Stomach pain, floating stool... scared... please help
Posted , 5 users are following.
I've had some weird abdominal and digestive issues lately. Recently was plagued by severe anxiety and depression. Was having trouble with my bowels they would exit fast, soft and yellow/light brown in color. I lost some weight but had cut my calories drastically (eating mostly fruit and vegetables), stopped drinking soda and juice, drink nothing but water and walked about 2 miles a daily. I went to the doctor's because of bowel issues and weight loss she ran blood panel and wrote it off as stress/anxiety/depression. Labs came back normal and my doctor was ecstatic because i am no longer pre-diabetic with my food changes and weight loss. I was also having a lot of stomach pains. I started Prozac and noticed that stomach issues subsided, however I still get burning in my stomach and this moving pain on the left side of my abdomen. Sometimes the pain is a burning sensation, other times its a pinch or a twinge and sometimes it's an ache. It always starts in my rib cage and then it moves. I've also noticed that my bowels are floating more than sinking. I'm terrified as I've read floating bowels are pancreatic cancer. I'm 32 never smoked, don't drink and have been eating healthy and exercising to lose weight as I can stand to lose a few pounds. My doctor doesn't seem concerned as my stools float generally when I eat bread and she feels that I may have a gluten allergy. I'm going to another GP Thursday for a 2nd opinion and hopefully will have more tests run. Has anyone gone through this? Please help....
0 likes, 7 replies
lilian05079 nai84477
Posted
Ask to be tested for HPylori which is a stomach bacteria which presents with the symptoms you describe. The test can be carried out via breath test, stool test or endoscopy..there is a blood test but is not always reliable for testing HP. If you test +ve for HP it can be treated with antibiotics but may take some time to eradicate the HP bacteria....best wishes fir a speedy diagnosis.....
nai84477 lilian05079
Posted
Thank you for responding. My grandmother recently told me that I had H. Pylori as a child. So I wonder if I got it again.
lilian05079 nai84477
Posted
Perhaps it has been laying dormant and has never gone away
and something has occurred yo make it rear its head....get it checked
....best wishes
Psyched_Out_Kim nai84477
Posted
The change in your diet can lead to a change in your bowels. Since you're eating mainly fruits and vegetables, you've added a lot more fiber to your digestive tract. No other way to put it, but fiber = floaters.
All of the fruit and veggies can cause gas, which can get trapped or travel. Either way, it's usually very uncomfortable. Too much acidic fruit can cause GERD-like symptoms as well. Perhaps that's where the burning feeling is coming from.
If you'd like to test the fiber theory, have a cheat day and eat what you used to, and then see what happens.
As a long time veteran of anxiety and depression, I can tell you that they definitely affect digestion. So, between fruit, veggies, water, walking, anxiety and depression, you're cleaning out your digestive system fast.
nai84477 Psyched_Out_Kim
Posted
Hi Psyched Out Kim,
I like your name. Thank you for responding. I was reading that vegetarians usually have floaters, while I'm not a vegetarian I eat little to no meat or fish. So I'm practically a vegetarian I guess. LOL.
I don't even have a desire to eat the way I used to. I kind of had a cheat day the other day and I was running for the bathroom as my body isn't used to the bad stuff anymore.
I've also been reading a lot about the brain gut reaction and how anxiety/depression can wreck havoc on your digestive system. So I'm trying to get my mind together so that I can get my gut in check. It's truly a battle. I can't even bring myself to eat the way I used to.
cmross1108 nai84477
Posted
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I highly doubt it's pancreatic cancer - so incredibly rare. If they tested your lipase in the blood work and it was normal, then it's not your pancreas. As Kim said, I bet it's the change in diet. TOO much fruit is bad for you as well so make sure you're getting plenty of protein and carbs too. When my bowels turned yellow-ish my doctor suspected allergy as well.
nai84477 cmross1108
Posted
Hi cmross,
Thank you for responding. I'm not certain if she tested my lipase levels. She was sure my pancreas was fine because my glucose levels had dropped drastically since my last bloodwork and she said high glucose and diabetes is a sign something is wrong with the pancreas. She also felt my stomach issues were all related to my anxiety and depression as it was extremely severe. She did tell me to cut gluten out completely. I'm learning that too much fruit is bad so I'm changing my habits today.