how often do you have stomach issues?

[Anonymous]

I'm 37 and for the last year I feel like my stomach has been on a roller coaster. Seems like once every 4-6 weeks I get constipated for a day or two followed by a morning of diarrhea (not full out water diarrhea, but pretty close). For a while I thought it was coinciding with my period, but it isn't consistent with that. In between these bouts everything seems totally normal.

So is this enough of a reason to see a doctor or is it sort of the norm as I age? For what it's worth I'm a healthy weight, exercise, and eat a pretty healthy diet. I haven't noticed any trigger foods.

I do have a stressful job that certainly doesn't help.

[Anonymous]

I don't mean to freak you out, and I'm not a medical professional, but I speak from experience: I would ask your doctor about getting a colonoscopy to check for inflammatory conditions such as colitis or Crohn's, or even the early stages of colon cancer (any history in your family?). I'm about the same age and had similar symptoms last year that I pretty much ignored until I developed severe abdominal pain one day. It turned out that a tumor was partially obstructing my colon. I had surgery and am back to normal now, because it was discovered before it metastasized (though I wish it had been caught even earlier so I could have avoided surgery altogether).

If a scope turns up nothing, and I hope it does, hooray! But I think it's always best to be proactive if you notice a significant and inexplicable change in your body.

[Anonymous]

You should get it checked out because it is different for you, but what you describe on a 4-6 week timeframe would be awesome to me. I have GI issues every couple days and have my entire life.

[Anonymous]

Diarrhea every four weeks doesn't sound bad to me.
I have it several times a week.

[alexascott]

I have the same problems with stomach, but I'm hate visit hospitals, so don't care about it.

[Anonymous]

I think it's worth checking out, but it's most likely "normal." I had a whole bunch of tests at age 36 for similar symptoms and was told it's not unusual for women to develop these issues at points in their life when their hormones begin to change.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You should get it checked out because it is different for you, but what you describe on a 4-6 week timeframe would be awesome to me. I have GI issues every couple days and have my entire life.

Same.

[Anonymous]

Often. My stomach gets upset easily. I've had a colonoscopy and nothing was found so perhaps its just my diet. I would definitely go for a check up though.

[Anonymous]

Used to be never. Now about once a year I get PMS cramps, and once or twice a year I get violent liquid shits for a day or two at a time.