I have had trouble with my bowel movement and I'm scared to death?

Question

I have always had frequent bowel movements (2 or 3 a day), but for the last 3 to 4 weeks I feel like I never have to go, when I do try to go only a little bit comes out and it is soft, not diarhea but soft and actually pretty healthy looking, it is frustrating because I can not pass a firm stool like I used to, there is no visible blood and I have no pain, my doctor has ordered a Barium enima and this procedure really scares me, (is it painful?) I can deal with discomfort or embarresment but planned pain is not for me, to make matters worse I have dealt with anxiety for years and I now have myself convinced I could have colon cancer, I've done research and these are common symptoms of colon cancer, I am 37, could someone please help and educate me with any other less serious condition that infrequent soft stools of small amounts could relate to? and is a barium enima the way to go? please help!

Answer 1

I'm thinking you are too obsessed with your bm's. Changes in diet or hormones can have an affect. 2 or 3 times a day really is quite often. You might be becoming more normal now. As far as barium enemas. They put a catheter into the rectum and instill "barium" a radiopaque substance. Then they take a series of x-rays and look at the shape of the colon. I don't know what your doctor is looking for. An enema can be uncomfortable. Perhaps you should see another doctor. Are you seeing an internist? You should be. Your diet should be evaluated, a simple abdominal x-ray should be done first.

Answer 2

I had to drink the sand as I call it but it was aniseed flavor. Take it from me, go for the barium enima. Me , well I was on a strict diet for three days of wait for it 'boiled chicken' and 'mashed potato' no gravy no anything else and it was tough. However the highlight desert, jelly as much as I could eat! Then the night before the procedure, four senokots they went threw me like a dose of salts really emptied the bowel. After that one litre of kleen prep, just to make sure all was empty and just when you thought it could not get any worse another litre of kleen prep which only took twenty minutes to pass through the system. I was not passing any soild stuff, the last kleen prep went in and came out, the same. Only small problem my butt was on FIRE! Honest! I ended up face down on the bed, spread eagle screaming. I then drove to the Hospital the following morning, where they gave me two mugs of some nice aniseen falvored sand and I tore into the first one, two minutes it was gone. I happen to like aniseed and I was hungry so tore into the second one only for the Nurse to take it off me? Seems I was drinking it too fast so I had to lay on my side, until they were ready. Then when they were ready having stoped the barium making its way through they had to give me 'liquid oxygen' crystals that they mixed with a teaspoon of water and I had to knock back in one go as fast as possible. That sped things up again. I asked to see the films, nice little balls forming and moving along. Twenty minutes later mad dash for the cloakroom in some Hotel in Town and no matter how hard I flushed the sand was like cement, stuck. Mother had the Barium enima and did not go through what I went through.
I think you need some fibre to bulk up the stools, allow them to form and then you will be regular.
Good Luck

Answer 3

I agree with Beez. It won't be painful and it's far better than trying to drink a big cup of barium. Drinking it is like trying to drink a chalk filled milkshake. Don't worry yourself crazy over this though, it could be something really small. If your doctor suspects anything they can also do a lower GI and a colonoscopy, neither of which are painful. Good luck!

Answer 4

A barium enema is not going to be painful. It's better than having to drink the stuff. This way, you'll know for sure if there is a problem.

Answer 5

barium enema does not hurt..you will get some cramping and pass a lot of gas afterwards..but that all normal.I personally think that you are not getting enough fiber in your diet..perhaps more fluids and plenty of exercise if possible

Answer 6

PROBABLY A NUMBER OF ENEMAS IS IN YOUR FUTURE, WHETHER YOU GET A BARIUM ENEMA OR NOT CLEANSING ENEMAS WILL BE QUITE FREQUENT BEFORE OR AFTER THE BARIUM ENEMA. CLEANSING ENEMA WILL CLEAR THE PATH FOR THE BARIUM ENEMA AND AFTERS THE CLEANSING ENEMA WILL CLEAN THE BARIUM OUT BECAUSE THE BARIUM WILL CONSTIPATE YOU. CONSTIPATION IS NO FUN.