hypochondria and real symptoms

[andie_g]

I know I'm hypochondriac (I've lost my mind about breast, tyroid ca leukemia and now colon ca) I'm 21 yrs. When I was 16 I saw blood in my stool for the fisrt time. I went to the doctor and she said it was hemorrhoids and I didn't pay attention to it. Blood in stool (even on toliet tissue) has been on and off (mostly off) but now I'm terrified cause lately I've been constipated and having weird bowel movements.  Stool is very hard and it doesn't come out easy and I'm worried cause I'm seeing blood in it more often and I don't think it's hemorrhoids cause I don't feel anything. I went to the doctor like a month ago and he gave me some medicine to make digestion better but I don't think it has helped me a lot. I having another appointment til next month but I'm freaking about not exactly knowing what happens to me. is any one related to this?

[ascender]

is it in or on the stool

[Bojax]

I'm going through the same issues right now so I can't really offer any reassurance. But I was talking to a friend of mine (in his early 20's) from Canada who was having the same issues for a long period of time so he ended up getting a colonoscopy. And they just told him that they found nothing and he has an irritated bowel from bad dieting/bathroom habits.

It was very confusing to me since doctors never mention a general problem like an irritated bowel they just talk about hemorrhoids and fissures.

[mapshog]

if it's blood that you can recognize (ie it's lighter in color and "on" the stool mostly) it's probably hemorrhoids - you don't essentially see/feel them because they are inside. Try to eat stuff that has a lot of fibers because it should make your stool softer (and it's good for you in general). Hard stool puts a lot of strain on your bowel and it's bad for hemorrhoids.
I had bowel inflammation diagnosed after colonoscopy (and gastroscopy - fun from both ends:D) but it was (surprise!) because of stress - when they told me it wasn't cancer or whatever I was worried about that time it quickly resolved on its own.

[lkk2507]

mapshog..

Can you tell me more about your bowel inflammation they saw? Where in your intestines did they see it? Did they do a biopsy to check for other issues of the bowel that could cause inflammation? They said that stress could cause it?

I am curious because I had something similar show up on my colonoscopy and the biopsies came back negative for any disease of the bowel but I am OF COURSE still worried as I dont know what they could have saw. Would appreciate hearing your story.

[mapshog]

Well they've seen some inflammation on ultrasound that warranted the gastro/colonoscopy and its results were all negative. They took biopsy samples from 5 different places I recall (and I think 3 more ones from the gastroscopy) and they were all negative. I was watching it all on a screen and it was so weird to watch myself from the inside (and the light of the instrument I could sometimes see through my stomache from the outside. how cool is that!)
Anyhow, I was taking a lot of antibiotics that time for UTIs so that might have also been the case but I feel it was a little bit of both and as long as I kept worrying it wouldn't heal.
All they've said was that the results are all negative and I had a temporary condition because of antibiotics and/or stress that needs no further evaluation. It's been OK ever since.

[andie_g]

ascender, I have to say it's on the stool.
Everyone, thank u. I'm hoping this is due to stress too. it's just sometimes when I remember what I know about colon ca I freak out... specially cause I still have one month till I see the doctor, how can u handle the anxiety in this case?

[cutecat25]

I have had small bits of red in my stool, and i thought it was blood, but i have never had it when i wiped, unless i had my period. I have also had this white mucus stuff on my stools.

If your doctor said your fine you should feel a bit reasurred! just keep eating healthy, excercising and going to the toilet regularly! Good luck!! I know how it feels to worry about every disease, i am 18 and have been a hypochondriac since i was 13 

[mapshog]

you know that "something red" is not always blood. there's a lot of stuff that goes through undigested (skin of tomatoes for one). once i freaked out that i might have worms and it turned out to be sesame seeds. it's quite easy to test for blood and here even GPs hand out tests like that.. it's a piece of folded "paper" that has an area where you smear some poo (three ones for three consecutive umm. events) and they check it for blood in the lab. it's cheap and effective. it's called FOBT (fecal blood test).