Persistent Mushy Stools
Hi everyone,
I'm a 39-year-old male and I'm wondering if anyone with IBS or IBS-D has experienced something similar.
About two months ago I developed persistent mushy stools. I usually need to have a bowel movement immediately after waking up, again after breakfast, and often after lunch. Some days I go four or five times. The mornings are definitely the worst, while by the evening I usually feel much better.
I also developed severe bloating, excessive gas and flatulence. Since switching to a strict low-FODMAP diet, the gas has improved a lot, but my stools are still mostly mushy. I often feel slightly nauseous, tired or generally unwell before a bowel movement, and I usually feel better afterwards.
Last week I suddenly had four consecutive days of completely normal, well-formed stools (Bristol 3-4), but after that my symptoms returned and the stools became mushy again, often light brown with visible undigested food particles. So overall, my stools are still predominantly mushy rather than normal.
I've been taking Winbiotic BR probiotics and psyllium husk for about a month.
My blood tests were all normal, including hemoglobin, ferritin, thyroid function, vitamin levels and celiac testing. My FIT test was negative. My fecal calprotectin was initially 111 µg/g but, when repeated about a month later, it had dropped to <4 µg/g.
The symptoms started during a difficult period in my life when my mother became seriously ill and sadly passed away. Although that was emotionally difficult, I don't feel particularly stressed now, I sleep reasonably well and continue to enjoy my daily life.
Has anyone experienced a similar pattern of persistent mushy stools, morning urgency, feeling better after a bowel movement, symptoms improving later in the day, and a calprotectin that normalized over time? If so, what was your eventual diagnosis and what helped?
Hi
, first, I want to say thank you so much for your comment and for being here. As you've described, "mushy" stools usually fall into Type 6 on the Bristol Stool Chart, and with that can come the increased urgency you've mentioned. This can indicate diarrhea or other symptoms associated with IBS-D. There's more on that in this article: https://irritablebowelsyndrome.net/testing-and-diagnosis/ibs-symptom-history/. This article also may be helpful: https://irritablebowelsyndrome.net/clinical/new-rome-iv-diagnostic-criteria. However, symptoms vary from person to person, and I see above your symptoms have been changing. This should be discussed with your doctor, since we cannot provide any medical/diagnostic advice. I hope these resources and/or other comments from community members will be helpful. - Best, Jaden (Community Manager) I have IBS D, but rarely get actual diarrhoea episodes. Usually it;s just slightly looser than normal stools or mushy like you describe. But then out of the blue and for no obvious reason, I also get periods when I'm quite normal! Those periods can range between two or three days, to weeks, occasionally months, and twice, for 2 years!
I also am not under a lot of stress of any kind. Though I have had very painful experiences in my past and deep grief. But for thepast few years things have been fairly steady and decent and I live a happy steady kind of life in a rural environment.
I personally have found that I have developed a "fibre tolerance" threshold, which didn't exist when I was younger, but exists now.
That idea may not apply to everyone, and I am not necessarily recommending cutting back on fibre,
But my tolerance threshold is different now, and I need a little bit less I still eat healthy simple foods and as many veggies as suit me. Quite a good range of them do suit me. So I am not exactly eating low fibre. But I just had to cool it with fibre a tad. That's what I mean.
Mushy stools seemed to be a problem before I worked that out. Now, a LOT less so. It took me ages to work that out too, as I had eaten high fibre food for probably about 40 years or more!
That might not apply to everyone.
Also, IBS is very unpredictable. We think we have found a solution one way or another, and then it goes and changes again on a whim and a fancy. It's almost impossible to predict what will change and when. I guess we just have to work out our own strategies to manage and balance it as best as we can, and do our best with an enemy that keeps changing shape!
