# Very narrow stool, really worried!



## Jen37 (Nov 10, 2011)

Hi everyone, I have been sick for over a year ( gotten worse the last 6 months)with intestinal issues. My symptoms are mainly pain, cramping and feelings like I have to go. I do not get diareha to much, my stools are usually formed to soft but I can go like every other day. I do get some stools that are soft mixed with hard little balls of poop. Here is my concern, for the last few days I have noticed more so that my bowels are not moving as well. For instance I bad a BM on Staurday which was formed but smaller. Then I did not go on Sunday at all, then Monday I felt like I had to go, but the sensation was not very strong. I went and only got out like a poop that was 2 inches long. Then today same thing happened, I felt like I had to go, but the urge was not strong but since it was there I went and got out about the same 2 inches long, but it was very narrow. Does this mean there is a narrowing in my GI tract?? I am worried as My GI doc keeps saying this is all IBS. I have had stool, and blood tests that have been normal. He was reluctant to have me get a colonoscopy as there are alot of risks and I have other health issues I have to deal with. He thinks this is all IBS. I have mentioned the narrow stool to him yet, I do not see him until the end of this month. I have constant pain in my intestines no matter what I eat. I have tried modifying my diet but I always have pain( sometimes worse than others). Has anyone else out there had the narrow stools?? Doesn't this indicate a narrowing or possible growing obstruction?? I am so worried


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## BQ (May 22, 2000)

> Does this mean there is a narrowing in my GI tract??


No. Stool comes in varying widths depending on how much one has eaten, the water volume in the stool, any cramping that might be happening... etc>>>Try to calm down. It is nothing to be concerned about.


> I am worried as My GI doc keeps saying this is all IBS.


Are you having this much trouble accepting your diagnosis?? If so, why not seek some help from a mental health professional.. there is no reason to suffer with this anxiety. Anxiety IS treatable.


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## Jen37 (Nov 10, 2011)

Hi BQ, The only thing I changed in my diet is that I started eating oatmeal for breakfast ( GI doc said it could help bulk the stool), well obviously it has not done that. Also I use to snack on baked potatoe chips ( only a few), but I switched to pretzels(gluten free)I will usually have a few of these as a snack. I guess my conecern with my diagnosis is that he is just going by my symptoms and a blood test and stool test. He does not think I need a colonoscopy. He is suppose to be a Very good and well repected GI and is the cheif of gastroenterology at the hospital( suppose to be one of the best hospitals in my city). I asked him last time I seen hin which was about three weeks ago if he thought this could be crohn's and he said NO. I wonder what makes him think it is not?? Anyhow, yes I do have anxiety issues which comes with being chronically ill( I have several haelth issues and have been sick since 2003). I have seen therapists and they help slightly, but not much. My anxiety is directly related to my pain and being sick(i.e. if I was not in pain, I would have no anxiety). Is it common with IBS to lose that urge to have a BM??


BQ said:


> No. Stool comes in varying widths depending on how much one has eaten, the water volume in the stool, any cramping that might be happening... etc>>>Try to calm down. It is nothing to be concerned about. Are you having this much trouble accepting your diagnosis?? If so, why not seek some help from a mental health professional.. there is no reason to suffer with this anxiety. Anxiety IS treatable.


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## Linda46 (Jan 2, 2012)

Depending on your age, the procedure in Australia is nearly always colonoscopy/gastroscopy if there is problems with bowel movements. This is especially the case if you are over 40 years of age. Colonoscopy/gastroscopy will definitively rules out anything sinister, but may also find out if there is something else that is causing the symptoms. Even is the absence of blood, they are usually done here. There are risks involved with the procedure, but in the hands of a skilled doctor, they are minimal. Sometimes I think it is better to have the procedure done in order to put your mind at rest.Linda


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## BQ (May 22, 2000)

> I wonder what makes him think it is not??


 And what makes you think it IS Crohns??? He is the expert....????If he is a well respected GI why have you no faith in him?


> I have seen therapists and they help slightly, but not much. My anxiety is directly related to my pain and being sick(i.e. if I was not in pain, I would have no anxiety).


Well perhaps you haven't met a good match in a therapist yet. And as for whether therapy "works" or not is largely up to the patient... not the therapist. Make no mistake....Therapy is w-o-r-k and hard work. You will only get out of it what you put into it. So perhaps find another therapist you are more comfortable with and begin your work.


