# Blood in stool for the first time



## Slade (Dec 17, 2008)

Hi everybody,This morning I had a bout of D and at the end of the first BM I noticed two streaks of blood mixing with the stool. I touched it with a toilet paper (sorry for the graphic description) and the blood on the paper appeared bright red. This is the first time I notice blood in my stool. I've been monitoring it for about a year and this is the first occasion. What should I do? Is it possible to be hemorrhoids? I've heard that bleeding hemorrhoids are common in people with constipation but this is not my case. Should I be very worried (as I am in the moment)?


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## IanRamsay (Nov 23, 2008)

HiDont panic. bright red blood may be scary as hell, but bright red meas that it is fresh, so it is probably from piles or a small tear. the best thing to do is give your doc a ring and go and see him so he can check you over. dark or blackish blood would be something to be a bit conserned about as it isnt fresh and has come from further up teh digestive tract.cheersIan


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Anything can irritate hemorrhoids it doesn't have to be constipated stool. Too much diarrhea and wiping from that can be just as irritating.Bright blood in streaks on the stool or seen on the paper is typically from an anal irritation. When it is starting to brown and all mixed into the stool rather than streaks on the stool that there is a big concern.That being said if the bleeding becomes more common and not just a one off you do need to see the doctor. While most people only need OTC creams for this some people do need medical intervention to heal things up.


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## Slade (Dec 17, 2008)

Thanks for the feedback!I'll watch it closely and if the bleeding is persistent or appears darker and mixed with the stool I'm going to visit my GI. She'll probably do a new bloodwork and a colonoscopy (at least they won't turn me down this time because of the blood). Not that I'm dying to have such intervention but it's been a year of doubts and worries...


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## Thai (Aug 22, 2007)

Actually Slade don't get your hopes up too much about that colonoscopy.Where I'm from, bright red blood will NOT automatically get you one.Hope you have a better day,Thai


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## IanRamsay (Nov 23, 2008)

ThaiIts teh same here in teh UK, unless you pay through the teeth for it, you have to wait for a camera, sometimes an astonishing length of time on teh NHS, and they are sometimes less than gentle.cheersIan


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## Slade (Dec 17, 2008)

The same here - two different GI's in two diff. hospitals refused colonoscopy last year. They based on the normal blood/micro test results and lack of systemic symptoms. I was almost happy with their decision (I'm not a masochist) but the problem is that there is no better way than colonoscopy to prove to myself that it's just IBS and I'm still worried. One of the articles that fueled my worries says that a person may have IBS-like GI symptoms many years prior to developement of full blown IBD like Crohn's. It says that bloating, cramps and intermittent D may precede Crohn's for up to 7 years! So I freak out every time when I have pain in my lower right quadrant for more than 10min or see something like blood in my stool. It's not easy to live like this...


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Try not to let the stress get to you. (easier said than done, I know).Getting a complete blood count every year or so isn't a bad idea anyway, and the inflammation does show up in that (sometimes even when the IBD is intermittent and the person doesn't happen to be flaring on the one day they do the colonoscopy).There is also a new blood tests that looks for the biomarkers FOR IBS as well as uing a few of the biomarkers for IBD and celiac to rule them out. http://www.ibsbloodtest.com/That may help ease your mind.One of the problems with IBS is the symptoms can be so dramatic that it is easy to fear something much worse has to be going on.


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## Slade (Dec 17, 2008)

I'm not sure what are the criteria to send you for colonoscopy anymore. Some are sent even for minor concerns from their GI's and some (like me) are sent home to suffer "in the dark".I appreciate the enormous labor to identify the exact markers and to assemble an analyser to test them but has anyone in this forum tried this yet? How is the information interpreted, is it reliable and is it approved by the GI's as a diagnosis tool? If not - what is the price for such test and the availability?I could easily start taking pain meds and anxiolytics I've been offered by the GP but the major question remains. The question is: will I benefit from early detection of IBD? Something tells me that I won't - etiology of IBD is not understood so the process can't be stopped nor even slowed down.The only benefit I see is that I'll be aware that my intestines could rupture anyday...


