But I actually do have nearly every symptom..

[bhandley]

I know I post a lot and annoy a lot of people but I have spent the last two days stressing about this and kind of need to get it all out.

I'm worried about colon cancer, I'm 25 so I know its rare but I really does happen so I can't discredit it, my granddad had it when he was 58, well he died when he was 58 and the doctor told him it had likely grown from a polyp he had had for a decade at least.

I have all the symptoms of colon cancer. I have increased frequency (this worries me the most), two bowel movements so far with something which may have been blood. Mucous in the stool, but only once was it really noticeable and probably wouldn't have been if I wasn't checking for blood. The last 3 days I have felt like I need to go all the time and went 5 times yesterday which is unusual. I had diarrhea and do have it from time to time, but this is 3 times in a week, followed by constipation and the need to strain to go, although I try not to. I also feel like I have wind rattling around in my lower abdomen but it kind of just stays there, or goes close to being released and then goes back on itself or something. I have the feeling over the last 3 days that I haven't fully evacuated. My stomach has been gurgling.

I also have abdo pangs and dyspepsia which I have no idea if they are relevant.

Asides from unexplained weight loss and abdominal pain I have all the symptoms. The lack of pain kind of rules out IBS and my doctor has given me a digital rectal exam to rule out hemarroids, so I can't see what else it could be apart from cancer, especially with the lack of pain.

[Pippy187]

Are they going to send you to a gi doc?

[bhandley]

i dont know! im going to go back on tuesday to push for it more as some of these symptoms have only been around for 3 days im so scared

[vardnas]

Mmm, well you do seem convinced, and I doubt it will do any good to try and dissuade you. No one on here is going to agree with you, though, and I hope that in a few month's time, when you see you're disease hasn't progressed at all, that you're (thankfully) wrong about your self diagnosis.

Keep fighting the good fight, girl.

[sassparella]

so the lack of pain rules out IBS but not cancer? You are quick to dismiss symptoms that you don't have of a cancer that is highly unlikely at your age but not for IBS which is much more likely. You also say some of the symptoms have only been around for three days so they could just be caused by an irritation to your stomach caused by a virus or infection. Colon cancer at 25 is highly unlikely there are other less catastrophic answers for your symptoms like anxiety (which can play havoc with your digestion), virus, infection, IBS all of which are possible.

[AMRELP2712]

Your anxiety can and probably IS causing most of these issues

[mollyfin]

The lack of pain doesn't necessarily rule out IBS.  I have IBS and I only have stomach pain right before an attack.  Also, my major cause for IBS flares is stress.  If I'm really stressed or worried about something, well, I better have something to read in the bathroom!

What did your doctor say besides you don't have hemorrhoids?

[Hohum]

Firstly I think you need to take lots of nice, loooong deep breaths!  In through the nose and out through the mouth - 10 times! Go! 

When you're in the throes of anxiety, I find that it helps to look at some cold, hard facts:

• Your symptoms could be the result of any number of conditions. Irritable Bowel Syndrome is prime suspect.
• The prevalence of IBS in the UK today is estimated between 10-15% of the population. That means that approximately 7-10 million people have IBS in the UK.
• Average age for onset of IBS symptoms is between 25-50 years of age.
• Stress and anxiety can enhance the symptoms of IBS.

Now, I understand that you're worried about colon cancer, particularly if your grandparent was diagnosed with it. That being said:

• The risk of colon cancer increases dramatically with age. Adults 50+ are at risk. Much more rare in the under 50's.
• The incidence rate of colon cancer in your age group is approximately 1 in 150,000. This number would include small cancerous polyps found in the colon which are easily removed/treated, so the risk of serious late-stage cancer in this age group is much, much lower.

It's understandable that you're anxiety is up because you have bowel-related issues and have a family history of colon cancer. Ask yourself though, is it more likely that you're developing IBS; a condition that affects 10 million people in the UK, or that you're one of a terribly unlucky few who develop cancer of any kind in their 20's?

[bhandley]

Thanks so much for all the responses, really, they have helped calm me down this evening.

I would love to brand it IBS over cancer, but I have always thought that pain characterizes the condition, I dont get any pain whatsoever. Except last night I had pains whilst sleeping which felt like period cramps but I assume its because I cant seem to pass gas?
I did used to get urgency and still occasionally do, and the occasional stab of pain to go with the urgency but really no biggie and not all that often. I havent had any pain associated with bowel movements recently though. I always used to call it poo pains and went through a period of having them a while back but I asked a friend and she had the same so I assumed it was normal.

'The incidence rate of colon cancer in your age group is approximately 1 in 150,000. This number would include small cancerous polyps found in the colon which are easily removed/treated, so the risk of serious late-stage cancer in this age group is much, much lower.' Is this true? If so that helps a lot.  If it is cancer i'm in trouble since symptoms don't usually present until late stages.

The only thing the doctor said is that the bleeding could be because I was a little inflammed, gave me a cream and told me if I saw more blood to come back in two weeks for further investigation.
I didnt mention to him mucous, diarrhea, constipation, the feeling of needing to go all the time, the gurgling, or the wind rattling around in me since these have only become apparent over the last three days. I usually only have diarrhea once a fortnight or month, its now been 4 times in a week....

