# extremely worried!



## dan5324 (Nov 20, 2011)

ok before anyone asks i have dr's appointment arranged for friday. so today i had what i thought was a normal BM. However when i wiped i noticed there was a smudging of blood on the paper. This isnt the first time this has happened. Just before xmas 2011 i had actual on the stool, again a miniscule amount but blood all the same. Back then my dr just said it was hemmoroids but he was obviously guessing as the only tests i have had are dre, gasttroscopy, urinalysis and various bloodtests all negative. im 20 male and he just puts the other symptomns like bloating gas and irregular bowel movements down to ibs. i thnk what is really making Me nervous is google! you only have to type in rectal bleeding and bam colon cancer forums pop up







. i know it is rare for someone of my age to get colorectal cancer but i canhelpt worrying!! can anyone relate to this?thanks


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## dan5324 (Nov 20, 2011)

ive also had a tender pelvic pain and lower back pain which im not sure if they are synmptom of cancer or ibs!?!?


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## Little Hedgehog (Dec 2, 2008)

I've learned one thing: do NOT google your symptoms. Dr.Google is the worst doctor on the planet.Whatever you'll google, everything will always turn up with some sort of killer disease because basically, every single symptom a human can have can be a sign of some nasty disease.Pain is very common in IBS and I often have some blood on the toilet paper, usually because I seem to scratch the skin "down there" open and also because I most likely have hemorrhoids just like my mother has.Secondly, unless there is a clear genetic predisposition in your family for early colon cancers, colon cancer is extremely rare at such a young age. More than 90% of the colon cancers occur in people over 50 years old. It's very rare for a young adult to develop colon cancer.Smudges of blood on the toilet paper don't necesserly mean your colon is bleeding and all the other symptoms you describe (bloating, irregular bowel movements and pain) are common symptoms of IBS, even mild cases.However, I'm not a doctor and if you're really worried, talk to your doctor again and tell him that you're really worried sick about colon cancer. You should really do that. Not because I think you got something nasty, but because I think you need to be reassured.But again: don't, don't, don't google your symptoms. If I had to believe Google, I think I must have had at least 8 different killer diseases these past few years and this is not a hyperbole. I think I have been worried about brain tumor (repeatedly), spinal cord cancer, leukemia (repeatedly), imminent heart failure, testicle cancer, stomach cancer, colon cancer, skin cancer (repeatedly), lung cancer, throat cancer, liver cancer and eusophagius cancer. Each time because I had googled my symptoms.


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## dan5324 (Nov 20, 2011)

Yeah i have to agree with you there as weird as it sounds!







Google has a horrible tendency to ALWAYS bring and even try and convince you EVERY little ache and bleed is serious. I keep saying this though, yet always re google symnptoms a few days later and bring all the worrying and anxiety back


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## dan5324 (Nov 20, 2011)

Also i dont have any family history of colon cancer. My nan was recently diagnosed with breast cancer however. I think what really got me was reading a story (online again) of a 20 year old who had symntoms for months before he got a shocking diagnosis of stage II bowel cancer







even though he had no family history of it.


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

If you really want to scare yourself you will find every last incident of things that happen to one or two people on the planet in a lifetime.Extremely rare things get a lot of stories told about them because they are extremely rare. You never hear about the millions of people who don't have anything weird happen to them.If you tend to try to find the stories you can scare yourself with Dr. google is NOT your friend. It is your anxiety needing something to freak out about.


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## Moonraker (Feb 8, 2012)

dan5324 said:


> ok before anyone asks i have dr's appointment arranged for friday. so today i had what i thought was a normal BM. However when i wiped i noticed there was a smudging of blood on the paper. This isnt the first time this has happened. Just before xmas 2011 i had actual on the stool, again a miniscule amount but blood all the same. Back then my dr just said it was hemmoroids but he was obviously guessing as the only tests i have had are dre, gasttroscopy, urinalysis and various bloodtests all negative. im 20 male and he just puts the other symptomns like bloating gas and irregular bowel movements down to ibs. i thnk what is really making Me nervous is google! you only have to type in rectal bleeding and bam colon cancer forums pop up
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If it's bright red then it's almost certainly at the rectal end, and some of the tissue walls are very thin - I had this on and off for years - if it persists for three weeks it must be checked out. A better web site to check out is www.nhs.direct as the info comes from doctors.Don't panic until you really need to!


