TMI - Look away if queasy. Experience with rectal bleeding?

[MissTwiggley]

Last night I noticed a fair bit of dark/maroon coloured blood in the toilet bowl. The blood was on the bottom of the toilet bowl, but it also seemed to be embedded into the stool itself. There was no blood floating on the surface.
The night before last, I noticed the same colouring in the toilet bowl but brushed it off. Now I realise that I had bled with that bowel movement too.

I have about 4 large internal hemorrhoids that become external/are pushed out with every bowel movement. It doesn't matter if I strain or not. I checked following a shower and I don't have any cuts on the hemorrhoids, but one has turned blueish. I didn't feel a single sting when washing afterward (I washed straight after), so I don't think there was a cut.

Anyway, a google search will tell me that darker blood is often higher up in the colon or small intestine and it's usually a little more serious than hemorrhoids, but google isn't always right, so... If you've made this far and have still managed to hold onto your lunch, tell me about your experience with rectal bleeding/hemorrhoids. I'll be seeing the GP tomorrow as I'm sure I'll have to do a stool test, but in the mean time please humor me because I'm trying not to worry about this.

[SSecret Squirrel]

Look it's easy to think the worst. I find google sends me into panic mode so my biggest recommendation is to try not to (easier said than done).

Bright red blood, but I had to have a colonoscopy. Result = 2 x polyps and as a special bonus, I now get to have follow up colonoscopies every 5 years. ETA FWIW one of the polyps was quite high up too.

[MLadyEm]

TMI - Look away if queasy. Experience with rectal bleeding?

The brighter the blood, the fresher it is. If it’s darker then it is higher up or it’s just sat there for a bit before coming out. When I first had bleeding the GP sent me for a colonoscopy. I also have a strong family history of bowel cancer. The cause of my bleeding was put down to internal haemorrhoids and irritable bowel, but they also found some polyps. I now get to have colonoscopies every 3-5 years for life. The frequency of my colonoscopies is also dictated by my dad’s colonoscopies. If they find anything concerning in his then they will increase the frequency of mine. The last one (or the one before, I can’t really remember) I had they said the polyps they removed and biopsied were the kind that can turn pre-cancerous/into cancer so it’s important to keep getting checked out.

Bleeding in the bowel could also be related to things like Crohn’s disease, diverticulitis, ulcerative colitis, even coeliac disease can cause bleeding if undiagnosed/high gluten diet. Try not to stress. It’s more likely to be something innocuous but is also abnormal so worth getting checked out. Chronic constipation can also cause some bleeding, so making sure you have adequate fluid intake and fibre intake can help with that too.

[Kalina]

A few years ago a friend of mine had a similar thing happen - in her case the cause was eventually traced back to severe vitamin D deficiency.

[MissTwiggley]

Look it's easy to think the worst. I find google sends me into panic mode so my biggest recommendation is to try not to (easier said than done).

Bright red blood, but I had to have a colonoscopy. Result = 2 x polyps and as a special bonus, I now get to have follow up colonoscopies every 5 years. ETA FWIW one of the polyps was quite high up too.

I agree, it's definitely easy to think the worst. I try to stay away as a diagnosis from Dr google never bodes well, but there have been a handful of times where a search has given insight that later turns out to have been correct... So my mind tends to convince itself this will be one of those times again, except with a worst case scenario result.

Your special bonus sounds like a major pain in the bum. Are you able to stay awake for it or is always done under GA?

The brighter the blood, the fresher it is. If it’s darker then it is higher up or it’s just sat there for a bit before coming out. When I first had bleeding the GP sent me for a colonoscopy. I also have a strong history of bowel cancer. The cause of my bleeding was put down to internal haemorrhoids and irritable bowel, but they also found some polyps. I now get to have colonoscopies every 3-5 years for life. The frequency of my colonoscopies is also dictated by my dad’s colonoscopies. If they find anything concerning in his then they will increase the frequency of mine. The last one (or the one before, I can’t really remember) I had they said the polyps they removed and biopsied were the kind that can turn pre-cancerous/into cancer so it’s important to keep getting checked out.

Bleeding in the bowel could also be related to things like Crohn’s disease, diverticulitis, ulcerative colitis, even coeliac disease can cause bleeding if undiagnosed/high gluten diet. Try not to stress. It’s more likely to be something innocuous but is also abnormal so worth getting checked out. Chronic constipation can also cause some bleeding, so making sure you have adequate fluid intake and fibre intake can help with that too.

Thank you so much, this was amazingly helpful and reassuring. I am definitely on my way to getting some answers. Over the last year or so, I'll have immediate reflux (within 5-10 minutes) if I eat something containing gluten so it could very well be undiagnosed coeliac disease.

I'm sorry to hear about your family history and hope you and your dad remain unaffected.

A few years ago a friend of mine had a similar thing happen - in her case the cause was eventually traced back to severe vitamin D deficiency.

Oh wow, that's interesting. Maybe a lack of affects the integrity of the intestine? I hope your friend is better now.

[Mod-Wise Enough]

any update? Sorry for being nosy

[MissTwiggley]

any update? Sorry for being nosy

Not nosy at all - thank you for your concern. I have an appointment early next month with a gastroenterologist. The GP said we will move straight to colonoscopy as a stool test would be redundant at this point.

[SSecret Squirrel]

Not nosy at all - thank you for your concern. I have an appointment early next month with a gastroenterologist. The GP said we will move straight to colonoscopy as a stool test would be redundant at this point.

Good luck with it all.

I've had a few colonoscopies now. They aren't too bad but the night before. Ugh. Just stock upon Quilton Gold and don't eat much in the days before. They put you on a low fibre mostly white foods only diet in the lead up anyway, but I personally find that eating the bare minimum / very small meals also helps a lot with the prep the night before. Way too much information, but what goes in must come out and the less you have coming in means way less coming out and is ever so slightly more pleasant.

ETA I love love love your new signature.

[GirlsRock]

Good luck with it all.

I've had a few colonoscopies now. They aren't too bad but the night before. Ugh. Just stock upon Quilton Gold and don't eat much in the days before. They put you on a low fibre mostly white foods only diet in the lead up anyway, but I personally find that eating the bare minimum / very small meals also helps a lot with the prep the night before. Way too much information, but what goes in must come out and the less you have coming in means way less coming out and is ever so slightly more pleasant.

ETA I love love love your new signature.

Oh god I wish I read this before I had a colonoscopy 6 months ago.

I was on a diet of clear soup and tea for 24 hours prior to the procedure. I stupidly, very stupidly, had 3 cups of clear spicy Thai broth! Spicy!!! What the hell was I thinking. I literally had a burning ring of fire every time I had to go to the toilet and as you know during colonoscopy prep you go to the toilet a lot.

Miss T, take my advice and eat non spicy foods.

[bezzy]

And use sudocrem or similar!