What does change of bowel habit really mean? - Bowel Disorders Message Board

Gavi112 · 10-21-2007, 05:17 AM

I know they say if you suddenly experience diahrea? or constipation or alternating both for longer than 6 weeks get it checked out but I don't think this applies to me - anyone give an opinion.

For past 15 years I have had regular changes in bowel habits in that for maybe 10 days I will go to the toilet twice in the morning and I always have very soft stools in morning, then last thing at night before bed I will pass what look like hard rabbit droppings, not alot with mucus. Quite alot of people I know get these rabbit like droppings later in day as if a bit has got left over and dried out but as I say my mornings ones are very soft and lots of it!
Maybe every 7-10 days I get a morning where I will get strong urges to go to toilet and have the large soft motions but I wlll need to go maybe 6 or 7 times.

I have to careful that I don't eat too much fibre as in nuts and seeds or too much wholemeal bread or that gives me a 6 or 7 morning next day. If I feel nervous then again I end up sat on the loo lots so have very sensitive bowels.

Every Dr has said it sounds like touch of irritable bowel.

In past 6 months I have had a sigmoidoscopy, fecal occult blood test, complete stool analysis and full blood counts and all normal or negative so no blood in stool, not anaemic and flexible sigmoidosocpy which goes much further than normal sigmoidoscopy was totally okay. I have severe health anxiety and was worrying about my bowels. My Dr has said i can have a colonoscopy if I want but due spinal problems it is not advisable for me to have sedation or anaethesia because i am not in control of my position and could get injured.

My Gp doesn't think I need to have colonoscopy because all my other tests are okay but every time I get one of my mornings where I go 5 or 6 times I panic and think I should go. I have to say that these 5 or 6 days only last the one day then I go back to my 2-3 times a day for another week or so.

My long suffering husband says that I have been having these days of going 5 or 6 for as long s he can remember and I always worry about what I have eaten or what might be wrong with me - so he says this isn't a change in bowel habit as i have been doing it for so long and it is just how I am.

mel8274 · 10-22-2007, 07:04 AM

Well at least you have done the right thing and seen your GP, I suffer just the same as you do, I dare not eat even an apple, But I tend to agree with your GP IBS is the most probable outcome.
As for change in bowel habit, having read a little about it, my understanding is that everyone is different, and at some point in life most people go through a change in bowel habit, I believe mine was caused because I had my Gaul bladder removed, But it can be anything. you do not mention lose of appetite er weight loss, so cancer is far from my thoughts, I suggest relax a little, after all, your other teste are all clear, its 99% IBS.

Worrybucket · 10-22-2007, 07:31 AM

I would say IBS, as you have had some tests to rule out anything else going on.

A lot depends on what you are eating. Maybe you should go for a high fibre diet or a detox once a week.