Can ONLY Loose, Unformed Stools = Cancer?

Posted , 4 users are following.

Hi,

Since the last 8-9 months, every day I've been having loose, unformed stools (not watery, type 6, rarely borderline 7), I go once or twice max, in spite of when I go, what I eat.

If I go twice a day, it IS loose. 

If I go once in 24 hours, it's slightly soft in the beginning, but mushy at the end.

This is weird coz for the first 32 years of my life, I have struggled with hard stools and even anal fissures.

Now I am scared - could this be cancer?

I have NO other symptoms like pain, blood in stools, gas, fatigue, nausea or weight loss (though I have always been underweight)...

But Google's been scaring me saying a "change in stools" could be a sign of cancer.

My father is a Doctor and so is my father-in-law, both dont seem worried, one says it's ok, thats just your 'type', and your body may be overcompensating since all these years it was constipated (?!)... my father-in-law says check for... appendicitis?!

Should I really be worried? The moral dilemma here is going to a Doctor "outside of the family" (anyone who has a Doctor in the family knows how possessive they are about this!)

It's just that this change in stool after 32 years is what's worrying me. 

0 likes, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • Posted

    Using Google as a means of analysing symptoms is fraught with danger.  There are many causes of your problem apart from cancer, such as IBS, crohns disease, coeliac disease and all sorts of food allergies.  The only way to be certain is to have a doctor carry out the appropriate tests, a simple blood test is a suitable starter.  If nothing else, you could well have your mind put at rest, quite often the anticipation of a problem is more stressful than actually suffering from it. 

    I understand your reluctance to go outside the family but, should it be the worst case of cancer, I guess a bit of potential family disapproval is preferable to discovering too late that you really do have the problem.

  • Posted

    Can these symptoms point to Coeliac disease? My bm's ARE slightly sticky too!

     

  • Posted

    Trying to guess which problem you might have is not very productive, you really do need to talk to a professional and undergo the relevant tests.  If you are concerned that it may be cancer then the sooner you have this consultation the better. Yes, your problem could be coeliac disease but, as I said in my  previous response, it could be one of many other things as well.
  • Posted

    I have unformed stool come and go.  It may take about a month or two to get over it.  I am 65 years old, have some bowel movement disorder, and am easily constipated.  In my case, the symptom usually is connected with traveling, but it is only unformed stool, not dirrhea. Everytime when the symptom comes, I became very worried, and don't know how to choose food.  Do you mind sharing the dignostic process and what the doctors found out?     

  • Posted

    I have unformed stool come and go.  It may take about a month or two to get over it.  I am 65 years old, have some bowel movement disorder, and am easily constipated.  In my case, the symptom usually is connected with traveling, but it is only unformed stool, not dirrhea. Everytime when the symptom comes, I became very worried, and don't know how to choose food.  Do you mind sharing the dignostic process and what the doctors found out?     

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