Bloody mucus in stools and pain under left rib......help!

[Freaking!]

Hey, I have read this forum for the past 10 years but this is my first actual post. I am a 30 year old female, I smoke and I am over weight. I have suffered from health anxiety for as long as I can remember!

I had some rectal bleeding 3 years ago, bloody mucus mixed with stool. I do not have haemorrhoids. Had sigmoid, didn't really get to the bottom of it but it stopped. Confirmed no haerrohoids.

Had the same bloody mucus in my stool in the summer, went to the doctors, have sigmoid booked for a few weeks time. Over the last couple of weeks I have had a persistent sensation of fulness and slight pain under my left rib.

Anyway I have started freaking about it this weekend. Bloody mucus in my stool, persistent feeling of something behind my rib, it must be a massive tumor :-(

What's does everyone think please? On this occasion, am I justified in panicking??

[eeesh]

Hey, I have read this forum for the past 10 years but this is my first actual post. I am a 30 year old female, I smoke and I am over weight. I have suffered from health anxiety for as long as I can remember!

I had some rectal bleeding 3 years ago, bloody mucus mixed with stool. I do not have haemorrhoids. Had sigmoid, didn't really get to the bottom of it but it stopped. Confirmed no haerrohoids.

Had the same bloody mucus in my stool in the summer, went to the doctors, have sigmoid booked for a few weeks time. Over the last couple of weeks I have had a persistent sensation of fulness and slight pain under my left rib.

Anyway I have started freaking about it this weekend. Bloody mucus in my stool, persistent feeling of something behind my rib, it must be a massive tumor :-(

What's does everyone think please? On this occasion, am I justified in panicking??

Very unlikely to be a 'massive tumor'. That said no one here is able to diagnose you on the internet. We can only try and help you with the anxiety. Rib pain and muscular aches is a very common symptom of anxiety, but if you have blood in your stool you have done the right thing by contacting your GP.

The fact you are mentioning the smoking and being overweight suggests that these lifestyle factors do increase your anxiety. These things are well in your control to change, so maybe attempt to address them. It really will help to avoid the 'well I do smoke so maybe its...' kinda thinking.

Let us know how you get on at the docs!

[Freaking!]

Thank you for the reply :-) it's the constant awareness of my side that is driving me a little bit nuts, it's there before I even open my eyes in the morning!

You are totally right about changing my lifestyle, it is something I am going to try my best to rectify!!

Has anyone else had similar symptoms and lived to tell the tell?!

[chickpea]

I have Crohn's and IBS and sometimes have blood etc, as well as various pains, aches in my abdomen, back etc.
Even when I first got ill and was in extreme pain and on the loo 20 times a day, I never considered it was a tumour causing it.

Try not to panic - have you had blood tests, stool samples etc?

[Freaking!]

I really do appreciate your replies :-) I don't have any diarrhoea, or constipation really, bowel habits haven't changed, just lots of bloody mucus and that full feeling on the left that never goes. If it wasn't for that feeling I prob wouldn't have jumped to bowel cancer!

My gp wasn't overly concerned. No stool samples or blood test just a referal for a sigmoidoscopy that has taken over 4 months to come through. I don't know whether to be reassured he isn't worried or even more worried. This pain/sensation in my side is new and haven't seen him with it.

If I had diarrhoea I think I would be a little reassured as it could mean it was chornes or colitis but I don't. I know those things aren't a walk in the park but it's better than what I have in my head!!

[chickpea]

I'm really surprised your GP hasn't asked for non-invasive tests first!

The mucus could be IBS - I get it a lot. It is blood-streaked, or actually bloody? Again, it's very likely to be nothing sinister - I get a bit of blood streaking even when my Crohn's isn't active.
Believe it or not, the pain under your rib could be trapped wind.

Stressing, as I'm sure you know, will only make your symptoms worse, so try to focus on the fact that the sigmoidoscopy will show any issues or not.

[Rara09]

Hi, hate to jump on your post but I have very similar things going on.

Have had ibs since my early 20's (now 38), over the last 3 weeks I have been having bm's up to 10 times a day, urgent, painful bum, blood, mucus and terrible smelly wind:((( (sorry very yucky) sometimes I feel the need to go and it's just brown blood like mucus, disgusting. Gp has stool samples and am awaiting results,he thought maybe c-diff. I am not convinced but will have to wait and see.

Driving myself insane with Dr Google (slap my hand) my biggest fear is cancer so I am quite literally bricking it!!

I know exactly how you feel and I am terrified but trying to think logically. I am hoping worst case will be colitis or chrons which I know are bad but manageable,

Let me know how you get on and wishing you well

[Freaking!]

Thank you for your replies :-) I was also a little surprised the gp didn't do any less invasive tests. It can be bloody but more often than not it's blood streaked I would say, does that make a difference? It looks like the mucus is mixed with the blood.

I did wonder if it may be trapped wind, it is intermittent so def a possibility! I have been trying to ignore it for a few weeks but it just won't disappear, normally if it's anxiety it does.

Will the sigmoid rule out anything awful? I had one about 4 years ago so hopefully that's not time for anything awful to grow?!

I am sorry you are going through something similar Rara09 :-( it sucks! Try and leave dr google alone.......he never makes you feel better, always worse!

[chickpea]

When I'm "well", I occasionally get blood-streaked mucus.
When I was in a Crohn's flare, I was passing blood - I mean, proper, full on blood.
A sigmoidoscopy will rule out nasties, as will a colonoscopy. However, so would a faecal calprotectin stool test - Might be worth asking for one, before anything more invasive.