Red dye

[j2]

I am a 40 yr old male, with HA, GERD, IBS for many years. I smoke (know I need to quit) and I have been doing OK for a while now. Yesterday was one of my kids birthdays and my wife made some cupcakes that had so much red dye in the frosting that all I could taste was the dye. This morning I have had some mild cramping in my colon region which isn't uncommon with my ibs. I went to the restroom about an hour ago and I had a very loose stool that was bright red. I keep telling myself that this is the red dye in the cupcake and that I had a colonoscopy a couple of years ago that found nothing and everything is going to be fine. I am trying hard to breath through this. I am sitting here at work trying to not faint/freak out/vomit but I am feeling a ton a of anxiety right now. I know that if I were reading this from someone else I would obviously be able to dismiss it as the food coloring but that is NOT how my brain works. I hate this, I just want to run to the ER. Thanks for listening and God bless you all.

J2

[Daisy Sue]

Hi - I freaked myself out with something similar a few years ago.. had a couple of red jelly sweets from my kids' sweet tin, & noticed it's appearance a day later - full panic attack in the bathroom... and then I realised what it was, & felt rather silly.

It will be the colouring - you know that... just think about how it stains your hands when you're using it. Try & calm yourself with the promise that if, in 24 hours from now, you see as much red as you've seen today, you will talk to a doctor - if you put Plan B into your mind, you'll feel better.. it's preferable to Plan A which is panic! :)

[j2]

Thanks for the reply and I intellectually "know" you are right but I just can't turn off my brain. I keep telling myself that I had a colonoscopy a couple of years ago and I ate the red dye and that should be enough but I am still struggling. I hope I can make it until tomorrow.

j2

[j2]

Low and behold, all is fine today. No red anything. I hate being crazy. I spent a whole day in full on panic mode over something that I already new the answer to.