Male 26 yrs. old and scared !!!! - Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Message Board

scott2121 · 11-04-2003, 09:25 PM

I'm a healthy 26 yr old male who actively works out and eats fairly healthy. I don't smoke (never have), don't drink nor do I do drugs. I have no real family history of medical illnesses or causes for concern. However, over the past almost 3 years now, I've been experiencing some very odd symptoms of something!!! My stomach bloats up in my lower abdomen region, but not necessarily after I eat. It is somewhat sensitive to touch. Lately, I've been having a dull ache or pressure type feeling right underneath my lower left ribcage area. It' been constant for almost 3 weeks now. My bowel movements have also been very inconsistent ranging from 5 or 6 times a day (diarea) to maybe once with severe constipation. Also, the color of my stool has been slighly yellowish to normal brown at times. I've also had a very inconsistent dry cough for over a year now. I've had several doctors evaluate me and test me, but everything has checked out normal. I've had blood work (hiv, hepatitus, h-pylori, thyroid), ct scan of my pelvis/stomach in April of 2003, mri of my neck(slightly swollen glands)- dr. said no worries here also Apr. of 2003, endoscopy in April of 2003 (normal) a ton of chest x rays (normal). At this point I don't know what to do. I'm not sure if it could be cancer or maybe just ibs. Either way, I have another appointment tomorrow with a new family practioner so hopefully he can refer me to a gastro. doctor. In additon to the above symptoms, I've some slight shortness of breath and inconsistent chest pains over the past 4 weeks or so. Also, had an EKG a few weeks ago for the chest pains, again normal. Has anyone heard of all of these symptoms and if so should I concern myself with cancer worries at my age???? Colonoscopy maybe????? I don't know what to do next. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much ~

Dimaki · 11-05-2003, 12:20 AM

I can only tell you the tests that I have had. They took a stool sample, blood, an Upper GI (where you swallow the yummy barium), a colonoscopy, and the other upper endoscopy or whatever, a ct scan and ultrasound. I think I'm fogetting something. I don't have the chest pains, sometimes I do, but not all the time. They haven't found anything as of yet except for a couple ulcers. I get a lot of throat problems I think, but who knows. I do know that chest pain can also come from your back and stuff, any back problems? Who knows, I know my pain is in about the same spot though and they just look at me like I'm nuts. My doc said most likely IBS but I'm not sure. Did they try stool samples and try you on a clear liquid diet and all that? I didn't wait long and have had all these tests done within months, I'm surprised your doc has been shoving this off for a few years. Maybe get a new one

Also, when I have concerns I go to *******.org where doc's can answer your questions (with a $15 fee of course) but you can browse through questions already asked for free, worth a shot. But quit worrying about cancer, I'm thinking they would have found that by now. What about eliminating things like lactose? Tried a diet change? Also are you on and medications? I know (you won't have this obviously) but my birth control medicine played a big part...

6th_sense · 11-05-2003, 04:21 PM

Hi Scott,

It sounds like you may have the beginnings of IBS in the works. I sincerely doubt that you have cancer. I believe that your gall bladder is acting up and that is why you are alternating between diarrhea and constipation. The yellowish colour can indicate an excess of bile (secreted by the gall bladder) in your stools - usually with diarrhea only. If your gall bladder is acting up, you may get chest pains on the right hand side, and under the V of the rib-cage. The gas can be due to irregular movement of food through your intestines - just like many IBS patients - and the dull ache is quite common to IBS as well.

Well, I'm not saying you have IBS - but it looks like you have the symptoms I had when I started. I would tell you to wait for a colonoscopy, since IBS is usually diagnosed when all the other possible intestinal problems have been ruled out.

Cheers, Raju.

Frustrated1 · 11-16-2003, 03:43 PM

I think the symptoms you are experiencing are the beginning manifestations of IBS. With this I would agree with 6th_sense. I too, had the same symptoms about 4 years ago, I thought I was going to lose my mind. The good thing is that you had a doctor rule out many of the heavy hitters.
But to assist your doctor I would keep a log of what you are eating and drinking and when symptoms manifest. The problem with this type of disorder is that depending on your sensitivity you may experience a IBS_D BM between 30 minutes to almost 8 hours from the last time the offending food was injested and as you have experienced occur multiple times. Please keep this in mind. My symptoms have been so acute that I did go to the emergency room and they found nothing.

The one thing that you may want to consider is an intolerance, especially to milk or wheat. It might be a good idea to look consider an allergist.
It is not out of the ordinary to develop an intolerance in your adult life. After gleefully drinking milk for all of my teenage live, I started down the road of lactose intolerance. A shocker for me and it changed my lifestyle greatly. My second intolerance developed later as well.

As far as operations, I have had a colonoscopy, barium, sigmodoscopy and all tests were negative. I had a detailed blood test and there were elevated levels of IgA antibodies which was a signal that my gut was out of order.

Other items I would consider reducing from your current diet would be sugar and coffee. In my experience, these ingrediants amplify my symptoms and make them more acute.

Good Luck and I hope this information is helpful

britches · 11-17-2003, 09:10 AM

I would recommend being tested for crohn's. They would do that through colonoscopy and endoscopy. I only say that because of alternating between diarraha and constipation.