May 25, 2012
Topics A-Z Digestive Disorders Digestion issues
Digestion issues |
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Dear Ask The Doctor: Hi there! I have a gross question. I'm too embarassed to go to my family doctor about this unless there is real concern. For the last few weeks I have had some digestive issues; it started with a little bit of constipation and then a bit of blood in my stool (bright red for about 2 weeks) now that is gone but everytime I eat anything I instantly have cramps and need to go to the bathroom. My stool is soft but not watery, narrow and has been green the last couple of days. I also have this bitter taste in my mouth that started yesterday not sure if this is related at all. I am concerned but really don't want to make an appointment I don't need to. Dear Erin: I understand your worry about these symptoms. After reviewing your description of the symptoms, it might be probable that the symptoms that you had such as constipation that then turned into diarrhea might be caused by Irritable Bowel Syndrome which is characterized by diarrhea and constipation that alternates between one and the other. Fortunately, unlike more-serious intestinal diseases such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, irritable bowel syndrome doesn't cause inflammation or changes in bowel tissue or increase your risk of colorectal cancer. In many cases, you can control irritable bowel syndrome by managing your diet, lifestyle and stress, the latter as well as emotional conditions are commonly related. On the other hand the medication Pristiq which is a Selective Serotonin reuptake inhibitor could also be causing these symptoms as side effects; I would suggest you to get an evaluation of your medications and probably a stool culture to rule out probable infections. I wish you the best. |
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| Last Updated ( Friday, 25 June 2010 ) |
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