Little reassurance pl?

[Rara09]

Hi everyone, I am new to this forum and really just wanted a little reassurance.

I have had ibs for about 20 years (now 38), but recently my symptoms have increased. For the last month I have had urgency, diarrhoea, blood, mucus (sometimes just mucus bms), tiredness and a bit of abdominal pain,

I have been to docs and although examination and bloods were fine, my calprotectin test has come back showing inflammation, he has booked me into gastros within two weeks. Over the last two weeks I have had in uncomfortable pain under my left rib which radiates to my back, it feels like a stitch/bruise (hard to explain), also got bad lower back pain.

I have tried eating blandly and carefully which has helped the bms but not the pain.

My main question is I am very frightened of cancer (I suffer health anxiety badly), would inflammation include cancer, does it sound more ibd? So very frightened and could do with some reassurance.

 

[theOcean]

It sounds more like IBD to me. With IBD, the immune system creates inflammation in the body and it manifests in different ways. IBD is a very individualistic autoimmune disorder, so everyone presents differently -- some people get the symptoms you're having, or even develop extraintestinal symptoms (like arthritis, among others) and some people have no external symptoms at all.

So on the cancer front: I think you're fine. You sound like you have IBD. If you're really worried about cancer, you can ask your doctor about it.

 

[Rara09]

Thank you ocean.

Put my mind at ease a little. Maybe gastro will be able to pinpoint my problems, do you know if anything would show on tests if my bm's are not so bad? Worried that I will attend and not be feeling too bad so they will say it's nothing. Thanks for all your help.

 

[DJW]

As the ocean said it is very individualistic. For some constipation is the issue. I personally had no pain when first DX. Keep a note book for question. It's so easy to forget a question or a symptom in the doctors office.

Sending you my support.