Flat stools and bloating - Bowel Disorders Message Board

j2cunningham · 06-09-2007, 01:50 PM

Hello,

Let me first say thank you to whomever replies. I truly appreciate it! I am a 35 yr old male. I am in very good physical condition but I do have issues with anxiety. One of the sypmtoms of my anxiety has been occasional twitchy muscles. I am not currently on any medications except an occassional zantac for GERD. Off and on over the last year or so I have been experiencing periods of bloating, gassiness, and varying degrees of flat and pencil thin stools. These periods have been more common than not. In the past, just when I am sure I had colon cancer, I will pass a normal stool. Well it has been many weeks since I have had a normal stool. I have been very bloated at times but no all the time. I have had no weight loss and my workouts have been fine. I do have constipation. About a month ago I went to my GP and he did a fecal blood test and it turned out negative. He sent me home with a take home fecal blood test and it too was negative. In the last few days I have upped my fiber intake but I have had no change in the caliber of my stool. My question is how worried do I need to be? How much fiber should I be taking and are there any warning signs I need to look out for? Any ideas what it could be?

Thanks again,
JC

oldman21 · 06-13-2007, 01:34 AM

Is your stool color light? and do you have a looser stool after fatty foods? Any pain in the gallbladder?

Light colored and ribbon stools often indicate a low bile production (bile is created by the liver and stored in the gallbladder).

I would start by taking probiotics and stomach enzymes, they can't hurt you. I take Ulta Flora and Spectrazyme from Metagenics (becaue my doc reccomended them).

They work wonders. You need to log the color and texture of your stools, especially after meals. Fiber might make you MORE constipated, their are different kinds - soluable and insoluable. I don't know which is better for you. Good luck and god bless.