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## maitland (Dec 23, 2011)

one thing you can do to reduce the friction when wiping....is to put a spray bottle of water in the bathroom so you can spray your toilet paper before you wipe.....this helps you to clean up easier and reduce the friction.. economical and effective...also, try to stay focused on taking control of the ibs....you have enough to worry about without adding phantom problems....try to keep your mind calm...maitland


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## cw_2009 (Apr 10, 2005)

I would imagine it might be something to do with trying to go to much & wiping a lot. Might be best to check it out but if your only young i would imagine ibs or piles


maitland said:


> one thing you can do to reduce the friction when wiping....is to put a spray bottle of water in the bathroom so you can spray your toilet paper before you wipe.....this helps you to clean up easier and reduce the friction.. economical and effective...also, try to stay focused on taking control of the ibs....you have enough to worry about without adding phantom problems....try to keep your mind calm...maitland


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## dan5324 (Nov 20, 2011)

Well thanks for the reassurance everyone. Its made me feel a bit better. Friday cant come soon enough!! Its just the blood combined with ibs symptoms and pain that worried me.


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## IPPO (Jul 26, 2009)

dan5324 said:


> Well thanks for the reassurance everyone. Its made me feel a bit better. Friday cant come soon enough!! Its just the blood combined with ibs symptoms and pain that worried me.


I feel compelled to reply to you here Dan..... I have of posted on this board for a loooong time but do occasionally look in... I was diagnosed with IBS a few years back, but the one thing I use to freak about was blood. I had all the test (all of them) and ibs was the outcome... Tothis day I can get blood when wiping, like many have said likley due to the area being sensitive and you may have a little cut or tear.... Moist toilet paper is something I would recommend...Don't stress about it as I am sure you will be fine... But it can (for some people like me) take going through all the tests and basically being spit roasted, lol, to convince you that you are ok.... I use to obsess over the symptoms I have, I now don't give them a second thought...Hang in there you will be fine


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## dan5324 (Nov 20, 2011)

IPPO said:


> I feel compelled to reply to you here Dan..... I have of posted on this board for a loooong time but do occasionally look in... I was diagnosed with IBS a few years back, but the one thing I use to freak about was blood. I had all the test (all of them) and ibs was the outcome... Tothis day I can get blood when wiping, like many have said likley due to the area being sensitive and you may have a little cut or tear.... Moist toilet paper is something I would recommend...Don't stress about it as I am sure you will be fine... But it can (for some people like me) take going through all the tests and basically being spit roasted, lol, to convince you that you are ok.... I use to obsess over the symptoms I have, I now don't give them a second thought...Hang in there you will be fine


Thanks for that. Really appreciated


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## ocgal (Mar 2, 2012)

How was your Dr appt? I go to get a sigmoidoscopy this coming thurs and im scared ti death of the unknown. I feel like I always have to use the bathroom and have pain in the lowest part of my pelvic and in my back, sciatic nerve pinch. I have no blood but I do have rectum pressure and soft ribbon stools. Thats the one that concerns me the most. I have had these.syptoms on and of for many years and finally went to the dr. she thinks its ibs but wants to rule out.ibd first...


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## dan5324 (Nov 20, 2011)

ocgal said:


> How was your Dr appt? I go to get a sigmoidoscopy this coming thurs and im scared ti death of the unknown. I feel like I always have to use the bathroom and have pain in the lowest part of my pelvic and in my back, sciatic nerve pinch. I have no blood but I do have rectum pressure and soft ribbon stools. Thats the one that concerns me the most. I have had these.syptoms on and of for many years and finally went to the dr. she thinks its ibs but wants to rule out.ibd first...


It went ok. Apparently although blood tests DONT show things like cancer, the blood work that i had done wouldn't be totally normal if anything serious is going on. I will be having a pelvic and lower back xray to see where the pain may be coming from. Apparently rectal bleeding ISNT serious if it happens say once every two months or so. I do not have anemia so that pretty much rules out serious things. I have to admit when i heard that i already started to feel better.







Rectal bleeding must be investigated if it occurs on more than three out of five bowel movements withing 2-3 weeks or something along those lines. Good luck with your sigmoidoscopy. Im sure its nothing serious.


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## LuSmith (Dec 15, 2011)

dan5324 said:


> It went ok. Apparently although blood tests DONT show things like cancer, the blood work that i had done wouldn't be totally normal if anything serious is going on. I will be having a pelvic and lower back xray to see where the pain may be coming from. Apparently rectal bleeding ISNT serious if it happens say once every two months or so. I do not have anemia so that pretty much rules out serious things. I have to admit when i heard that i already started to feel better.
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Hi DanCan I just ask what blood tests you had? I had a blood test for anemia recently, would anything serious show up on that if it was so?? I have the same symptoms as you but also have to go like 4 times a day mostly and have the feeling I need to go all the time. Drs put it down to IBS but I'm not sure... completely worried but been refused a colonoscopy!


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## dan5324 (Nov 20, 2011)

LuSmith said:


> Hi DanCan I just ask what blood tests you had? I had a blood test for anemia recently, would anything serious show up on that if it was so?? I have the same symptoms as you but also have to go like 4 times a day mostly and have the feeling I need to go all the time. Drs put it down to IBS but I'm not sure... completely worried but been refused a colonoscopy!


