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What Causes Diarrhea And Strange Smell Of Stool?
Question: Been having on and off diarrhea for 6 days now.When it is not diarrhea it is either soft or very lose. It has a rubbery like smell to it. Kind of starting to worry. Been having stomach problems for the past year and a half now. Doctor said it is most likely due to IBS because of all the stress and anxiety I have been dealing with. I am emetophobic, so I have a huge fear of throwing up. I have been really anxious the past week thinking I am going to become sick, so maybe this is why I have on and off diarrhea. Today I feel very weird. No stomach pain, just a little weak and off. I did get the flu shot yesterday, so I am thinking I am feel off because of this. I also just started my menstrual cycle today, so I usually have mushy bowels with that. Just worried about the smell. What could be causing this? I am a 23 year old female.
Brief Answer:
Detailed below.
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
Thank you for the query.
Strange smell of stool can be caused by an infection or by pus appearance in the stool.
Infection is usually bacterial. With an infection diarrhea is very commonly present. Nausea and abdominal pain can also appear.
Pus in the stool can indicate inflammatory bowels disease like Crohns disease. Diarrhea, blood and mucus in the stool lower right abdominal pain can be also present with this issue. Some joint pains or skin lesions (like eczema) can also appear.
Stress and anxiety can of course lead to gastrointestinal symptoms as well.
Here is what I suggest you to do:
- start with stool test and stool culture test
- discuss with your doctor Rifaximine treatment for gastrointestinal infection
- if this wont help, you should have colonoscopy done
- if nothing will be found in colonoscopy, you should consider SSRIs treatment (antidepressants which can greatly help with an anxiety and fear of vomiting)
Hope this will help. Feel free to ask further questions.
Regards.
Detailed below.
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
Thank you for the query.
Strange smell of stool can be caused by an infection or by pus appearance in the stool.
Infection is usually bacterial. With an infection diarrhea is very commonly present. Nausea and abdominal pain can also appear.
Pus in the stool can indicate inflammatory bowels disease like Crohns disease. Diarrhea, blood and mucus in the stool lower right abdominal pain can be also present with this issue. Some joint pains or skin lesions (like eczema) can also appear.
Stress and anxiety can of course lead to gastrointestinal symptoms as well.
Here is what I suggest you to do:
- start with stool test and stool culture test
- discuss with your doctor Rifaximine treatment for gastrointestinal infection
- if this wont help, you should have colonoscopy done
- if nothing will be found in colonoscopy, you should consider SSRIs treatment (antidepressants which can greatly help with an anxiety and fear of vomiting)
Hope this will help. Feel free to ask further questions.
Regards.
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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