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## Jen37 (Nov 10, 2011)

I am 37 years old. Here where I live they are usually test happy and like to put everyone through tests whether they need them or not. I have an older GI doc who is pretty conservative though, and very honest.He does not believe that pushing tests are in the best interest of the patient. He was straight foward with me and told me that he did not feel I should go through the colonoscopy due to the risks involved. I have other health issues ( I have had to be on an antibitoic low dose for years to keep urinary infections away)so I can imagine my gut flora is lacking. I do however take probiotics daily, but when you do a colonoscopy you have to clear out all the intestines which also clears out many of the good bugs we need to keep our GI tract healthy. So it would be a risk there( not to mention getting a urinary infection dut to all the induced diareha). Also my GI is really straight foward and honest. He told me the risks of preforation is low with colonoscopy, but make no mistake, it does happen and more so than doctors will let on. He said he has had very competent doctors preform the procedure and mishaps do happen. Alot depends of the shape of the patient or if there is a weak spot in the intestine etc... which is why they make you sign forms before the procedure. In any event, he keeps telling me he is sure this is all IBS. I guess I just have a hard time wraping my head around it. Everyone I personally know with IBS is no where near as bad as I am and they are usually ok when they change their diet. It sucks as I am stuck between a rock and a hard place. I obviously have more than normal risk of having a colonoscopy, but at the same time this could be something more organic like crohns which is very dangerous to leave untreated. This sucks. Anyhow, thanks for the reply and for listening...


Linda46 said:


> Depending on your age, the procedure in Australia is nearly always colonoscopy/gastroscopy if there is problems with bowel movements. This is especially the case if you are over 40 years of age. Colonoscopy/gastroscopy will definitively rules out anything sinister, but may also find out if there is something else that is causing the symptoms. Even is the absence of blood, they are usually done here. There are risks involved with the procedure, but in the hands of a skilled doctor, they are minimal. Sometimes I think it is better to have the procedure done in order to put your mind at rest.Linda


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## Jen37 (Nov 10, 2011)

BQ: I guess I just cannot wrap my head around this only being IBS. Everyone I personally know who has IBS is no where near as bad as I am, and they all got relief from diet change. For me this has not happened. I do intend on looking for another therapist. I actually did have one that was great( she helped me alot when I first became sick with other health issues back 6 years ago). Unfortunately she moved out of state. I am looking for another one though as I do think I need some help with my anxiety over being ill for so long. And unfortunately I do not tolerate any of the anti-anxiety meds out there( too many side effects). Thanks again for the support.


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## Miss Button (Jun 18, 2012)

Jen,It's understandable to be anxious when hyou;re dealing with chronic illness - I've been going through menopause for quite some time and dealing with that alone is enough without all the IBS symptoms on top. But did you know that peri-menopause can make IBS symptoms worse? I'm wondering if it's a combination of things that is causing your problems. Being on Antibiotics for years isn't wise in my opinion and maybe you should look for other ways to deal with the urinary infections? Has the root cause of these infections been investigated? Have you tried alternative remedies like cranberry juice? The other thing that might be compounding the problem is hormones - Maybe look at that too - And then there is your anxiety to deal with -- Anxiety is so hard to overcome, especially health anxiety -- I don't want to frighten you but there is a connection between long term antibiotic use and Crohns - You need to look into that more I think -- But don't automatically think that you have it - People with health anxiety jump to the worst case scenario.By the way, I don't feel the 'urge' to go to the bathroom sometimes - so you're not alone with that.....Hope you're feeling better today.


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## Jen37 (Nov 10, 2011)

Miss Button: Thanks for the reply. How old is a woman when she goes through peri-menopause? I am 37 will be 38 in September. I agree that hormones can really mess a person up so that is an idea. I have(IC) interstitial cystitis which is a chronic bladder disease. After I got this I was getting alot of urinary infections. I even got one that lasted for over 5 months. That is when the doctor put me on the antibiotic and I have been on the low dose for over 4 years now. I tried everything under the sun to prevent and treat the UTI's and nothing worked. When the doctor finally put me on the prophalaxis low dose keflex the UTI's were kept at bay and my IC got better, go figure. I have heard of antibitoics causing crohns as well, but my GI doc did not seem to think that was the case. I hate having to be on this keflex for this long, but it was that or constantly getting UTI's and having to take antibitoics full strength often. I also cannot take any other antibitoics as I am allergic or have severe adverse reactions so If I go off the keflex and end up eventually getting a UTI, I am basically screwed as I cannot treat it. So that is where I am. I surely hope this is not crohns though as it can cause damage left untreated from what I read about it. I just want to know why my GI does NOT think it is crohn's when he has only done blood work and stool tests?? He keeps saying IBS. I hope he is right as I do not want to have crohn's...


