Blood and Mucus in my Stool (Poop)?!
Question: After I went to the bathroom tonight I noticed rather a lot of red blood and some mucus mixed in with the stool. The stool was like small hard pellets and they were covered in the blood. There wasn't much blood on the paper after.
I had this problem some years ago it went on for weeks but by the time I got a hospital appointment for a colonoscopy it had cleared up and they didn't find anything. The told me I had IBS.
Anyway I've had some bowel problems on and off since then. Mostly constipation but more recently I have had issues with not being able to pass a motion fully and then getting some anal leakage, not very nice.
Other symptoms I get on and off are:
Severe discomfort and cramping in my lower belly
Heartburt and Nausea
Flatulence
Very occasional small amounts of Mucus and sometimes blood in stool.
Also I am chronically anemic
My Aunt had Ulcerative colitis
Should I go back to the Dr?
Answers: After I went to the bathroom tonight I noticed rather a lot of red blood and some mucus mixed in with the stool. The stool was like small hard pellets and they were covered in the blood. There wasn't much blood on the paper after.
I had this problem some years ago it went on for weeks but by the time I got a hospital appointment for a colonoscopy it had cleared up and they didn't find anything. The told me I had IBS.
Anyway I've had some bowel problems on and off since then. Mostly constipation but more recently I have had issues with not being able to pass a motion fully and then getting some anal leakage, not very nice.
Other symptoms I get on and off are:
Severe discomfort and cramping in my lower belly
Heartburt and Nausea
Flatulence
Very occasional small amounts of Mucus and sometimes blood in stool.
Also I am chronically anemic
My Aunt had Ulcerative colitis
Should I go back to the Dr?
You havent mentioned how old you are.
Blood and mucus in the faeces is not normal and can be due to Inflammatory bowel disease eb. crohns and ulcerative colitis. But it can also be from more sinister things.
You havent mentioned how long ago your last colonoscopy was , but the fact that they found nothing too serious is good to know.
To cut a long story short, you need to see your GP and you may need reinvestigating including a repeat colonoscopy.
But the combination of longstanding anaemia, blood and mucus in faeces and problems with defecating, should be taken seriously.
Good luck
PS.
Mucus and blood in faeces and associated anaemia, is not classical for inflammatory bowel disease or irritable bowel syndrome.
IBS is a diagnosis of exclusion because no one knows what it is yet, and unfortuneately it is an overly diagnosed condition, and people have died as a result of improper investigation. Anaemia is not a feature of IBS.
NB. to be fair all healthcare work is stressful and not exclusively for nurses or even doctors, anyone caring for ill people is stressful.
As a Doctor it would be negligent to assume your symptoms are due to IBS, and I think your GP is a very brave man if he doesnt investigate you thoroughly.
I dont mean to alarm you, but this should e taken seriously, and you should not make assumptions.
Again I wish you all the best.
You are only 30 so chances of something sinister is less, 8 years is a long time ago so they may need to repeat the colonoscopy.
Please go to your doctor first thing in the morning, could be a simple as piles but .......? Just go an get checked out.
Definitely. And include the possibility of intestinal parasites.
go back to your doctors it is probably nothing serious but should be checked
Blood in stools is a very serious problem and you must see the doctor ASAP to rectify the condition
I truly cannot believe that you have laid bare all this information about yourself. I also cannot believe that anyone would prefer to take the advice of complete strangers from cyberspace, over that of their Doctor. It really is a complete no-brainer - See your Doctor!!!
As a nurse and working in theatre despite Dr. Frank's dubious comments. It sounds like a recurrence of your IBS. I only say this because nurses tend to suffer from IBS too generally as their job is stressful, but of course IBS isn't just limited to the nursing profession. The symptoms you suffer from do sound like your IBS is flaring up again but that is not definitive. Your anaemia should be being kept an eye on by your GP and if it isn't then you need to get it sorted. Do you know what sort of anaemia you have i.e Iron deficiency, pernicious??? Have you been investigated for ulcerative colitis? The usual clincial symptoms of UC are bloody diarrhoea with mucous, left sided abdominal pain, weight loss, nausea and vomiting. In an acute attack a lot of diarrhoea, malaise with fever, an increased pulse rate and of course dehdration due to the fluid loss of vomitting and diarrhoea. If you are at all worried then go and see your GP asap. It is probably worth you going to see your GP pretty much as soon as possible, you may need another sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy if it has been 8 years since your last one.
Edit: I have a great deal of respect for doctors in hospital my comment above is directed at the charlatan Dr. Frank the so called GP. Mark you do a great job as well I know.
You are describing all the classic symptoms of colitis, but this is a condition that needs professional diagnosis and treatment. Do make an appointment to see your GP who can refer to a specialist. Its probably a bowel condition as you suspect but can you really afford to mess about self diagnosing, it could be something that needs urgent treatment.