# Unusual Symptoms



## cjv1955 (Sep 10, 2007)

Hi Forum:Male 52 and have had a dx of IBS for the past 30 years. Have taken Citrucel almost daily for all that time. Only occassionaly have had to take immodium, bentyl(rarely) or pepto. General symptoms have cost me jobs, friendships and strained family relationships due to missing parties, events and appointments.At times during the past 10-15 years I have has small pinhead like dots of red blood on toilet tissue. My doc told me this was hemmorhoid related. I do have an internal one that flares up every few months. I did have hemmoroidectomy sx back in 1982. Past month I have been having flare up of hemmoroid. For first time in life I am using a hydrocortisone suppository to relieve the pain that is bad this time around along with much irritation and itching.Here is the new issue: Today I noticed a good number of tiny red specks of red within my normal colored stool. They were only about the size of a small ground of table pepper. I used a tongue depresser to retrieve a few and placed them on a clean toilet tissue. I found them hard and spore like. I was hoping they were some kind of undigested food particle. Much to my alarm when pressed and spread they left a streak of red on the tissue that I can only assume was a blood streak. This has happend on possibly two other occassions in the past year. I have had some episodes (2) of lower gi and low back cramping pain in the past month which has awoken me at 2:30AM. They lasted about 15-30 seconds at most and would pass. I would awaken in the morning with no other pain. For some reason I attributed it to some new twist of the IBS brought on by the use of the suppository. I had a real tough time using these things.I am to see my MD tomorrow. Last time this happened he said it was probably just hemmoroid related, but we should set up a colonoscopy this year. I am going to set that up for first week of October. I am a bit of a hypochondriac ( or as I like to call it Health Anxiety) and have been panicked all day today. The red specks have me convinced that I have colon cancer. Not only have it but have most likely had it all this time I have been told not to worry about a hemmoroid. As many of you can imagine I am already planning my funeral, not seeing my (3) kids graduate, get married, etc.Somebody who has had these symptoms and knows they are not always cancer please write me back. Even though I see my doc tomorrow I know he will just do an occult smear, not rectal/digital exam, and tell me not to worry and lets set up a colonoscopy with a gi doc for next month.Thank you all for any advice and guidance. Sincerely,Chuck V. (Real Sleepless in New York)


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Bright bits of blood on the outside of the stool is almost always a hemorrhoid or other anal irritation.I can't tell you 100% it will be, and it is worth having the doctor take a look, but usually people don't see the blood from colon cancer as it almost never is right at the end and blood doesn't stay red very long after it bleeds into the GI tract. K.


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## h8ibs (Oct 24, 2004)

Chuck,I am male; 34. Have had IBS for at least the past 12 years. I also have internal hemorrhoids that bleed from time to time. Most times, I'll get blood on the TP only, but sometimes on the outside of my stools. If you had red specks that were hard and spore-like, that's most likely NOT blood. Even if it did smear on the TP. Most likely food of some kind. I went to the doctor for blood on my stools. Turned out to be an internal hemorrhoid. According to my doctor, bright red blood in or on stools is almost never colon cancer. Symptoms of colon cancer would be black or really dark maroon and very foul smelling. This is due to the bleeding higher into the colon. (The darker the color, the higher up the bleeding is.) Also, your fear that you've had colon cancer all this time is irrational if you think about it. If you had it all this time untreated, it would have spread and believe me....you'd know it by now.I can totally relate to the health anxiety. I have that BIG TIME. I feel your pain! I know it's like a black cloud following you around. I go through the exact same thing with health anxiety. Hang in there. You're doing the right thing by seeing your doctor, but I'm certain that you're just fine. Please keep us posted.


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