and I hope this anxiety medicine kicks in soon.. Sorry for my post and thank you for listening.


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## Prezwilson15 (Jul 5, 2011)

Hi there,I understand where you are at. Right now my anxiety is completely off the charts, which could be causing my stomach upset and so forth (I've got my own post going with little response which is troubling because I've had blood).If your mom has IBS and you hae anxiety, my guess is you have IBS as well, probably the Constipated kind.I've had skinny stools, today even. That tends to happen if I'm straining. Give it some time and see if it goes back to bigger size in a day or two, my guess is it will.Hang in there, I know it's tough. Believe me, I know. Paula


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## MissAnxious (Jul 6, 2011)

Thank you for responding, My anxiety is so bad it probably won't let my tummy try to be normal.. to know others are having skinny pencily stools too helps ease me a little... But I guess I'll have to wait until my anxiety is on track to feel better... I have put a rubber band on my wrist and snap it everytime I panic and start worrying again about the same thing. Thank you for your response!


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## BQ (May 22, 2000)

Hon it would help your gut (AND the rest of you! as well as your partner) if you got your anxiety treated by a MH professional. If you have never tried Cognitive Behavior Therapy for your anxiety... PLEASE give it some serious consideration. You deserve it!See our CBT/Hypnotherapy Forum for more info.


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## MissAnxious (Jul 6, 2011)

Ok - so I just want to ask one more question.... If I have been having alot of skinny pencily stools.... then everynow and then they'll get bigger as in lets the the width of a nickel or more... then it isn't colon cancer because it would continuously stay pencil thin right? A tumor couldn't change sizes??? I have just been put on Xanax along with my anti-anxiety medicine Lexapro because I have become a cyberchondriac since I googled my tummy symptoms. Its gotta be three weeks since I've noticed a change... The GI didn't want to do test and pretty much said that it sounds like IBS... I just want and need reassurance as I am constantly thinking about this and flippin out!


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## BQ (May 22, 2000)

First off....It would be VERY rare, and I mean VERY,.. rare for someone your age to have colon cancer. Secondly.. thin stools don't mean much.. everyone, including those without IBS, have stools of varying width.If I were you I would seek out a therapist. In most cases of anxiety.. medicine is not enough.... one needs therapy. So do yourself a huge favor... stop googling ANYthing. Get yourself a good therapist. And try to take your mind off of this via distraction. But You need the help of a mental health professional for this anxiety.... unfortunately we are NOT equipped to help you with that.


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## MissAnxious (Jul 6, 2011)

I am working on the anxiety - seeing a psychologist and on two anxiety meds, I just come here to here from others about the thing (skinny stools) which sent me over the edge with fear the most! I am going to take your advice and stop googling. Sorry and thank you for your response!


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