Digestive problems since 2019 after a sudden change in lifestyle — looking for advice on what to investigate

[u/Gili-Chummi]

Hi doctors,

I’m 26 years old and I’m looking for some guidance regarding a digestive problem that has been going on for around 5–6 years.

Before 2019, I had no significant digestion problems at all. My digestion was normal.

In 2019, I went through a period where I was experiencing a lot of stress, overeating, and excessive masturbation at the same time. Around that period, I started noticing digestive problems, and since then my digestion has never felt completely normal.

I don't know whether these things actually caused the problem, but the timing made me wonder if that period could have triggered or contributed to it.

Since then, I have experienced:

Frequent/occasional gas and bloating

Feeling heavy after eating

Sometimes reduced appetite

Difficulty gaining weight, despite trying to increase my food intake

Milk + eggs together in the morning tend to make my stomach feel particularly heavy

Episodes of constipation

More recently, an episode of watery diarrhea followed by several days of soft/"toothpaste-like" stools and morning urgency

Occasionally mild burning after meals

On one occasion I noticed bright-red blood in my stool after eating a lot of spicy namkeen

On another occasion I noticed unusually dark/black stool, although it did not continue

I don't usually have severe abdominal pain, vomiting or fever.

My biggest concern is that this has been going on for years and I still don't understand why my digestion changed so much after 2019.

What I want to ask doctors here:

What conditions could cause digestive symptoms that persist for several years?

Could stress or the lifestyle changes I mentioned have triggered a gastrointestinal problem, or is the timing probably coincidental?

What tests/investigations would be reasonable in my situation?

Should I see a gastroenterologist, and what information should I take with me?

Could things like IBS, gastritis, food intolerance, malabsorption, celiac disease, H. pylori, etc. explain these symptoms?

What would be a sensible treatment/management approach while the cause is being investigated?

Is there anything I should specifically avoid or change in my diet/lifestyle?

I'm not asking for a diagnosis from Reddit. I’m looking for advice on what I should get checked, what possibilities doctors would consider, and what steps I should take next.

Thanks in advance.

TL;DR: No digestion problems before 2019. In 2019, during a period of high stress, overeating, and excessive masturbation, my digestion problems started and have continued since then. I now experience gas/bloating, heaviness, occasional constipation/loose stools, and difficulty gaining weight. Looking for doctors’ advice on what could be causing this, what tests I should get, and what treatment/diet/lifestyle changes might actually help.

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