[Hohum]

I would love to brand it IBS over cancer, but I have always thought that pain characterizes the condition, I dont get any pain whatsoever.

...

'The incidence rate of colon cancer in your age group is approximately 1 in 150,000. This number would include small cancerous polyps found in the colon which are easily removed/treated, so the risk of serious late-stage cancer in this age group is much, much lower.' Is this true? If so that helps a lot.  If it is cancer i'm in trouble since symptoms don't usually present until late stages.

The presence or absence of pain doesn't diagnose anything. I have suffered from IBS for years, and it's causes discomfort, fullness and bloating rather than pain. Very rarely do I get actual pain from IBS.

The statistic I referenced is a ballpark figure, but according to UK national statistics (for 2009) 0.7 out of 100,000 people in your age group were registered with colon cancer (which is around 1 in 150,000). As colon cancer is typically a very slow-growing disease it would stand to reason that the very, very few young people diagnosed with it are in the earlier, much more treatable stages. Point being, I think that the chances of you being late-stage colon cancer at age 25 is practically zero.

There are a hundred different conditions which affect the bowel, but your anxiety has you fixated on the worst. It's completely natural behaviour for those with HA to pick the worst possible outcome and develop tunnel-vision to everything else. Gold standard test for bowel issues is colonoscopy - this could be something worth pressing your GP for if it would put your mind at ease?

Either way, I do not think you have cancer at all.

[bhandley]

Thanks for the response. I will see what my doctor says tomorrow, but I have already pressed him for abdominal ultrasound and a larynxoscopy, a hpylori test too. I have to kind of let him call the shots on this one otherwise I think he will become rather angry with me.

Thing is though I dont even feel bloated. I do feel like something is gargling like wind or something but no bloat....

I know im jumping to the worst possible conclusion and have major cancerphobia but I am just disturbed by how many symptoms I tick on the colon cancer list.

Do you or anyone else happen to know anything about why gas would not pass easily?

[Hohum]

I'm afraid that I don't. I can only relate what I've learned over the years from research and my own personal experiences.

The symptoms ticked on the colon cancer list are the same for many, many other bowel conditions. Not even a trained and experienced gastro doc can diagnose every condition with absolute accuracy from symptoms alone. You're just choosing to ignore all of the other, much more likely causes of your symptoms, because of your anxiety.

Nobody is better placed than your family doctor to answer these questions, and I feel as though regardless of what anyone says here, it will not stop your worry. Odds are overwhelmingly in favour of you having IBS. Anxiety is the problem here, as it's blocking your ability to accept, or even consider that.

Have you ever talked to your Doctor about your health anxieties?

[bhandley]

Oh yeah, he knows every little intimate detail about me. I have waited patiently for counselling which has now almost taken a year to become available to me, since he wanted me to be 6 months drugs free first, then its taken another 3 months for referals and assessments, currently its been 2 months without knowing what the next step is waiting to hear from them as to when I can start counselling, but I am in the process of chasing it since my doctor and I think the waiting time is taking the piss now.

On your research do you happen to know whether reheating red meat left overs until its only very slightly warm can give you diarrhea? I also did that a night or two ago and have had problems ever since...

[Hohum]

I grew up in the UK and lived there for much of my life before emigrating to Canada many years ago now, so I do remember how long referrals can take on the NHS! It's great that you are seeking out some professional help for your issues though, what a good first step. Congrats!

On to your question - can reheating red meat cause stomach upsets? Sure, I would say it can. Is it a likely cause? Sure, it could be. Regardless, your HA is craving reassurance right now. There are several great posts on reassurance on this forum, and how addictive it can be. You could ask me 100 questions and I could give you my best guesstimates, but there'd always be another "what if" to address. Hopefully your counselling will address these issues and find ways to tackle your anxieties.

[KowgurrlKK]

You seem convinced it is not IBS, which is sounds just like.
Let me just say, I needed my Gallbladder out and had NONE of the typical symptoms associated with stones (which I did not have) and the function of the organ was borderline...that being said EVERYONE is different. When you read the symptoms of IBS (or colon C) or any other symptom, they correlate with what the "majority" of people experience.
I am confident that you probably do not have Colon Cancer. It is extremely rare at your age, and I seriously don't know one single person that does not have some kind of digestive tract issues.

Breath, RELAX, talk with your doctor, and be relieved. :) I know, I know , easier said than done, but I think your just fine :)

[bhandley]

Thank you guys, i'm kind of hoping I do have IBS over anything else. I've been very ill today. I will update once I've been to the doctors in a few hours.

[bhandley]

So my doctor doesnt think I have bowel cancer based on my age, which I knew he wouldn't, he thinks I might have IBS and confirmed that you can have IBS without cramps/pains. Or coeliac disease....
He's testing my tummy for bugs but refused to give me a occult blood test at the same time. He is also giving me a blood test to check to anemia - which can occur in coeliac. I gotta say I dont feel i've become anemic since my last blood test 5 months ago, but I do oversleep but I have done for at least two years now.
I of course am pretty worried that I will be anemic and that it will mean I have intestinal bleeding somewhere.

The thing that annoys me, is that bowel cancer can occur at an early age and everyone who has had it at an early age gets told the same thing, they are too young and lets check this first, causing a very delayed diagnosis. Not that I want to be diagnosed at all, I think I would have a full scale melt down if I was.