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?