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Having Stomach Ache And Frequent Bowel Movement. Noticed Mucus In Stool. Should I Be Concerned?
Question: I have been having stomach problems for the last 4 to 5 years. I have been to different doctors, and they start tests. When the tests do not materialize into something they give up, and i move on and start over, I have been in and out of the hospital with severe stomach pain on and off over the years. Generally it doesn't result in any discovery. About a year ago i had a pancreatic attack. They doctors in the emergency room asked me if i drank to much, and i said no, as i do not. I was advised to eat low fat foods from there. Which i do generally already. I had struggled with a moderate eating disorder over the past 3 years. I went from 140 lbs to 104 on a 5 foot three frame, I am currently at 117, and maintaining, I did research in the university library about anorexia/ low body weight and the onset of pancresits and found a small correlation in my limited understanding,
The pains in my stomach have still came and went. I have frequent bowel movements and they are generally loose. I have been looking in to celiac disease and have decided i would start a gluten free diet. This is a new development and i am not fully gluten free yet as i am learning what i can eat and i have struggled with it this week.
I have gilberts syndrome, which since their is nothing in the desk references i am told there is no symptoms, i am not sure if that is true?
My question is this, today i have found white mucus in my stool about have inch in size. Is this a cause for concern? what could this be caused from?
The pains in my stomach have still came and went. I have frequent bowel movements and they are generally loose. I have been looking in to celiac disease and have decided i would start a gluten free diet. This is a new development and i am not fully gluten free yet as i am learning what i can eat and i have struggled with it this week.
I have gilberts syndrome, which since their is nothing in the desk references i am told there is no symptoms, i am not sure if that is true?
My question is this, today i have found white mucus in my stool about have inch in size. Is this a cause for concern? what could this be caused from?
Hello!
Thank you for the query.
1. Gilberts syndrome do not give any symptoms. This is true. It gives usually only higher bilirubin level.
2. Mucus in stool is present all the time as intestines cells do secret it permanently. However it should not be visible. If such mucus appears, it can be a sign of IBS, inflammatory intestines disease or colon polyps. It also appears with pancreas disease (usually stools are fatty like and smell really bad).
As you have had acute pancreatitis it could leave some pathologies inside abdominal cavity. The most common pathology is pancreas cyst. Such cyst can not be visible in ultrasound and can give abdominal aches in many regions, depending of localization. That is why, every acute pancreatits patient with such symptoms should have abdominal CT with contrast performed. This is the first step you should take.
The other thing is to find the reason of acute pancreatits. Alcohol is the most common factor of this disease, but it is not the only one. Spicy food can also cause acute pancreatitis as well as gall stones in bile ducts. I do not know what tests where performed, but it is advisable to have checked liver enzymes(AST, ALT), pancreas enzymes (amylase) and cholestatic enzymes (GGTP).
If no findings in this tests, colonoscopy should be performed as well.
Hope this will help. Feel free to ask further questions.
Regards.
Thank you for the query.
1. Gilberts syndrome do not give any symptoms. This is true. It gives usually only higher bilirubin level.
2. Mucus in stool is present all the time as intestines cells do secret it permanently. However it should not be visible. If such mucus appears, it can be a sign of IBS, inflammatory intestines disease or colon polyps. It also appears with pancreas disease (usually stools are fatty like and smell really bad).
As you have had acute pancreatitis it could leave some pathologies inside abdominal cavity. The most common pathology is pancreas cyst. Such cyst can not be visible in ultrasound and can give abdominal aches in many regions, depending of localization. That is why, every acute pancreatits patient with such symptoms should have abdominal CT with contrast performed. This is the first step you should take.
The other thing is to find the reason of acute pancreatits. Alcohol is the most common factor of this disease, but it is not the only one. Spicy food can also cause acute pancreatitis as well as gall stones in bile ducts. I do not know what tests where performed, but it is advisable to have checked liver enzymes(AST, ALT), pancreas enzymes (amylase) and cholestatic enzymes (GGTP).
If no findings in this tests, colonoscopy should be performed as well.
Hope this will help. Feel free to ask further questions.
Regards.
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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