Does change of stool justify a colonoscopy?

[Jkrungthep]

Since half year or so, my stool has changed from (sorry for too much information) what normally would be one big dark brown solid sausage to smaller and thinner light brown sausages that often are a bit crumbly, mushy or weak in consistency (they easily get dissolved by water). Is this reason for concern? I don’t have any other symptoms (no abdominal pain, no blood in stool). I had a stool examination (negative for all infections, parasites, and fungi) and two rounds of antibiotics at the very beginning. 
 

Notes (not sure if important):

- 4-6 weeks before this started I had a food poisoning which was treated with 5 days Ciprofloxacin 

- It all started with chronic diarrhea for which no infection could be found and for which no antibiotic (neither Ciprofloxacin, nor Azithromyzin, nor Metronidazole) would work (diarrhea disappeared after two months) 

- Around the same time I started to have chronic urethritis symptoms until today (slight penile discharge and frequency) while no infection could be found after the initial courses of antibiotics

- I took quite some antibiotics over the last 9 months 

- I normally eat high carb and red meat and not much veggies. I also used to drink coffee every day and alcohol every other weekend. I also normally wouldn’t drink enough water during the day. Only since the chronic urethritis symptoms I started to drink more water and cut coffee and alcohol from my diet. I also try to eat a bit better. 

- I used to have bloating quite often which since this has mostly disappeared. 

- I recently started taking probiotic supplements twice a day. It seems to improve the urethritis symptoms a little bit but maybe that’s just my imagination.

Edited February 5, 2020 by Jkrungthep

[Isaanbiker]

 I took quite some antibiotics over the last 9 months 

 I normally eat high carb and red meat and not much veggies. I also used to drink coffee every day and alcohol every other weekend. I also normally wouldn’t drink enough water during the day.

 

Drink more water, eat some veggies, broccoli, etc, leave antibiotics out and do some exorcises. And stop with your self suggestion that you're sick.

 

Some of these products might have some unwanted side affects, Google what you've been taking and you might see an answer to a question. 

 

   All these antibiotics, but also plenty of foods have an influence on your stool.

 

  

 

 

[Jkrungthep]

 

7 minutes ago, Isaanbiker said:

 

Drink more water, eat some veggies, broccoli, etc, leave antibiotics out and do some exorcises. And stop with your self suggestion that you're sick.

 

Some of these products might have some unwanted side affects, Google what you've been taking and you might see an answer to a question. 

 

   All these antibiotics, but also plenty of foods have an influence on your stool.

Thanks for your response. I am not taking antibiotics regularly. I was taking antibiotics during the same when my stool started to change. Since then (since half year) I have stopped drinking coffee and alcohol, started to drink 2-3 liters water per day, and tried to eat more healthy. But it seems even when I eat more veggies, yoghurt, and less carbs, my stool still is crumbly / mushy, smaller and light colored. 
 

Maybe I am overthinking, yes. Thus my question here. 

[GarryP]

18 minutes ago, Jkrungthep said:

 

Thanks for your response. I am not taking antibiotics regularly. I was taking antibiotics during the same when my stool started to change. Since then (since half year) I have stopped drinking coffee and alcohol, started to drink 2-3 liters water per day, and tried to eat more healthy. But it seems even when I eat more veggies, yoghurt, and less carbs, my stool still is crumbly / mushy, smaller and light colored. 
 

Maybe I am overthinking, yes. Thus my question here. 

Could it be the yoghurt? As people get older they can develop lactose intolerance. My father can no longer drink/eat milk products. It was never a problem until he hit his fifties. But now, apart from milk products, he has also had to cut out certain veggies, tomatoes, spices, etc, otherwise he has too frequent bowel movements of the nature you describe (four times a day or so), which can cause other problems, such as puritis ani, anusitis, hemorrhoids, et al.  He is 88 now and has a quite boring diet because of this.

 

I have already started to greatly cut down on lactose products. I used to love a latte but have had to stop. I love cheese too so indulged at the weekend after not eating it for a long time. Lo and behold, a problem that had disappeared reared its ugly head again. <deleted>!!!!!!    

[ignis]

Had a colonoscopy last week, no idea why,  Had one before about 30 years ago there was a reason..

 

Anyway 9 lumps of different colour and sizes were removed from different places in the Colon and sent off, results on 19th..  

 

The Dr said it is wise for older people to have a colonoscopy

[Swimfan]

Many stool test come back with false negatives. Giardia is one thing that is difficult to detect with standard stool testing and is recommended that 3 samples be submitted. My first step would be to have a PCR stool examination done. This is a more sensitive test that detects DNA and is much more sensitive and accurate than the standard microscopy tests. 
 

using a lot of antibiotics can cause imbalance in you microbiome that will generally rebalance itself given time. 
 

There is a general misconception that probiotics replace your gut bacteria. This is completely false what they do is create an environment for your own gut bacteria to thrive in. The problem is if you have an imbalance the probiotics could make it worse. Personally I would steer clear of then. 
 

best to practice a lactose ang gluten free diet for a period and see if there is any improvement. 
 

If no improvement I would then try colonoscopy and endoscopy to eliminate other possibilities. 

[Puccini]

A change of colour of feces from a light colour to a blackish colour for no apparent reason can give a doctor cause to recommend a colonoscopy, but not a change of colour in the opposite direction.

Edited February 5, 2020 by Puccini

[BritManToo]

1 hour ago, Puccini said:

A change of colour of feces from a light colour to a blackish colour for no apparent reason can give a doctor cause to recommend a colonoscopy, but not a change of colour in the opposite direction.

White poop is an indication of liver failure.

Black poop is cancer.

 

Anything between the two is usually OK.

Edited February 5, 2020 by BritManToo

[Bruce Aussie Chiang Mai]

Flush, wash hands and forget.

Blood would definitely be a worry if seen, think of the positives, blood be easier to see in the white sausage.

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[Sheryl]

How old are you?

[Jkrungthep]

1 minute ago, Sheryl said:

How old are you?

37

[Sheryl]

Simple change in color/consistency without diarrhea or unusual constipatio  is usually related to diet (including drinking water) and not normally an indicatio  for colonoscopy.

[ThaiBunny]

17 hours ago, ignis said:

The Dr said it is wise for older people to have a colonoscopy

Certainly one way to raise the clinic's revenue. I've had three colonoscopies - to check for "damage" after two bouts of food poisoning that were a few months apart, and to check that the source of a blood discharge was hemorrhoids. More recently I've had the standard stool sample tests (not a colonoscopy) which are both standard and free under the UK's NHS and Australia's Medicare for those who are 50+. I'd have thought a colonoscopy "just for a check up" seems over-kill (pun intended), rather like the leading Bangkok private hospital that insists on an MRI for everyone who presents with something more serious than an in-grown toenail. A colonoscopy is something that would usually be done if external tests indicated a possible problem

Edited February 6, 2020 by ThaiBunny

[AllanB]

Woah there! Find a local test lab and get a stool and urine test, maybe a full blood analysis. No need for an invasive procedure to begin with. Then take the results to gastrologist.

 

I take statins, blood thinners and antacid tablets and my stools are now grey, mind you I have eat a lot of oats, nuts and fruit. Have you changed you diet? 

 

Aim to consume around 2 litres of water a day.

Edited February 6, 2020 by AllanB