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Posted 9/15/2007 9:33 PM (GMT 0)
hi everyone--

i have never posted on this particular forum, though i have been an HW member for a while now. thankfully, my IBS-C symptoms have been largely under control for the last few years (after several very miserable years).

about a month ago, i started have this feeling of wetness or seeping around my anus. (sorry! i know it's gross, but i bet you guys are used to it yeah )

while it's not painful, it's extremely uncomfortable. i constantly have this slippery feeling between my butt cheeks. the first doc i saw about it just shrugged and said i did have some excess mucous in my rectum.

i went to a GI doc last week who is going to do a sigmoidoscopy on thursday, but she said it may just be part of my IBS.

i am wondering if anyone has ever had this type of symptom, or anything similar? it's kinda freaking me out.

thanks!
julie
Posted 9/15/2007 11:44 PM (GMT 0)
GI Doc.is most likely right.
Posted 9/15/2007 11:48 PM (GMT 0)
thing is i've never heard of anyone with ibs having mucous discharge....
Posted 9/16/2007 2:14 PM (GMT 0)

I pass quite a large amount of mucus discharge on a regular basis with my IBS ... even when my IBS appears dormant. It does freak me out too from time to time and I worry something must be wrong as it doesn't seem normal to me ... but having checked out various IBS symptom sites, it does appear to be a common symptom so try not to worry too much (easier said than done, I know)

I'm sure your upcoming tests will help put your mind at rest :-)

Tizz

Posted 9/16/2007 2:58 PM (GMT 0)
hi tizz--
thanks for responding. i just get frustrated because even if it is a normal symptom of ibs, there has to be a REASON that it is happening! just like there has to be a reason for the ibs.

it just started out of nowhere! the only thing going on recently was that i was taking iron to treat my anemia and it was really aggravating my constipation. but i've since stopped taking it, it's been several weeks, and i still have this mucus!

julie
Posted 9/17/2007 5:38 PM (GMT 0)
Hemorrhoids is usually the biggest cause of rectal discharge. IBS spasms causes excess mucus to form and therefore can leak. There are many many possible causes of discharge, I hope your doc can get you an answer... good luck with your scope.

Take Care
Posted 9/18/2007 6:11 PM (GMT 0)
hi dbab--

thanks for your response. i have been looking for information on spasms as a cause of mucus/discharge and am not finding anything. do you know of any sources that discuss this or can you tell me a little more about how this works? thanks!

julie
Posted 9/18/2007 6:57 PM (GMT 0)
I can tell you how IBS causes an overproduction of mucus shedding... I'll have to look to see if I can find anything about it. Basically, every person produces mucus in our intestines (its the body's natural way of moving along our waste) and it "sheds" during normal contractions in our colon. In IBS, these contractions are stronger so more mucus is shed than a normal person. This creates excess that can usually be shed by itself or with a BM. In normal persons, mucus is not noticed because of the small amount unless they are having some other type of GI distress that would cause this.
Posted 9/18/2007 7:51 PM (GMT 0)
I should have said secrete instead of shed but I just couldn't think of the word at the time. Shedding is really not the right word... just FYI.
Posted 9/18/2007 8:04 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you dbab, i really appreciate this explanation. obviously a symptom like this is quite disconcerting. if you happen to find or think of any links, articles, books, etc. that explain this i'd love to know about them just so i can understand more about it. thanks a lot.
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