Can anxiety cause loose stools for months?!Please anyone respond

Since the end of January, I had a huge health scare that basically had a domino effect on me. One thing lead to another, and here I am in May with the hugest anxiety in my life. These past 4 months was the lowest point in my life. I never had panic attacks in my life and I am 33 years old suffering from huge anxiety, panic attacks, sleep issues and just general feeling of depression.
I keep having feelings of impending doom, life the realization I might die one day came to me, and it scares the living **** out of me.

Since the end of January I have been having loose stools, it was simultaneously to the time that I started having anxiety. I was wondering if anyone has suffered from this? Could it be completely anxiety related. My stool has been very loose and light colored (close to green) every single bowel movement.

I was having issues with gas and stomach distention but that has went away now, but the loose stool is still here :( It is making me even more anxious, I hate this vicious cycle.

They had to reschedule it because he was out sick :( I was so looking forward to it, I really need it. Thanks for asking, it is rescheduled for next Tuesday.

Thank you for answering Beth Be Well. Could it be going on for this long too? Have you ever experienced it this long? I know I have terrible anxiety, night sweats, dizziness, etc.
I am going for a colonoscopy this MOnday (worried about that too)....

It absolutely can! It went on for me for months! It was an IBS flare up. It's great that you're having a colonoscopy to confirm, but I bet they'll say it's just stress.

I ended up taking half of an Imodium every 2 days for about 3 weeks and then I just stopped and poof! No more pooping!

Good luck!!

Hi LMD,

Great input above...and glad to hear that you are working on the issues on all fronts...medically and with the upcoming therapy, so good job! Know that this will bring about progress with time.:)

The only suggestion I can add is to consider starting a BRAT diet and a probiotic until you get into a more regular bowel habit.

Both can help with D issues, and get a healthy balance which may have been lost due to the long term issues.

Wishing you the best,

S.C.

Definitely try probiotic.

As for IBS....they won't say it's directly caused by stress, but because they believe that the brain and gut are so closely related, they aren't opposed to saying that there is a close correlation there. My IBS is only an issue during times of HIGH anxiety, so I'm living proof.

Hang in there. I know how it is to have a little one and be living through this.

My first bout of IBS/Anxiety carried on for over a year and I ended up on meds.

This last time it was about 3 months, so I too had a colonoscopy. The doctor actually told me that I needed to get my panic disorder under control and that would help my constant "D". He also told me about taking a regular dose of Imodium for a little while to get things under control and that's what finally worked.

Hi Park sorry to harass you? I am just really anxious, did you get an abdominal ct at all? Did you have any other symptoms of anxiety along with your loose stools?

I concur with what has been said.