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

The inflammation markers in the complete blood count are a pretty sensitive indicator of inflammation in the body and may be a better screening than repeated colonoscopies just in case today is the day you have the first flair up of IBD and aren't in remission.Different doctors have different criteria for sending someone to get a colonoscopy and frankly I think some of that is if they own the machine and need to make payments. Age plays a big role in who gets a colonoscopy. If you are near or in the age range where they start regular screening for polyps you will get for just about any complaint as they are going to need to go up there soon anyway.Also sometimes it depends on the whole symptom profile and the "minor complaint" that the patient thinks prompted it may not be the thing. It may be the elevated sedimentation rate, or that they have other things like that which aren't as obvious to the person saying they got the colonoscopy.I'm sure if you have your heart set on a colonoscopy you can go to enough doctors and will find one that will do one on you. If the blood is red they may only do a sigmoidoscopy or just a scope in the rectum as blood from the distal end of the small intestine is never bright red and fresh looking when it comes out.Have you asked since you started bleeding or were all the turn downs before any blood had been seen?As for the blood test, the one that company does for IBD (not IBS IBD) has been in use for quite some time and I think a fair number of people have had good results. The IBS one is pretty new. I know my blood was in the set used to develop the test, but I don't have my results from that. The clinic here at UNC that is one of the best for Functional GI problems in the world was part of trial.Intestinal perforation usually isn't what happens to most people with IBD. Why do you think most people have the intestines rupture before any warning signs from blood tests or even lots of overt symptoms the doctors will test you for. FWIW I think it is more likely you'd get your colon perforated from the colonoscopy or have a bad reaction to the sedation than have your colon burst with no warning signs of any kind that would alarm the doctors.The problem is if you have classic IBS symptoms an nothing else for the most part the stress of the colonoscopy on your body and once again getting a normal result tend to make the IBS much worse for most people.Do you think you have some issues with anxiety? It may also be worth getting that addressed if you do as anxiety is very hard on the body and makes all symptoms of all diseases much worse than they would be.I know it is hard with IBS to believe that a few nerves gone wrong can cause that much pain, bloating, discomfort, urgency, stool consistency and stool frequency issues, but a few nerves controlling things gone wrong can cause a lot more to go haywire than the ulcerated lining can.


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## Slade (Dec 17, 2008)

Thanks for the comprehensive answer Kathleen!I've been thinking alot and considering all you've said about colonoscopy - I'll just make the blood tests. I also heard that some people had their IBS symptoms worsened by colonoscopies and I don't want to risk.About the anxiety - I'm aware that I have this problem and it's not only IBS that I worry about in my everyday life but many other things like problems with my car, factory inspections, exams, child getting ill and bunch of other things. Things that every normal person is concerned but not that much as in my case. The IBS symptoms are much worse when I am in the anxiety state. I usually try to bring the anxiety under controll without medication and most of the time I'm successful. If it gets worse some day I'll probably consult a psychiatrist and get some pills.


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## leahmarie (Jun 1, 2009)

Slade said:


> Hi everybody,This morning I had a bout of D and at the end of the first BM I noticed two streaks of blood mixing with the stool. I touched it with a toilet paper (sorry for the graphic description) and the blood on the paper appeared bright red. This is the first time I notice blood in my stool. I've been monitoring it for about a year and this is the first occasion. What should I do? Is it possible to be hemorrhoids? I've heard that bleeding hemorrhoids are common in people with constipation but this is not my case. Should I be very worried (as I am in the moment)?


Don't Panic Slade, Just Drink a lot of water and eat a lot of fiber rich foods. And if you're going to dump, don't force it. I had a friend who actually encountered the same situation as you. And he did what I've been advising you and now he is better. There's no harm in trying, but if my suggestion don't work go to doctor quick.


