Sort of TMI for bathroom issues...

I have had IBS since I was a teenager, and constipation is basically my default setting, other than getting stress related cramps and diarrhea. I've also had problems where when I'm really constipated, even more so than usual, after a bowel movement I'll sometimes get a little mucus by itself later on in the day. About every other year, I'd see a tiny bit of blood in this mucus.

I had fecal occult blood tests a couple of times, and when they did not turn up anything, my doctor was not concerned. Not quite two years ago when I had this happen again, my doctor decided to refer me to a gastroenterologist because I had an elderly relative who had been diagnosed with colon cancer. (Well, that and I refused to take another one of those damnable take-home occult blood tests.) The gastro thought it sounded like hemorrhoids. He did a colonoscopy, which confirmed that I did have internal hemorrhoids.

So yay, problem identified, right? I still have the occasional mucus after constipation, of course, and still have the even more occasional tiny bit of blood in the mucus. The past year this has been happening now about every six months. I suppose it's not surprising that it's become more frequent - I now take a blood pressure medication that has what I can only describe as turbo-constipation as a side effect. You know those little pellets that rabbits poop? I've been there.

Anyway, I asked my regular doctor about it six months ago, and he wasn't concerned as we know I have internal hemorrhoids, and said no further followup was needed, just to take some miralax and don't let myself get so stopped up! Nevertheless, it's worries me each time it happens, as it did again this weekend (hey, it's been six months, I'm due for another episode). Especially as my colonoscopy is now almost two years old. What if there is something new going on now?

I guess I'm looking for a sanity check. Would you guys be concerned under these circumstances?

I have a doctor's appointment coming up next week for a check on my blood pressure, so I'll talk to my doctor about this again. In the meantime, I've bought a fresh batch of prune juice, which takes care of the constipation.