Thinner Stools for 2 months

Question

For the past 2 months my stools have been on the thinner side; not "pencil thin", but about the diameter of my middle or index finger.  They are sometimes long, sometimes broken into smaller pieces, and I would say on the softer side.  I usually take on average about 3 of these stools per day.   I am not straining to pass them, and for the most part I feel completely evacuated.  I went to a GI doctor about 4 weeks ago and was diagnosed with GERD and possible IBS, though not definitive on that one.  I do not see any visible blood (which apparently doesn't mean anything), and I have no other symptoms, no pain, no fatigue, no weight loss, or anything like that.  The GI Doctor did a complete blood work up and said everything looked fine.  I am just getting myself so worked up, and have such horrible anxiety from searching on the internet for hours...I'm actually making myself feel sick inside over it, because of course, when I do a search for thin stools, Colon Cancer is the very first thing that pops up.  I should state that I did recently stop taking Omeprazole (OTC Prilosec) and started on Prevacid...all about a month or so ago.  My diet hasn't really changed, other than maybe adding a little bit more vegetables to my daily intake...but not enough that I would think it could cause a difference in my stool size.  Please, if anyone could ease my mind...I'm having terrible anxiety over this. Thank you in advance.

DrAnitha · Accepted Answer

Hi, is your appetite normal? are you losing weight? stool shape and consistency can change with the diet taken. So, stop worrying. As the changes have been for two months, it's unlikely to be due to any organic cause. You can maintain a food diary to see what is triggering your symptoms and avoiding them may help resolve your symptoms. Regards.

Jasandtana · Answer

My appetite is normal, I have lost some weight from an extended period of extreme anxiety over this.  I am scheduled for a Colonoscopy on Friday morning, mainly to ease my fears.  My doctor does not seem concerned with Colon Cancer, and is really doing this to make me feel better.  He sees how bad my anxiety is, even my blood pressure is being dangerously affected.  I recently had a CT scan, and it showed absolutely no abnormalities, at least none that were large enough to detect on the scan.  I have started noticing a groove in my stool on one side, like something is pushing in on it as it comes out.  Just more stuff for me to stress out about.  I haven't seen any blood in almost 2 months...However I do have some pain and itching AFTER a bowel movement...It's like things just keep progressing, and I don't know what to do.  I'm so afraid of being very ill, as I have 4 children to care for.  Hopefully the Colonoscopy will be clear, and I can finally rest.  Thank you for your response.