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## Sha-lu (Dec 11, 2008)

I feel ya pain Slade, I to am trying to get a colonoscopy, it takes about eight months down here in Australia if you are not in private health care. Because mine is elective surgery and only having it because I turn fifty this August, the wait is long. However if I had of turned up with symptoms that sounded like colon problems like dark blood in the stool or something like that I probably would have been in within a month to two month window or less. My main problem I guess is like many others with CFS/IBS, I get bad anxiety!! So when that happens as it has been for the last two weeks I want answers now just for my own peace of mind, drives me crazy but there you have it. I hope you can get some answers soon that will relax you but I can say if it is bright red blood things point more to piles or a tear of some sort. Hope your day is better as it goes along.Shane


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## elyag (Oct 14, 2007)

Kathleen M. said:


> Try not to let the stress get to you. (easier said than done, I know).Getting a complete blood count every year or so isn't a bad idea anyway, and the inflammation does show up in that (sometimes even when the IBD is intermittent and the person doesn't happen to be flaring on the one day they do the colonoscopy).There is also a new blood tests that looks for the biomarkers FOR IBS as well as uing a few of the biomarkers for IBD and celiac to rule them out. http://www.ibsbloodtest.com/That may help ease your mind.One of the problems with IBS is the symptoms can be so dramatic that it is easy to fear something much worse has to be going on.


 What part of the CBC shows if you have inflammation? I thought the only blood tests used to diagnose inflammation are Sed rate and C reactive protein.Thanks for the link for the new blood test for IBS/IBD. I'm going to look into having both tests.


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## elyag (Oct 14, 2007)

Slade said:


> The same here - two different GI's in two diff. hospitals refused colonoscopy last year. They based on the normal blood/micro test results and lack of systemic symptoms. I was almost happy with their decision (I'm not a masochist) but the problem is that there is no better way than colonoscopy to prove to myself that it's just IBS and I'm still worried. One of the articles that fueled my worries says that a person may have IBS-like GI symptoms many years prior to developement of full blown IBD like Crohn's. It says that bloating, cramps and intermittent D may precede Crohn's for up to 7 years! So I freak out every time when I have pain in my lower right quadrant for more than 10min or see something like blood in my stool. It's not easy to live like this...


 I can relate, I have the same worries......I keep thinking I have might IBD.My docs are afraid to do a colonsocopy on me because I have some other chronic health issues and they're not sure if my body can handle going through one. I'm not sure I can get though one either so I'm looking for other tests that can rule out IBD and other things.


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## Slade (Dec 17, 2008)

leahmarie: I'm trying to keep my diet free of irritating/trigger foods and big quantities of insoluble fiber but it seems that my bowels do not respond adequately to any food. I mean sometimes I eat food that was always perfectly ok for me and I get D, bloating and gas and other times I feel just fine after eating fried, spicy food with alot of unpeeled fresh vegetables or fruits. Once in a while pizza is ok, other times not. So far I can't find which food triggers symptoms and which is always ok.I'm happy to share that for now there is no more blood in my stools. Hope it was just piles or small fissure.Shane: Here it happens pretty quickly (some 2-3 weeks) because the city I live in is relatively small but they seem to have colonoscopes in almost every hospital. The problem is that you have to be reffered by GI to have such intervention (it sounds reasonable) but the GI's are reluctant to refer young people for colonoscopies unless they are dying in agony... I even tried in a private hospital but the GI there refused (doesn't matter I'm paying for it).elyag: Yes, as far as I know ESR and CRP are considered inflamation markers (also TNF-a levels, IL-6, etc.)Elevated leukocyte count also indicates an inflamation process.The problem is that I have hemoglobinopathy (similar to b-thalassemia minor) and my ESR is always low so I wouldn't count on it to show something. I think I'll do as Kathleen said - a bloodwork when feeling ill and monitoring my symptoms - this can spare the colonoscopy. The struggle with anxiety remains but I'm optimistic.


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