Symptoms of IBS or Colon Cancer ? Posted: 05-13-07 02:37am
I have a current diagnosis of IBS and
suffer from chronic constipation,
alternating with episodes of cramping and
diarrhea triggered by certain foods, and
relieved by a bowel movement. In addition,
I have frequent dull lower left quadrant
abdominal pain that sometimes radiates to
my rib cage, along with indigestion,
reflux, gas and bloating. The LLQ pain
comes and goes, sometimes disappears for a
few months and then returns. I have
occasional mucus in my stools that appear
to be blood tinged. I have also had the
rare bowel movement that was mucus alone
(not blood).
I've been seen by two separate physicians
for these problems and been told it was
IBS each time, however I am concerned
about the possibility of colon cancer as
my grandmother died of it in her 30's. Do
my symptoms sound typical of IBS? I have
been dealing with these issues in some
capacity or the other for the last four
years. If it were colon cancer, would I
know by now?
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DoctorAnswer
Doctor Answer
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Colon Cancer Answer A2764 Posted: 05-21-07 07:09am
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a
functional intestinal disorder without any
organic substrate. IBS Diagnosis is
established when all other possible
diseases, infections, tumors, etc… of
the gastro-intestinal tract (GIT) that
have similar symptoms have been excluded.
IBS manifests with constipation, diarrhea,
bloating, reflux, indigestion, abdominal
pain, gases etc. These symptoms and signs
are also observed during many other
disorders of the GIT. Blood in the stools
is not a sign of IBS. Blood in the stool
is always a sign of some organic disorder
of the GIT. You can request an occult
blood test to confirm or exclude the
presence of blood in the stool. After that
procedure, you can request a colonoscopy
to visualize the bowels from the inside
and to identify the source of the
bleeding. Mucous stools lined with blood
are typical for some large intestine
inflammations such as colitis but, again,
that diagnosis can be confirmed or
excluded only by a colonoscopy. Colon
cancer is also diagnosed only via
colonoscopies. You can consult a
gastroenterohepatologist for expert
opinion and follow up on your condition.
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