Miss Button said:


> Jen,It's understandable to be anxious when hyou;re dealing with chronic illness - I've been going through menopause for quite some time and dealing with that alone is enough without all the IBS symptoms on top. But did you know that peri-menopause can make IBS symptoms worse? I'm wondering if it's a combination of things that is causing your problems. Being on Antibiotics for years isn't wise in my opinion and maybe you should look for other ways to deal with the urinary infections? Has the root cause of these infections been investigated? Have you tried alternative remedies like cranberry juice? The other thing that might be compounding the problem is hormones - Maybe look at that too - And then there is your anxiety to deal with -- Anxiety is so hard to overcome, especially health anxiety -- I don't want to frighten you but there is a connection between long term antibiotic use and Crohns - You need to look into that more I think -- But don't automatically think that you have it - People with health anxiety jump to the worst case scenario.By the way, I don't feel the 'urge' to go to the bathroom sometimes - so you're not alone with that.....Hope you're feeling better today.


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## BQ (May 22, 2000)

> In any event, he keeps telling me he is sure this is all IBS. I guess I just have a hard time wraping my head around it. Everyone I personally know with IBS is no where near as bad as I am and they are usually ok when they change their diet. It sucks as I am stuck between a rock and a hard place. I obviously have more than normal risk of having a colonoscopy, but at the same time this could be something more organic like crohns which is very dangerous to leave untreated. This sucks. Anyhow, thanks for the reply and for listening...


Well then perhaps you just do not personally know anyone who has it as severely as you do. But make no mistake... IBS symptoms can be very severe. And many IBS'ers what foods they eat make NO difference in their symptoms. For those IBS'ers it is not what they ate.. but simple THAT they ate. And you are very far from alone there. So I would really try to accept your IBS diagnosis and then move on to managing your symptoms as best you can. Acceptance of a diagnosis is very important to feeling well. So if you are having trouble.. please seek the help of a mental health professional.OR.....If you absolutely cannot accept your diagnosis without a colonsoscopy.... have one done. There is no more risk to you than there is to any of us who have had one. If you feel the need to take more or stronger probiotics after the prep & procedure.... do so. Be careful how you wipe and you may avoid having ANY UTI problems. All of us are exposed to all the very same thingsand we all manage and I am sure you will too.The prep isn't as bad as you think... no worse than a bad D day only it isn't a whole day... just a few hours.


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## AmericanPatriot (Dec 6, 2009)

BQ said:


> Are you having this much trouble accepting your diagnosis?? If so, why not seek some help from a mental health professional.. there is no reason to suffer with this anxiety. Anxiety IS treatable.


This seems a bit harsh, no? IBS is a tough diagnosis, since there is no "cure" right now, and I know that I was reluctant to accept the diagnosis as well. I think it's only natural to want to believe that you have a different, treatable condition, and I don't really think that automatically warrants psychotherapy.Of course physicians are humans as well and they can err too, so just because a physician says she has IBS doesn't automatically 100% mean she does. It's likely, of course, but not an immutable fact.


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## Jen37 (Nov 10, 2011)

BQ: thanks for the reply and support. what you say does make sense. You are truely right about the whole stress thing making things worse. I guess I will think about having the colonoscopy, I dont see my gastro until the end of this month so I have time to think it over. Thanks again for the support, I really appreciate it..


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## Jen37 (Nov 10, 2011)

Well, I will agree that no doctor is perfect which is why I am likely second guessing my GI. I guess it comes down to me either accepting this as IBS or getting further testing to rule out crohn's a disease that would be far worse than IBS in my opinion as there is no cure for that either and it is destructive to the whole GI tract. IBS is a tough pill to swallow, but again any chronic painful disease is I guess.


AmericanPatriot said:


> This seems a bit harsh, no? IBS is a tough diagnosis, since there is no "cure" right now, and I know that I was reluctant to accept the diagnosis as well. I think it's only natural to want to believe that you have a different, treatable condition, and I don't really think that automatically warrants psychotherapy.Of course physicians are humans as well and they can err too, so just because a physician says she has IBS doesn't automatically 100% mean she does. It's likely, of course, but not an immutable fact.


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## Lucy_Sara (Jul 11, 2012)

I know how you feel...For me diagnosis of IBS was hard to accept becasue there's no 'take this pill and you'll be fine' outcome. Couple that with a lifetime of thinking IBS was just associated with needing the toilet too much or not at all. My ignorance of the subject was obviously immediately changed when I started getting the symptoms a few years ago. It's been on and off chronic for the last 2 years - to the point I've analyzed every little change of stool size/consistency, area and type of pain and the sweating/diziness usually associated with an 'episode'. This adds to my stress sometimes, and I always wonder if any changes signify a different (or worse) problem. Like yourself everyone I know who has IBS seem to handle it so much easier/get fewer episodes/don't have pain anywhere as near as severe as I seem to get. This immediately made me think I had something different/made me feel weak as I presumed I was just handling it badly. Also my stools vary like yours from being rather soft to being much smaller and harder. I think this is just to do with how much the gut itself spasms. I've had all the tests for celiacs/lactose intolerance etc and I'm apparently fine. I've been told to take various medications/herbal remedies, to keep food diaries, cut out food groups and nothing has really helped. So again, you're not alone in struggling to see how to handle the IBS. I think for me the main battle is to keep positive as it really can affect your life if you let it, or simply if it gets bad.For me now, I am going to go back to the doctors (for the millionth time) and just ask for tests to rule out other possibilities as I'm sure subconciously that that worry isn't helping.


