Bloody stools.. Do I worry?

[Pattycake813]

About 4weeks post DS. I have bright red blood in my stool - not sure if i should worry.....so my back story...
Several years ago, I had the same issue with the bright red blood in my stools..seemed like every time I was due for a period, the week before I had the bloody stool issue.. Went to so many docs had 3 colonoscopies... All were clear and negative for anything.. Not even a sign of hemorrhoids. We were never able to time a colonoscopies during the bleeding though. Long story short, I gained weight, my periods stopped and never had the bleeding anymore.
... Until now. Down about 38#, and here it is (I also had some very light menstral bleeding for the first time i n years)

It isn't black or tarry.it is BRIGHT red. And it isn't every time I go, it's happened 3 times in 2 days

What would you folks suggest?

 

[-Flo-]

If it is bright red, it's usually lower GI. I would call your doctor, just to be on the safe side. Do you have painful periods? Any chance that you have endometriosis and it has infiltrated the colon? That could cause bleeding.

 

[Pattycake813]

Thanks Flo. Endo with GI involvement was the unofficial and unconfirmed DX they gave me back in 2008, they did Lupron treatments and then I haven't had a period at all in the past 1-2 years so I haven't really given it much thought. I will call the doc in the am to be safe

 

[duh_Mom]

Hey @Pattycake813 - definitely let the doc know - you did not mention how much blood - but he certainly needs to know and perhaps draw blood to make sure you are not loosing excessive amounts. Especially so soon post - op. Hormones are crazy post op because they are stored in fat and released as that fat dissolves. So it is logical that with the period and endometriosis the bleeding will be present.
However, being just 4 week post off - it needs to be checked out.

 

[DSRIGGS]

I would think with bright red blood that a fissure or hemorrhoid is probable. Any pain?

FYI - I had a chronic fissure for at least 6 months but I never really had any blood.

A quick CBC to make sure your Hemoglobin isn't tanking would be a good idea. That would help to likely rule out any internal bleeding

 

[Pattycake813]

No pain, just some cramps.

When I bad this issue back about 10 yrs ago, they thought hemorrhoids or fissures, but never could find any. They settled on probable endo after all of the negative tests and the fact that it was clockwork the week before my period every month.

I've had more rectal exams, sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopies than I can count and they've never seen or felt anything

 

[DSRIGGS]

No pain, just some cramps.

When I bad this issue back about 10 yrs ago, they thought hemorrhoids or fissures, but never could find any. They settled on probable endo after all of the negative tests and the fact that it was clockwork the week before my period every month.

I've had more rectal exams, sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopies than I can count and they've never seen or felt anything

If you had a fissure you would know, believe me.

I still think a CBC would be in order to rule out an internal bleed. I am sure Marshall would order one for you, or your local PCP. They can order it stat and have results back very quickly.

 

[hilary1617]

Hi @Pattycake813, as heads up, carry lady supplies next week. The DS can cause normalization of periods. It certainly did in my case. Prior to DS, due to PCOS, I really only had periods on demand when I induced them with provera. Since DS I've had them *every* month like clockwork....

 

[Pattycake813]

Oh yay.. How joyous to look forward to lol. I've dealt with PCOS since I was 16, - my "friend" dropped in whenever it felt like and for however long.. Maybe this will help make me normal

 

[Pattycake813]

Going to see the colorectal surgeon on Monday morning to rule out anything serious, and figure out if I need additional supplemts to account for bloodloss. Luckily my iron levels are usually high, so it shouldn't be an issue

 

[harrietvane]

I used to have the same pre-menstrual bleeding but they also could never put their finger on it, same 'Well, it might be this even though we couldn't find any evidence...' diagnosis. I have a Mirena IUD (this is my fourth, got my first at 18!) so I don't really get visits any more. At most, Aunt Flo stops for a cuppa and then keeps going, rather than settling in for a fortnight.

Hope everything turns out to be OK, but also hope you work something out to manage the hormones if that's what's driving it!

 

[Charris]

I was bleeding like that and it was hemorrhoids. They need surgery on them but at that time I was too sick to have surgery I would have never made it off the table. The dr went up and down and through every opening on my body to make sure that it was nothing else.

Hum I wonder if maybe by the time you got checked the hemorrhoids had resolved themselves. You know how by the time you go to the ER for a fever of 103. When they take your temp it's a cool 98.6. Lol

 

[Pattycake813]

It would be nice if that is all it is... They have done rectal exams and sigmoidoscopy literally within hours of the issue and found nothing to suggest hemorrhoids in the past. Due to the prep and scheduling the full colonoscopies have always been a week or so later.

According to the specialist I saw at USC when I lived in Southern California they can tell if there are hemorrhoid problems even after the flare up has subsided (no clue how that works).

Definitely not looking forward to the inevitable exam on Monday, but if he can give me an answer it will be worth it. And hopefully it is just a hemorrhoid.

 

[DianaCox]

Don't you just hate it when you have a symptom that could be no big deal at all, and in fact a little embarrassing, or it could be life-threateningly serious, and you have to make the determination whether to risk waiting for it to subside on its own, or go to the ER or urgent care and risk being embarrassed and/or charged for a non-emergency ER visit and/or seen as being a hypochondriac/drug seeker?

Chest pains: pulled chest muscle or heart attack?
Abdominal pain: gas or bowel obstruction?
Blood in stool: hemorrhoid or cancer/ulcer/other parade of horrors

 

[Pattycake813]

Don't you just hate it when you have a symptom that could be no big deal at all, and in fact a little embarrassing, or it could be life-threateningly serious, and you have to make the determination whether to risk waiting for it to subside on its own, or go to the ER or urgent care and risk being embarrassed and/or charged for a non-emergency ER visit and/or seen as being a hypochondriac/drug seeker?

Chest pains: pulled chest muscle or heart attack?
Abdominal pain: gas or bowel obstruction?
Blood in stool: hemorrhoid or cancer/ulcer/other parade of horrors

So very true. When this first happened back about 10 years ago, I freaked...my doc actually told me to go to the ER, since they have more diagnostic tools (scopes/imaging) readily available to determine if it was a big problem.. They were such jerks about it.. They did a quick exam, said -well no hemorrhoids... And your bloodwork indicates your not bleeding out. So follow up with your PCP. We are just here to stop the bleeding, not diagnose it.

Since that experience, I have had little to no faith in the local ER for anything beyond an obviously broken bone.

Don't forget the stinky urine/feminine odor as a side effect of ketosis (for me anyway)... When the doc looks at you like "are you SURE you don't have a dirty partner". Ugh... Gotta love the embarrassment our bodies put is through. .

When I was on a liquid diet last year and asked the doc if that was normal... He actually made me get tested for STDs .. And then was like..oh yeah, it could just be the ketosis. Ugggghhhhh