Sign-in to Ask A Doctor - 24x7
OR
Sign in with Google
What Causes Mucus In Stool?
Question: 2 weeks of increased bowel movements. Loose/medium but sometimes just small amount of mucus. No blood. No pain. Go about 4 times a day. Was on antibiotics prior to issue starting. Stopped taking antibiotics. Started taking probiotic and watching what i eat. Hasnt really gotten better or worse over past week. The mucus i've never had before and about once a day it seems i have the urge to go but it is just gas and mucus. I am 44 and am afraid of cancer. Do you have any thoughts? I have an appointment but know my dr will tell me tonhave colonoscopy but im going away and am trying to get some information. Does this seem like it could be colon cancer? The episodes started while on antiviotics and after eating salad for lunch where i had lots of undigested peppers/tomatoes the next day.
Brief Answer:
Information
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
I'll first tell you that I am very alert to the possibility of colon cancer at a young age as my sister was diagnosed with it in her early 40s. However, I do not think it is necessary to jump to the conclusion that it is colon cancer because you have an explainable reason for this problem. Your symptoms started in response to antibiotics, and this is a well known cause of bowel disturbances. Antibiotics kill bad bacteria, such as in your respiratory tract, but also kill good bacteria in your colon, and this can cause some havoc.
If this persists, I recommend asking your doctor to test a stool sample to check for C. difficile, a bacterial pathogen that is known to cause a bowel infection after certain antibiotics. If it is c. dif., then a specific type of probiotic has been shown to help treat it.
For now, I recommend continuing the probiotic (it should contain both lactobacillus acidophilus and bifidus) and either adding another brand (Florajen is a good one - is kept in the refrigerator section of the store) or increasing the dose you are taking. Also, add well cooked rice to your diet. Cook the rice (any type) in extra water, for longer than it is called for. Eat well cooked veggies too.
So no, given the time sequence of when your symptoms started, this sounds to me to be an acute bowel disturbance from the antibiotic and not colon cancer.
Information
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
I'll first tell you that I am very alert to the possibility of colon cancer at a young age as my sister was diagnosed with it in her early 40s. However, I do not think it is necessary to jump to the conclusion that it is colon cancer because you have an explainable reason for this problem. Your symptoms started in response to antibiotics, and this is a well known cause of bowel disturbances. Antibiotics kill bad bacteria, such as in your respiratory tract, but also kill good bacteria in your colon, and this can cause some havoc.
If this persists, I recommend asking your doctor to test a stool sample to check for C. difficile, a bacterial pathogen that is known to cause a bowel infection after certain antibiotics. If it is c. dif., then a specific type of probiotic has been shown to help treat it.
For now, I recommend continuing the probiotic (it should contain both lactobacillus acidophilus and bifidus) and either adding another brand (Florajen is a good one - is kept in the refrigerator section of the store) or increasing the dose you are taking. Also, add well cooked rice to your diet. Cook the rice (any type) in extra water, for longer than it is called for. Eat well cooked veggies too.
So no, given the time sequence of when your symptoms started, this sounds to me to be an acute bowel disturbance from the antibiotic and not colon cancer.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thank you for your response and im sorry to hear that your sister had colon cancer. My wife has just completed chemo, surgury, and radiation for breast cancer so that is a big fear of mine for obvious reasons. I went to the health food store and they gave me refirigerated 50 billion probiotic and some aloe juice stuff but the all mucus bowel movement concerned me. If a poop test is suggested should i go to the gastro guy or my gp? Also, just to all on, my gp gave me augmentin for some sinus issue (i think) about a month ago and then i went to my ent for muffled hearing and he said i had fluid in my ears and he gave me a different antibiotic and prednesrone. My final question is if it was caused by the antibiotics, is that something that could last for a few weeks?
Brief Answer:
Information
Detailed Answer:
I'm sorry too, that your wife has breast cancer and the difficult treatments that go with it.
Yes, antibiotic induced colon disturbances can last for a few weeks. (I've seen it last up to 3 months, but this is not typical.) The one-two punch of two different antibiotics can be hard on the microbiota of the gut.
Aloe may help leaky gut, but it can also cause diarrhea itself, so be careful with that and see how it goes for you.
Regarding the stool culture, your primary doctor should be able to order typical stool studies and test for c. dificile. If you already have a gastroenterologist you have seen in the past, you can go to him/her for it too. Only caution with a specialist is that sometimes you have to safeguard yourself from unnecessary invasive tests that they might suggest. It's not that they are necessarily trying to make money off of you, it's that they have those tools at their disposal and so sometimes think of using them first, rather than start with the simpler things.
Information
Detailed Answer:
I'm sorry too, that your wife has breast cancer and the difficult treatments that go with it.
Yes, antibiotic induced colon disturbances can last for a few weeks. (I've seen it last up to 3 months, but this is not typical.) The one-two punch of two different antibiotics can be hard on the microbiota of the gut.
Aloe may help leaky gut, but it can also cause diarrhea itself, so be careful with that and see how it goes for you.
Regarding the stool culture, your primary doctor should be able to order typical stool studies and test for c. dificile. If you already have a gastroenterologist you have seen in the past, you can go to him/her for it too. Only caution with a specialist is that sometimes you have to safeguard yourself from unnecessary invasive tests that they might suggest. It's not that they are necessarily trying to make money off of you, it's that they have those tools at their disposal and so sometimes think of using them first, rather than start with the simpler things.
Note: For further follow up on digestive issues share your reports here and Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties