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## BQ (May 22, 2000)

American Patriot.. Yes it IS a hard diagnosis to deal with. That's why I suggested she get some help with it. There is NO shame in seeking help... is there?


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## AmericanPatriot (Dec 6, 2009)

BQ said:


> American Patriot.. Yes it IS a hard diagnosis to deal with. That's why I suggested she get some help with it. There is NO shame in seeking help... is there?


No, but I don't think everyone who takes time to accept a diagnosis should see a psychologist. Denial is a natural part of the grieving process.


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## BQ (May 22, 2000)

Yup but some people do need a bit of extra help. I think most people with severe chronic illnesses could benefit from a bit of extra help learning to live with it precisely because it is so difficult.Not everyone here has IBS severely.... MY GI told me it's about 5% of the folks with IBS that have it severely. By far most people with it have it more mildly. But Jen here, I'm afraid, falls into the severe category I did too... it isn't an easy thing to accept or to learn to live with. And I have learned a little extra help can go a long way...


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## AmericanPatriot (Dec 6, 2009)

BQ said:


> Yup but some people do need a bit of extra help. I think most people with severe chronic illnesses could benefit from a bit of extra help learning to live with it precisely because it is so difficult.Not everyone here has IBS severely.... MY GI told me it's about 5% of the folks with IBS that have it severely. By far most people with it have it more mildly. But Jen here, I'm afraid, falls into the severe category I did too... it isn't an easy thing to accept or to learn to live with. And I have learned a little extra help can go a long way...


I will concede what you're saying here. I agree that, if one needs extra help coming to terms with it, then there's no shame in getting help to do just that. All I'm saying is that, when someone first gets IBS and tries to talk themselves into believing it's something curable, doesn't mean automatically seeking psychotherapy is always the best "next step". I think that, to some extent, the natural denial that comes with a diagnosis such as IBS should let itself run its course the way the human mind would have it. Usually, this approach eventually leads a person to a healthy "acceptance" of the diagnosis that drives their motivation to get to controlling the symptoms as soon as possible.Of course, the natural grievance process doesn't always work (lord know it didn't work in my case. I still often question my diagnosis, and I think I'd rather have it that way to be honest), and in situations where this process doesn't work, then yes, psychotherapy may be the next step.


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## Linda46 (Jan 2, 2012)

Jen37 said:


> Miss Button: Thanks for the reply. How old is a woman when she goes through peri-menopause? I am 37 will be 38 in September. I agree that hormones can really mess a person up so that is an idea. I have(IC) interstitial cystitis which is a chronic bladder disease. After I got this I was getting alot of urinary infections. I even got one that lasted for over 5 months. That is when the doctor put me on the antibiotic and I have been on the low dose for over 4 years now. I tried everything under the sun to prevent and treat the UTI's and nothing worked. When the doctor finally put me on the prophalaxis low dose keflex the UTI's were kept at bay and my IC got better, go figure. I have heard of antibitoics causing crohns as well, but my GI doc did not seem to think that was the case. I hate having to be on this keflex for this long, but it was that or constantly getting UTI's and having to take antibiotics full strength often. I also cannot take any other antibitoics as I am allergic or have severe adverse reactions so If I go off the keflex and end up eventually getting a UTI, I am basically screwed as I cannot treat it. So that is where I am. I surely hope this is not crohns though as it can cause damage left untreated from what I read about it. I just want to know why my GI does NOT think it is crohn's when he has only done blood work and stool tests?? He keeps saying IBS. I hope he is right as I do not want to have crohn's...


I also have IC. I am 46 years old and everything started to happen for me when I reached my late 30's. My menstrual migraine kicked in and also the IC. The IBS seemed to start when I was getting treatment for the IC, so I am still suspicious about that. Like some others have stated on the NG, I would be avoiding antibiotics. Unlike you. I do not get UTI's along with my IC. In fact, my IC is well under control thanks to Elmiron and my migraines are perfectly under control thanks to Topamax. It's just the IBS that is problematic. Food does not seem to make the slightest difference to my symptoms, so I just try to eat as healthy as possible and drink lots of water. I know some people with IC tend to avoid water because they are always wanting to urinate, but this is the worst thing you can do.I still stick to my original post where I said that I would be insisting on a colonoscopy/gastroscopy. There isn't any other way for a doctor to rule certain things in or out, particularly things like celiacs. Linda


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