Brief Answer:
Please take time to go through each of my questions and respond ma'am

Detailed Answer:
Hello ma'am and welcome.

Thank you for writing to us.

I have gone through your query with diligence and would like you to know that I am here to help. I can understand your symptoms, but before putting forward my suspected diagnosis, I would like to ask you a few more questions ma'am. Please take some time out and answer each of my questions, as each one of them contributes greatly.

1. Mucus in stool?
2. Increased urge to want to pass your bowels after consuming or eating certain types of foods (also called trigger factors)?
3. Abdominal bloating?
4. Abdominal cramps at times?
5. Abnormal bowel movements?
6. Change in size and shape of stool (e.g. smaller pieces as opposed to the larger normal ones)?
7. Heartburn?
8. Increased gas?

I look forward to hearing from you in order to help you further.

Best wishes.

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Brief Answer:
?? Irritable bowel syndrome or diverticulosis; needs colonoscopy

Detailed Answer:
Hello once again ma'am.

It does seem to me like you could have either of the two conditions:

1. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
2. Diverticulosis

Only a colonoscopy can confirm the diagnosis. But both of these conditions have the same do's and don'ts. So let me list all the information I have for you to understand your system better.

+Trigger foods and drink to avoid:
-Fried food
-Carbonated drinks
-Milk and other dairy products (especially if you are lactose intolerant)
-Oily food
-Caffeine (all foods and drinks containing it)
-Popcorn
-Chocolate
-Fatty food
-Stress (one major contributing factor)
-Spicy food
-Certain vegetables (E.g. broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, etc.)
-Taurine (very common in energy drinks)
-Stale food
-Alcohol
and a few others that can be individual-specific
+Do not over eat
+Eat 5-6 smaller meals instead of 2-3 larger ones
+Drink plenty of water (at least 2-3 litres per day)
+Avoid strenuous forms of exercise (30-40 minutes of cardio per day should suffice)
+Only when your episodes last for way too long consider consulting your doctor to initiate a course of medications designed specifically to help control/suppress such conditions (E.g. mebeverine and chlordiazepoxide combination)

Being an IBS-sufferer myself, I have learned to avoid episodes for long periods of time, but occasionally it does happen, although that is purely bad luck. If you learn more about your body and what it cannot tolerate, and avoid all those items, I am sure you can live a more comfortable life.

I hope I have explained things in a manner best understood by you. Please feel free to write back to me for any further clarifications, I would be more than happy to help.

Best wishes.

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Brief Answer:
It was my pleasure entirely ma'am, wishing you nothing but the best

Detailed Answer:
Hello once again ma'am.

It was my pleasure entirely. Please also note that there are some individual-specific trigger foods and drink, so please do observe whatever you eat, and if you experience the symptoms or a repeat episode make note of what you ate and avoid it.

When you go in for the colonoscopy, please also get an abdominal ultrasound conducted in order to rule out other causes, just so we can confirm and establish the diagnosis in a more accurate manner.

I hope and wish you can live a happy and healthy symptom-free life. But if at all you need any information or help in the future, you know where to find me. All you need to do is the ask for me specifically and the question shall reach me directly.

Best wishes.

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