A lot! FBC, Reactive protein, liver function, pancreas something, cholesterol and countless more. Ive heard from at least three health proffessionals that if anything NASTY is going on your colon like colitis, ulcerative colitis, certain tumours then the reactive protein will always be "abnormal". Mine were fine as was my blood count which i must say reassured me alot!! Anemia would definately show up if youve constantly had bloody bowel movements. What blood tests did you have?


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## LuSmith (Dec 15, 2011)

dan5324 said:


> A lot! FBC, Reactive protein, liver function, pancreas something, cholesterol and countless more. Ive heard from at least three health proffessionals that if anything NASTY is going on your colon like colitis, ulcerative colitis, certain tumours then the reactive protein will always be "abnormal". Mine were fine as was my blood count which i must say reassured me alot!! Anemia would definately show up if youve constantly had bloody bowel movements. What blood tests did you have?


Haha my docs are rubbish and won't give me more than a FBC right now. I want to get the reactive protein one but they didn't even tell me there was one to check for markers for inflammation! I'm annoyed they aren't doing more to help. I had liver function done seven months ago when I was pregnant and that was fine then but had nothing offered since.I also get lower back pain/coccyx pain and would like to know what your results of your X-ray are as this has happened for a long while!! Do let me know if it's normal or whatever! Am giving a stool sample in today which was the most they offered me







annoyed.Hope your X-ray goes okay!!


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## ocgal (Mar 2, 2012)

Hi I have been watching this thread and I just had my sigmoidoscopy yesterday. My colon looked good. I was awake during the test and saw. I do have mild diverticulosis (which is common). I also saw my huge internal hemmorriod, that im sure was caused.from delivering 2 nine pound babies vaginally. I still have cramping in my pelvic area that I want to get an ultrasound for, then.my mind will be put to ease. lu maybe you can go to another Dr? im only 33 and they looked inside me. Ask just to check.the sigmoid. It was only ten min and will put your mind at ease


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## LuSmith (Dec 15, 2011)

I have mild cramping in my pelvic area too but also tailbone pain, sometimes random pains around my abdomen that are intermittent, I feel bloated and sore. I also always feel weird like I have a full rectum. Do you experience this with internal hemmorhoids too as I was told I had one but this was about three months ago? I go type 5 stools up to five times a day sometimes. Are type 5 stool typical of ibs???There's no other dr nearby unfortunately as this is a small village. I would love just one of the tests for peace of mind as it doesn't feel normal to me.


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## ocgal (Mar 2, 2012)

Sounds just like me. When I am keeping busy I dont seem to notice my symptoms very much. my Dr says I have fast moving bowels. Food goes right through me. Drink lots of water. I found that I really dont drink much during the.day and started.drinking a ton of water. Hemrroids never go away they just always arent inflammed. Whem I saw it on the camera I was blown away. It was so irritated from the bowel prep I had to do for the procedure...now im just concerned something is wrong with my lady parts. My pap was normal bit I still am concerned. Honestly the Dr that did the procedure waa wonder why the Dr sent me for a look. Guess back and pelvic pain arent for any concern to the gi drs??


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## LuSmith (Dec 15, 2011)

If I drink lots of water I go just as much which can be too often and also end up peeing too often







I figure hemmorhoids wouldn't go but I only had one internal and two external though used to have four external so I'm not sure. I understand my bleeding I noticed with my stool might have been from the hemmorhoids but doesn't explain going BM five times a day sometimes nor does it explain the tailbone pain. I'm really concerned.


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## LuSmith (Dec 15, 2011)

Ps im sure your lady parts are fine, I had all the bad signs (bleeding vaginally, pelvic pain etc) and my colposcopy was completely normal!


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## dan5324 (Nov 20, 2011)

Is tailbone pain a sign of a "problem" with you Gi tract? I thought it just meant there was a problem with your back, nerves or some bruising. You would have to have a pretty big lump or problem for it to be irritating you tailbone.


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## pinkroxy (Mar 6, 2012)

Hi dan.I had noticed a little bit of blood too at the end of last year. I had noticed I would get it after a flare up like spasm pain that I get through my pelvic area and lower back and in the butt area which is quite common with IBS and its really painful. I only noticed it twice though the first time I kept an eye on it and it went away then when it happened the second time I decided to mention it to my gp who she got me to do some poo samples for look for internal bleeding. They ddint find any and so when I was talking to the nurse on the phone at my doctors clinic she told me it could be due to the inflammation of a painful flare up. So I kind of left it at that and never saw any blood since.If it is haemrroids I think you would also have itchiness and soreness arounf the bum area and most likely the blood will be coming from that area. Anyway all the best aye and I would go and get it checked but there are alot of things that could be causing it that is not cancer and if cancer isnt in your family then I would definitely think it wont be that.


