Mucus in Stool or what? Please, Help!

[Bobi]

Hi everyone,

First of all - I'm a worrier and "what if" kind of person. In the last 5-6 years I was very concerned about several serious health issues I thought I had. Fortunately it was all in my head only and I'm very healthy (hope so).

Last year I noticed a drop of bright blood in the toilet. It was not mixed with stool, but it dropped out at the end of the bowel movement. I ensured myself that I have hemorrhoids and continued with my normal life. (I'm afraid only of life threatening diseases like cancer, so it's acceptable for me to have hemorrhoids.)

In April I noticed delayed discomfort after bowel movements. It starts one hour after it and last for 3 hours. It was there only after BM. In case I didn't had BM, I was completely fine. In the same time there was tender, bluish lump in one side of my anus. Two weeks after that started there was again a drop of blood in the toilet.

That was too much for me and I started panic and search to search for bowel cancer, Chron's disease and other serious conditions. All of you know how that horrible is!

Later I started to use a cream for hemorrhoids and it helped a lot. Discomfort after bowel movements are now almost gone.

What bothers me the most now is something like mucus in stool. Many sites says its normal to have small amount of mucus in stool, but I'm really not sure what is small amount. It appears in my stool only if it is harder and only on the top of the first piece. Other pieces that comes out do not contain it.

I'm becoming more and more stressed about this mucus thing and not sure what to do. I know it is gross but I'm going to share a picture of my stool so you guys with more knowledge and expirence can say me what it is.

So here is the pic: image.ibb.co/cYbKNv/mucus.jpg

As you will see I marked it in green.

So is that mucus? Is it too much of it or normal amount? Should I worry about this?

I know all of you will tell me to visit a doctor but I'm too afraid of that. I don't want to be diagnosed with something terrible... Yes, it's sounds silly but its stronger than me at the moment.

PLEASE let me know what you think. Thanks!

[clarisse]

Thank goodness the picture wasn't posted properly . Sounds like you aren't eating enough fibre or drinking enough water,and this is making you constipated enough to get Piles.
Mucus is common with IBS and the only way to resolve these problems is to change your eating and drinking habits. If you get muscle spasms there are over the counter Meds you can get like Buscopan,which will stop them.
Being Anxious affects your digestion so try to find something to help with this.

[Bobi]

Hi Clarisse, thank you for the reply.

Haha, I wasn't able to post the picture properly because it was my first post in the forum. However, if you're curious enough, just copy/paste that URL in your browser

I'm eating almost vegetarian diet and trying to drink enough water. I'm not obese. Actually, I would be happy to have 5-10 kg of muscles more. My lack of weight isn't recent. I'm maintaining the same weight for years.

I think that diet isn't an issue but prolonged sitting. I have my own internet business and often spend whole days in the front of the computer.

Why did you mentioned spasms? On another forum I found out guys with the exactly same symptoms (delayeddiscomfort after bowel movements) and they are diagnosed with sphincter spasms which are caused by fissures.

There's something like a small cut in my anus, that place was itchy for long time (until I started with the hemorrhoid cream I mentioned), Maybe that could be chronic anal fissure? Don't know if fissures can cause mucus in stool...

If this is something serious like colon cancer, Chron's, colitis... Would symptoms worsen in the meantime (it all started over one year ago for the first time)? I assume cancer progress over time and it+s symptoms don't subside and back after a few months.

How fast Chron and colitis progress? Can they have minor symptoms one or two year after they start?

Thanks!

[susie1]

I have had this and I suffer from IBS. I have been CONVINCED in the past that I have bowel cancer but I haven't. The bright red blood means surface blood as from a pile - confirmed by the bluish lump which often protrudes with piles. Mucus is a really common part of IBS. If you had got cancer it would have presented differently and at a different pace. Go to the GP and see if you can get some Buscopan or something similar for IBS

[Bobi]

Hi Susie,

Thank you very much for the reply. Not sure if you checked the pic - is that mucus? And what about the amount? Do healthy people have it too, but they just don't stare in toilet after every BM?

