Question about IBS diagnois/thin stool

I too have often experienced narrow stool and asked several health professionals about it. All agree that for narrow stool to be caused by colonic cancer it would always have to be like that because it always has to pass the stricture to be evacuated. This relieved me as, like you, I was worried there was something very wrong.

I had a colonoscopy yesterday and it came back quite normal so that is proof that you can have odd shaped and thin stool and not be seriously ill.
I believe IBS can cause narrowing so try not to worry too much. If you continue to be concerned about any aspect of your intestinal health you might try suggesting a colonoscopy to your GP. The preparation for the procedure is horrid (strong laxatives) but the scope itself is not too bad.

Hope this helps to reassure. This is a great forum for mutual support.

Narrow stools are completely normal and par for the course with IBS. Given that you have been checked out recently with blood work and have no blood in your stools, no history of colon cancer and given that you are quite young (colon cancer is much more a concern among senior citizens), then I think you have nothing to worry about.

Are you on any sort of anti-depressants? Some of the newer ones work on IBS and make it better, even if the person that is taking them is not depressed and not anxious. It's like your GI tract can become anxious/depressed independent of your regular brain. In fact, doctors talk about a "second brain" that almost exclusively runs the GI tract independent of signals from the regular brain.

We also have a number of people on here that can identify with your anxiety; plenty of people have panic attacks that bring on IBS and fear of IBS brings on panic attacks. Treatment for the panic attacks (or anxiety if your problem isn't that severe) can help reduce the symptoms of IBS. There are non-medicine treatments, like therapy, deep-breathing, etc. that you can do if you don't want drugs.

Activa is for both and I can tell you it really helped me.

I would go 3 days of no BM and then 3 days of D. It was horrible. My body was not digesting food properly. THe docs said I had IBS/Ibd, and the gave me prescription pills for the pain and cramping I would have every single time I ate. I suffered for almost 2 years. Every meal I ate felt like I was food poisened. could not eat much for food. Everything had to be bland. Like white rice and baked chicken for the last 2 years.

I tryed Activa and the first 3-5 days I did not notice a difference. BM were still loose. I still ate one everyday and now I have been on it for 1 month. I feel like a million bucks!!!! I go the same time everyday now and its normal and there is no pain associated with it. My mood has improved and I am ten times happier then I've ever been. I can finally go out to restaraunt with my boyfriend and eat from the menu without worring. Just only regret I tried this sooner so I would not have to suffer.

And I can eat anything I want now. I might gain alot of weight at this rate. The foods that I would have to avoid before I can now eat with ease....

Like Pizza, ice cream, soda, chocolate, pudding, chips, sandwiches, an occasional beer OMG the list goes on.....