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## LuSmith (Dec 15, 2011)

dan5324 said:


> Is tailbone pain a sign of a "problem" with you Gi tract? I thought it just meant there was a problem with your back, nerves or some bruising. You would have to have a pretty big lump or problem for it to be irritating you tailbone.


Not sure but I did have a baby 5 months ago so I may have bruised it quite badly? I pushed for two hours or just over. Would that be a reason?! I don't know how long it's possible for bruising to take to clear.I did have a rectal examination at the emergency docs today (just physical by finger) and he said he didn't feel any mass or abnormalities, only stool (I did go thst morning and couldn't finish so I guess that would explain the feeling of needing to always go... just wondering why I can't finish going as I always strain to go lately). He also said there was no blood.Is this a good sign!? I don't know whether to keep pushing for a colonoscopy at my doctors who's reluctant to give me one or just see how things go...


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## dan5324 (Nov 20, 2011)

LuSmith said:


> Not sure but I did have a baby 5 months ago so I may have bruised it quite badly? I pushed for two hours or just over. Would that be a reason?! I don't know how long it's possible for bruising to take to clear.I did have a rectal examination at the emergency docs today (just physical by finger) and he said he didn't feel any mass or abnormalities, only stool (I did go thst morning and couldn't finish so I guess that would explain the feeling of needing to always go... just wondering why I can't finish going as I always strain to go lately). He also said there was no blood.Is this a good sign!? I don't know whether to keep pushing for a colonoscopy at my doctors who's reluctant to give me one or just see how things go...


Well unfortunately im the wrong gender to answer the first bit lol. Bruisng however can happen for so many reasons suchas sitting on a chair to fast or hard or knocking it on a unit or wall. Even if it doesnt hurt at the time. Iknow from experience!!! The pain can last fromweeks to months but a lb x ray and pelvic examination would more than likely rule out serious things.Surely you GP can send for a simple xray?!?


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## ocgal (Mar 2, 2012)

Maybe you have back pain from carrying a baby. I have sciatica that comes and goes. I also havs a 30lbs 18mo old that I carry a lot.


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## LuSmith (Dec 15, 2011)

dan5324 said:


> Maybe you have back pain from carrying a baby. I have sciatica that comes and goes. I also havs a 30lbs 18mo old that I carry a lot.


I wouldn't have thought sciatica really as it doesn't travel down my legs or anything. I haven't been able to actually carry my baby recently as I had surgery that restricted me and also have the beginnings of a hernia so my partner does alot of the carrying... its a shame but something I've had to accept as I didn't want to worsen any problems!


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## BQ (May 22, 2000)

Lu


> I go type 5 stools up to five times a day sometimes. Are type 5 stool typical of ibs???


They seem like it would be very mild IBS hon. I would really try to stop worrying.


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## LuSmith (Dec 15, 2011)

I guess so but the thing that makes me think otherwise are my stools are always narrow (can never complete evacuation) and I have a constant ache in my rectum that isn't relieved even when I have a BM







if this was typical of IBS then I would stop worrying but it's been going on for so long....


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## dan5324 (Nov 20, 2011)

LuSmith said:


> I guess so but the thing that makes me think otherwise are my stools are always narrow (can never complete evacuation) and I have a constant ache in my rectum that isn't relieved even when I have a BM
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I can sort of understand your dr not wanting to rush to schedule a colonoscopy but surely a quick and easy rectoscope wouldnt be any trouble? I'd seriously consider another dr. Also not being able to completely evacuate is a symptom of both hemmoroids (internal) and IBS. Both of which are extremely common.


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## LuSmith (Dec 15, 2011)

dan5324 said:


> I can sort of understand your dr not wanting to rush to schedule a colonoscopy but surely a quick and easy rectoscope wouldnt be any trouble? I'd seriously consider another dr. Also not being able to completely evacuate is a symptom of both hemmoroids (internal) and IBS. Both of which are extremely common.


What is a rectoscope? Do you mean a sigmoidoscopy or something else? I'm gonna see him tomorrow and see what he suggests. I am glad to hear incomplete evacuation is an IBS thing, and I imagine mucus in the stool is too. Do people with IBS usually find they can only go a small amount even when their stool is soft enough? I'm paranoid because the amount I go really is barely anything compared...


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Often small stools is common in IBS. The rectum often goes into "gotta go" mode when the first little bit of stool gets there, not only after it gets good and full.


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## LuSmith (Dec 15, 2011)

Kathleen M. said:


> Often small stools is common in IBS. The rectum often goes into "gotta go" mode when the first little bit of stool gets there, not only after it gets good and full.


THat's reassuring, thank you!! I just wondered why my doctor felt stool when I had a phyiscal rectal examination if when I tried I couldn't go! It seems I can only go when I get the proper urge and even then it's not much. But I'm kind of relieved to hear this.


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