Bluish lump I mentioned was on one side of my anus, it didn't came out of it. If it was pile, it was external one. I checked my bottom today again with lamp and mirror and I saw slightly raised vein on the opening. It's on the same place which was swollen and tender in April. Not sure if every person have visible veins on that place or that just means all my issues are caused by piles.

Thanks for the info about Buscopan, I assume we have it somewhere in the house. I can cope with pain and discomfort, it's just important for me that I'm not going to die too early. I mean if I have piles or anything which is not serious I don't care much if it is painful, just want to know it's not life treating.

In the next 24 hours I'm going to eat veggies and fruits only, maybe some quinoa and to see if there will be mucus. Will try to stay well hydrated as well.

[Capercrohnj]

Doesn't sound like Crohn's or cancer at all.

Mucus doesn't come out of hemmorhoids. It's the colon's natural lubrication system and it's very normal especially if you are constipated.

Buscopan is not for hemmorhoid pain. It is an anti spasmatic and is for abdominal pain. Its also a prescription drug or at least it is in Canada.


BTW why are you going to eat high fiber? That will cause GI issues for sure.

[Bobi]

Thanks, Capercrohnj. It's really good to know that my symptoms are not similar to cancer or Chron's.

Five years ago or so I was convinced I have lymphoma just because I palpated a small lymph node in my neck. Then I started to dig with fingers all around my body and discovered more nodes. That was the worst 6 months in my life. Somehow I released that nodes are perfectly normal and that I'm not ill. I like to run and exercise, my fat levels are low so I can palpate any organ, lol. Nodes I found are perfectly normal and should be there.

After that crisis I started with almost vegan diet, just to prevent any diseases. That helped me and I was mentally fine for a few years but I lost like 5-6 kg on that diet.

Vegan propaganda is still stuffed in my mind so when I'm in health anxiety crisis I turn to vegan diet lol. That's part of the answer on your question. The second part - I don't know, I think if I take only easy digestible foods my stool is going to be soft (just like when I was on vegan diet) so there will not be dry pellet like parts where mucus is stuffed.

Oh, all this suck too much of my energy. I hate such worries about health!

[Bobi]

Here's an update on what's going on after a few months.

Discomfort after BM is still there. It is less intensive and now lasts 1-2 hours. Usually starts 30 min or so after BM. Hot water and walking are a relief.

In the first week of September I had 3 times very small amounts of blood on the surface of the feces. Thin, red line - obviously blood was from some minor wound near anus.

After that I used Sudocrem inside and outside for 10 days and since then there's no more bleeding.

Mucus is still there on the first piece of feces. I noticed it whit soft poo as well so I think it's not about constipation. It looks like white-yellow jelly string attached on the surface. Do mucus actually looks like that?

With a mirror I spotted that skin on the beginning of anus is like inflamed or something. It is on the part which is closest to the spin. Not sure if that could be piles, fissure, cancer...

Recently I had a day without any symptoms and I thought I'm finally healed, but tomorrow the discomfort after BM started again :(

After a period of optimism now I think it will never be better and thinking about cancer again.

If someone have an idea what could be wrong with me, please let me know. Thanks!

[daisyflower]

Use the Sudocrem again!
Also, try to stop looking at your poo. I'm not one to preach as I also have worries about it after having a very bloody diahrea but still, so I say not as I do
Mucus is normal, everyone would see it f they fished their poo out like that! I have lots. My daughter still poos in a potty...she's a very healthy 3 year old and yet I regularly see mucus like that in her poo.

[Michan90]

I totally understand how you feel. It's my fear too but I have on and off periods of a lot of mucus in my stool since I got back from vacation in June. and now the last two days have been narrow. I have an appointment tomorrow but the fear is real on it being cancer. Our anxiety loves to taunt us. I hope the best for us both