Writing this for my cousin. He hasn’t been officially diagnosed with IBS yet, but his doctor believes it’s highly likely. For now, the doctor has recommended therapy because his symptoms seem to be related to anxiety. They tend to improve when he’s not stressed—like when he was stress-free for a month, his symptoms eased up, but they came back once he got stressed again.
He’s currently concerned about colon cancer, especially since it runs in the family. Fortunately, he doesn’t have any alarming symptoms such as losing more than 10 pounds unexpectedly or seeing blood in his stool, and being only 14 is another positive sign.
However, he’s anxious because he’s noticed his stools have been small and thin lately, especially this past week. He hasn’t been very healthy and missed taking the fiber supplement his doctor recommended, which usually helps bulk up his stool. Is it common for IBS to cause thin or pencil-thin stools, or should he be more concerned about cancer? The size and shape of his stools keep changing, and his stress levels aren’t helping.