Can my difficulty in passing stools be a symptom of cancer?

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I have read your query, but want more information before being able to tell you what it is, and how we are going to manage it. Do you feel you are passing hard stools? How many times in a day do you feel the need to go to the washroom? Does it happen that you feel the urge to pass stools and nothing really comes out? Do you sit for a longer duration of time? Do you strain very hard at stools? Is there any bulge in the anus area or something coming out of it? Have you ever noticed blood in stools? How much water do you take? And how much fiber is in your diet such as fruits, and green vegetables? Do you take meat as a major portion of your meals? Do you recall having a problem with bowel when you were a child?

Well, I want you to tell me the above things.

Hi,

Welcocme back to icliniq.com.

At your age the cancers are very uncommon and the presence of symptoms for six months, without any noticeable increase and bleeding in stools suggest there is no cancer. There are some functional problems like dyssynergia where your anorectal muscles (the muscles at anus and rectum) tend to contract at the same time when abdominal muscles are contracting, resulting in blockage of the stools in between two pressure areas. Normally, the anorectal muscles relax when abdominal muscle trying to contract such as a straining. The stool then pass from high pressure area i.e high up in large bowel, to low pressure area i.e anal canal, and thus this cause normal stool passage. I think you have dyssynergia. but the diagnosis of dyssynergia is a diagnosis of exclusion, meaning we exclude other causes of constipation in you before saying it is dyssynergia.

There are certain other causes such as anal fissure, a breach in the lining of the anal canal due to hard stools, leading to spasm of the muscle of anal canal and difficulty in giving way to the stools. Low intake of fiber and water are common causes of constipation, plus sedentary life style and overweight also contribute to it. I suggest you to try following regimen for a week and see if it improve your symptoms. Take Movicol (Potassium and sodium chloride, sodium bicarbonate, and macrogol) two sachet in one glass of water once to twice daily. Consult your specialist doctor, discuss with them and take the medicines with their consent. Drink at least two liter of water daily. Take Isapgol (Psyllium husk) two table spoon daily. Consult your specialist doctor, discuss with them and take medicines with their consent. Excerice or brisk walk for 30 minutes. Get complete blood count, thyroid function test.

Follow up with the blood tests and in a week time.

I hope the things will get better for you