Skinny stool...no other symptoms

Hi all. For the last 2 days I have had skinny stool. Its formed and kind of comes out in one long piece that wraps itself in the toilet. No blood, no urgency, tiny bit of mucus when I wipe, and minor cramping before I go. I then go a second time and its just thin little pieces. So only going twice a day but up until this I was only going once for the last 2 months.

I have had really bad stress the last few days. This started yesterday morning. My GI is saying IBS which I think it may be. I have no other flare symptoms. And I have never had skinny stool during a flare...in flare or while healing. I thought I was almost in remission. Now this has me second guessing.

My GI said give it a couple more days...I start a new job Wednesday (hence the stress) thats a sub position for 4 weeks. But I have been a stay at home mom for the 12 months so I'm a bit scared to get back into life (seeing a therapist for this because this last flare has mentally rocked my world). If things don't improve then start enemas.

Please note that I haven't had inflammation in my rectum during this flare...just 5 inches at my sigmoid/rectum juncture. My next remicade dose is next Friday. I have been off all steroids for 4 weeks now.

I have not been eating fiber but taking Benefiber...now that I am getting better should I add food back in with fiber? Switch the Benefiber?

Any thoughts for me??

Do you have any anti-spasmodics in your medicine cabinet? Time to get some if not. Dicyclomine comes in 10 or 20 mg is cheap and with me only affects the gut not my head or anything else and wears off. Of course your GI may suggest something else but it's something I fall back on when IBS symptoms pop up.

I agree with your GI to wait a couple days before altering much even though your gut will be jumpy with new routine. When I am faced with early mornings and higher stress I take an Immodium and a Dicyclomine but not every day, just for the stressful event (like flying). Has never hurt me.

Good luck on the job, non-UC people would have butterflies and anxiety at first.

@juststud - thanks :) Trying to relax as much as possible.

@ima - yes I have bentyl. I take it as needed. When I was flaring I was on 40 to 50 mg throughout the day. I just got down to 20 last week. Now back up to 40. I have 10 mg capsules. I plan on taking the bentyl and an immodium the day I start just to be safe. Great minds think alike ;)

@nssg - yeah I hear you. I have been going back and forth on rectals. My issue is that I have to do steroid enemas or supps because rowasa and canasa do not agree with me and I REALLY don't want to start with the steroids again. I did a steroid enema last night and there wasn't much improvement today so I was thinking it really is just IBS. I'm not sure if I am going to wait anther 24 hours to see how things go or just start the rectals. I know there is no inflammation in my rectum after a number of flex sigs and a colonoscopy. The inflammation stayed in the same spot the whole flare. My infusion is next Friday...so a bit away. I am trying to get it pushed up to earlier in the week. I told my GI I may need to push up to every 6 weeks but I haven't been able to gauge anything because I have spent the last 2 months tapering off so many things...I'm almost down to just Remi and Lialda.

Is skinny stool something to worry about with no other symptoms?? My husband and mom say they get it fairly often based on food and water intake and neither of them have GI issues. I'm trying my best to relax and stay positive. I'm hoping this job is a jumpstart to breaking my fear cycle and getting me out of my head. 4 weeks to figure out if I want to teach then a great summer with my kids :)

OH and I forgot to mention my period is on its way and that makes my belly rock a bit too. Gotta love when it all hits at once.

Post Edited (TotesMagotes) : 4/18/2016 2:48:59 PM (GMT-6)

Is this a symptom that typically happens to you preceding a flare up? If not, it's prob unrelated and just something to keep an eye on. I happen to get thin stool prior to flaring. It is one of my first signs of inflammation.

I agree that stress could be the lone cause of the skinnies! But I would also take an Imodium before work on that first day. Quite honestly, if I have to leave my house before 8:30 am I usually take half of one! Glad to hear things are going well otherwise and good luck going back to work. It is stressful, but there is also a lot of joy in getting back to work after being home for a while.

Do you have hemmroids? Hems can cause skinny stool as well.

Steroid enemas or supps would help both hemmies or inflammation, i just don't know if it will reach if you're 100% certain the problem is not in that area. Skinny stools for me is always a sign of inflammation. I have had it come and go without a major flare up occurring. I would think with that time of the month coming, it could be related to that. I always had bad BMs at that time.