Correspondence to Author: Parveen Malhotra, Chitrakshi Bhardwaj, Himanshu, Shivanshu, Rajasvi Khurana, Rahul Siwach, Ankit Chahal. 

Department of Medical Gastroenterology, PGIMS, Rohtak, Haryana, India.

DOI: 10.52338/jjogastro.2026.5796

Abstract:

Introduction: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and chronic gastritis (CG) are one of the most common indications which bring patients to gastroenterologist. The IBS patients usually present with flatulence, periods of diarrhea and constipation, repeated toilet visits due to urgent evacuation or early filling sensation, excessive straining, feeling of incomplete evacuation, frequency, urgency, reduced feeling of well-being and disturbed social life.
Case report: A twenty-five-year-old male, not a known case of any chronic illness presented with symptoms of anxiety and depression for last three months due to stress at office due to overload of work. He developed epigastric pain with sensation of passing stools after every meal. The frequency of stool was more in morning time when after waking up, he used to pass stool for two three times. The stools were semi-solid too loose without any blood associated with it but characteristically, he used to pass intermittently, different kind of mucus with stools. He was very much worried with passage of mucus with stools and thought that he was suffering from some major illness of intestine which could be even malignancy. Thus, he used to take regularly, pictures of mucus on his fingers. He was diagnosed clinically to be suffering from irritable bowel syndrome (I.B.S) and for excluding other diagnosis, he was evaluated in detail but all his baseline investigations including blood sugar, thyroid profile, viral screen and serum IgATTG antibody for wheat allergy, stool and urine complete examination, ultrasonogram abdomen and chest x-ray were found to be normal. He was advised for removing diary products from the diet and restrict sugar intake and juices in the diet. He was symptomatically treated with rifaximin, probiotics, anti-anxiety and anti-depressant drugs. He was very worried for mucus in stools, despite being repeatedly told that mucus with stools can be seen even in I.B.S and it is not always marker for some organic illness. He was not responding to treatment and continued to attribute, this mucus to be marker of malignancy. He even brought repeatedly photographs of mucus sticking on his hand and ultimately to allay his fear, colonoscopy was done which was found to be normal. The normal colonoscopy allayed all the fears of patient and changed the thought process of, made him mentally calm and within period of few months, showed significant symptomatic relief.
Conclusion: Majority of patients of irritable bowel syndrome are having baseline anxiety and depression features which makes over interpretation of their symptoms. The colonoscopy which is usually not indicated in IBS but sometimes even normal colonoscopy can become beneficial in recovery of patients, as in our case.

Keywords: Irritable bowel syndrome, Colonoscopy, Mucus, Anxiety Neurosis, Rifaximin.

Citation:

Dr. Parveen Malhotra, Mucus In Stool Is Not Always Organic Illness. Japanese Journal of Gastroenterology 2026.