# Getting endoscopy and colonoscopy. should i be wrorried?



## rangerjet (Mar 5, 2013)

I am 28yrs old, male.

Dec '12 - had blood on stool, and watery blood on toilet paper. week or so later had to go to ER for dehydration, low sodium, and UTI. THis was the only time I had blood in my stool.

Jan '13 - stomach pain upper and lower (below bellybutton). upper stomach ache went away, but lower ache continued on and off into beginning of March. Along with small streaks of blood and itchiness when going to the bathroom (most, days, and not alot). Through that 6 weeks, had bloatyness and distended stomach. Beginning of March the upper stomach aches started again, but bloatyness and distended stomach got a little better.

Past couple days been better, but I feel like whatever it is, its still not completely out of me yet.

Went to GI, and he recommended both endoscopy and colonoscopy. Little worried.... what could this be??
If i'm not having any serious symptoms, like alot of blood or vomittng, does that lessen the chance of something more serious?
Never had any of these stomach problems before December, always thought of myself as a very healthy person, don't think I can say that anymore...


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## Trudyg (Aug 16, 2002)

Blood from up in the tract is usually dark and looks like coffee grounds, kind of grainy. Bright red blood 'on' the stool / toilet paper is relatively fresh and so originated closer to the opening--tends to be hemorrhoids, which itch. Dr probably wants to rule out something more serious, so does these tests. They aren't hard on you and,if done at the same time, only put you under one time, easy recovery (maybe a sore throat). At the very least, this will be a baseline for future reference. At the worst, they find something and can start treatment. My ulcer did the coffee grounds thing, my hemis the bright thing. I wouldn't stress--if you trust your dr then you are doing what you should. Most people don't do the test due to embarrassment. Remember the dr & staff do this all day every day, no big deal to them. Besides, they see so many people they wouldn't recognize you on the street.


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## rangerjet (Mar 5, 2013)

Trudyg said:


> Blood from up in the tract is usually dark and looks like coffee grounds, kind of grainy. Bright red blood 'on' the stool / toilet paper is relatively fresh and so originated closer to the opening--tends to be hemorrhoids, which itch. Dr probably wants to rule out something more serious, so does these tests. They aren't hard on you and,if done at the same time, only put you under one time, easy recovery (maybe a sore throat). At the very least, this will be a baseline for future reference. At the worst, they find something and can start treatment. My ulcer did the coffee grounds thing, my hemis the bright thing. I wouldn't stress--if you trust your dr then you are doing what you should. Most people don't do the test due to embarrassment. Remember the dr & staff do this all day every day, no big deal to them. Besides, they see so many people they wouldn't recognize you on the street.


Thanks for the reply. I won't be embarrassed. I just don't want it to be something serious. Also forgot to mention I am 28yrs old male.


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## BQ (May 22, 2000)

I wouldn't be overly worried, as your Dr is following typical diagnostic protocol.These are probably the most definitive tests to rule out or in the most GI disorders.

Let us know how you do.


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## Brownish72 (Aug 26, 2012)

No  easy procedures. You'll be fine!


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## Jenny Raye (Feb 16, 2013)

BQ is right, most GI docs do those test for almost everyone who walks in the door. It doesn't mean your special, which is a good thing!! I'm 29 myself and I've already had one session of endo/colo scoping and I'm in for another at the end of the month. The procedure is no big deal and will be over before you know it. Good luck


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## Trudyg (Aug 16, 2002)

I have a problem with these tests. Not if they are checking out a concern, but my gi wants to recheck my ulcer every 6 months--and he says it's been gone for over a year! He just wants to keep rechecking just to make sure it hasn't come back. Seems too much, so I've said not that often, maybe once a year--will probably not qualify for it after obamacare gets rolling--it says one test should show everything and you shouldn't need another.


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## Tam79 (Feb 12, 2011)

Hi Rangerjet
I had both endoscopy and colonoscopy done. The procedures were fine, they found nothing abnormal. They will put you on a no solids diet for a couple of days and you will have to take laxatives, no problem there. One thing I do recommend is getting the softest toilet paper you can buy and maybe some baby wipes. I made the mistake of using the recycled tp.  ouch!


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## rangerjet (Mar 5, 2013)

Okay, I just had my endoscopy. The Dr said they only found evidence of Gastritis - what he called in the old days as an "upset stomach".

Have colonoscopy next week. I still have the aches on and off below the bellybutton, but little to no blood on the toilet paper. Yesterday I had a rather thin stool, but a today a normal sized one.

Hopefully its nothing serious......


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## urbanfresh (Aug 31, 2009)

Thin stools can happen from having long periods of upset stomach so don't worry about that too much. On the plus side, if you're colonoscopy comes back normal then you know there is really nothing serious going on. I have had a colonoscopy and I won't lie, it is not the more comfortable of experiences, but I am VERY highly strung. One of my friends had the same procedure and slept right through it!


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## Trudyg (Aug 16, 2002)

I also have gastritis, but in my case he called it an ulcer. I'm not sure why and it doesn't really matter. He put me on nexium, which gave me the worst muscle aches you can imagine. Since then, I've been on many drugs for it and couldn't tolerate any of them. So, I did my research and earth clinic has lots of people saying to take raw vinegar (a tablespoon in water)--so I've been doing that for a very long time. No burning, no more gastritis per the last several endos. Cheap. I will keep on taking it to prevent future events. Doesn't make sense to me how acidy vinegar can fix something they say is caused by acid, but I'm okay with it because it works.


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## rangerjet (Mar 5, 2013)

Just spoke to my Dr about the blood test I took before the endoscopy. She said there was evidence of H.Pylori. So I'm guessing the GI will find traces of the same once his pathology reports come in. Is this all starting to make sense?


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## Sapphmonster (Mar 7, 2013)

Yep! H.pylori can be a major cause of gastritis and ulcers! They have to knock it out of you with a few antibiotics though. Dunno about the fresh blood in the stool... Maybe Hemorrhoids?


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## JuliannaCol (Jan 1, 2013)

Hey rangerjet! I have the same problems with the blood on the toilet paper. usually is because I have to make several visits to the WC during the day, than little "wounds" tend to appear after you wipe yourself so many times. Is only superficial. So, if you haven't mentioned it to your Dr, I think there is nothing you should worry about... did you have your colonoscoy already? well, people say is super uncomfortable, but the two times I had mine, they used sedatives, so I was off during the test. no biggie.


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## rangerjet (Mar 5, 2013)

JuliannaCol said:


> Hey rangerjet! I have the same problems with the blood on the toilet paper. usually is because I have to make several visits to the WC during the day, than little "wounds" tend to appear after you wipe yourself so many times. Is only superficial. So, if you haven't mentioned it to your Dr, I think there is nothing you should worry about... did you have your colonoscoy already? well, people say is super uncomfortable, but the two times I had mine, they used sedatives, so I was off during the test. no biggie.


Have colonoscopy this week. Does anybody know if h. pylori/gastritis can cause stomach ache below the bellybutton?


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## Aelise (Feb 10, 2012)

rangerjet said:


> Have colonoscopy this week. Does anybody know if h. pylori/gastritis can cause stomach ache below the bellybutton?


Gastritis is localized in the stomach and simply refers to inflammation of the tissue. You might have something else though. For example, I have inflammation in my stomach AND duodenum (gastritis and duodenitis). I would assume pain below the bellybutton is intestinal and would therefore not be considered gastritis.


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