Small blood clots in stool

[Kathryn313]

Hi.

Just after a small amount of knowledge around peoples experience of blood in stools, I am seeing some small clots of blood on my stools, have others have this?

[Fishmanpa]

How do you know they're clots? (Please don't tell me if you've examined them closely! :ohmy:) It very well could be something you ate.

Positive thoughts

[Kathryn313]

It's a good challenge.

I did examine it (not too closely!!) but when viewing pre flush (not something i regularly do) I noticed a blood looking coloured spot on a stool. I did then look at this more closely and it was blood. As a woman you do tend to know what these mini clots look like from our monthly cycles.

I will be remaining calm and calling up my GP for appointment. I know from CBT that it is worth considering all options and in all likelihood it's just one of those things.

[PanickyGuy]

Yeah I've been there before, checking stool for blood, when I thought the reddish bits might be blood. And much like your doing now, Kathryn, I went to the doctor about it. He gave me three test placards to use and bring them back to the office. Yuck, that was a unpleasant thing to have to do. Anyway, turned out it wasn't blood and probably from food not being digested properly.

But going to the doctor to have stool samples tested is never a bad idea, besides the gross factor, but yeah a couple things to keep in mind that I learned myself after going through this;

1. Our stool color can be effected by the color of foods we consume from food dyes and stuff, even if it's just small particular spots on the stool or partial areas of the whole stool.

2. Sometimes reddish colored foods just don't get completely digested or partially digested sometimes because we either didn't chew our food enough or because we've been taking PPI's that reduce acid, which would obviously cause that. Like pepperoni from pizza, cherry skins, red grape skins, etc.

So a lot of times it's often a simple explanation and in my case it was just undigested food from taking PPI's for my acid reflux. I wish I had figure that out before panicking over it and gone to see the doc about it. Would of saved me the "gross me out" feeling over the whole thing. But then again, my stupid anxiety would have never left me alone about it either and kept me worrying about it until I did see the doc about it.:doh:

[Kathryn313]

Thanks. This was definitely blood, as was just like period clot just smaller.

Is probably a bleeding heamrrhoid or just some IBS inflammation. I haven't been checking regularly at all and stopped all checking behaviours including putting a 'bloo' bleach tablet in the cistern so the water was foamy so you couldn't see the stools.

It was at work when I spotted today's.

[Darren O]

Hi Kathryn, I had streak of blood on my stool, Then like specs of blood on stool. On the days of no fresh blood I did have a few times what looked like clots with mucus, It was dark purple colored and definitely blood. Docs did blood tests all clear, being referred for a routine appointment with colorectal department at hospital which is scheduled for Feb. I have IBS and at the time this was happening had abdominal pain for 2 months, Its mostly gone now very slight blood back now. Very alarming but doc is assuring me no need for emerg referral and went routine.

[Kathryn313]

Thanks Darren. That pattern sounds pretty much like me (minus the pain). I have a practice nurse appt on Friday. (No GP appts for the next 3 weeks at my surgery.

[GlassPinata]

Hi.

Just after a small amount of knowledge around peoples experience of blood in stools, I am seeing some small clots of blood on my stools, have others have this?

I thought I had this once too, but it turned out to be tomato chunks from a sauce I'd eaten.
If it doesn't happen again, it is likely food that simply looks like blood clots.
It would be unlikely for blood to be "clotted" in stool. When blood is present in stool, it presents in the following ways:

1. Occult, or undetectable to the naked eye

2. Smeared on the surface of the stool (often seen with hemmorhoids)

3. Mixed in with stool, causing the stool to be fully or partially dark-red or maroon colored

I think you ate something that passed through partially undigested.
Try not to worry.

I personally try to avoid looking at my stool, as my anxiety is such that I know I would likely find something worrisome in the color, texture, or consistency of it.

[Kathryn313]

Tomorrow is the consultation with the colorectal doctor.

I have had one more noticeable episode of blood on stools, which was the 14th Feb. Just red blood resting in the ridges of a stool (apologies for the descriptive element but helps to articulate it objectively).

Am in a slightly stressy place this evening as my tongue is doing it's thing again and also my knees really ache. Of course irrational head says it's all due to I diagnosed cancer, mets in the bones ect which is pretty ridiculous as I would probably be feeling a lot worse than achy knees. No weight loss, but no weight gain either.

I have a CBT top up on Friday as aware it is needed.

[GlassPinata]

Probably undigested food. When I eat tomato sauce, it usually comes out looking like blood clots. It used to scare me, but now I know what it is.
It's very unlikely that any disease or illness would cause "blood clots" in your stool. If anything, there would just be blood (and even that isn't necessarily serious; there are many benign causes for it).
But blood clots? No. That is undigested food, and most likely tomato. Other possibilities include watermelon, cherries... any red fruit, really. Or candy with artificial coloring.

[Kathryn313]

Had my consultation, I was expecting the digital examination but not the little telescope thing! He confirmed that there are some hemorrhoids that are in a condition which would mean they bleed after period of constipation, or a more difficult stool passing. He couldn't see any blood further past them.

He does want to request a full colonoscopy due to my family history but more for checking. Am going to talk to my CBT-ist on Friday, as I could refuse the test if I so wished. I do feel assured with the hemorrhoid confirmation. My only concern is that if I don't have the full scope now it has been offered, when I am two months or so into slimmingworld and losing weight my mind will go to a darker place if I see blood again.

[pulisa]

Before considering having a colonoscopy I would have a full blood count done to check your haemoglobin levels. This would give an indication on whether there is any regular bleeding which would lower your overall Hb count.

I presume you had a rigid sigmoidoscopy done at your appointment which confirmed the piles but which would be limited in what could be seen "further up"? Does the consultant want to do a colonoscopy based on your family history or on clinical need with your symptoms?

[PASchoolSyndrome]

Thats awesome you feel really good about his diagnosis. There's a lot of people here who's anxiety would make this distrustful. It's true then you really don't need the colonoscopy if you choose not to, however like you said with your family history and anxiety that could go down maybe I agree I wouldn't think it'd be the worst choice!

Best of luck making your decision but I'm glad to hear it's just hemmoroids!

[pulisa]

I can imagine that just the suggestion of having a colonoscopy could start up the should I/shouldn't I doubts and if you decide against having it will you regret it if you spot blood etc etc...

In a way it's a shame he couldn't have left it at the haemorrhoids diagnosis. Discussing it with your CBT therapist is a good idea but I suppose he or she can't really advise you on medical decisions..It's a difficult one, particularly for an HA sufferer.

[Kathryn313]

I had a FBC done in the summer and blood levels were fine, I haven't had a repeat one since the first spots of blood were noticed but I am thinking that it wouldn't have changed in the month between the tests and the that date. I think i know my own answers but due to my HA and the recent diagnosis family member it led me to seek this assurance.

The scope is based on family history - have a couple of relatives who have had cancerous or precancerous polyps diagnosed at a relatively early age. The are all fully recovered now.

Knowing what I know from having managed a bowel screening unit, I suspect the consultant would treat the Endo as a screening tool, just done a few years early, as they they wouldn't need to look again for 5 years unless I displayed worrisome symptoms. However I also know that all procedures carry some risk and should I really put myself through it if deep down I know there is nothing to see...

PASchool- interesting you should say that, in terms of HA i could feel perfectly confidence today but then ramp up the stress or an extra day of perceived symptoms that when the doubt begins to set in...

---------- Post added at 21:23 ---------- Previous post was at 21:22 ----------


I can imagine that just the suggestion of having a colonoscopy could start up the should I/shouldn't I doubts and if you decide against having it will you regret it if you spot blood etc etc...

In a way it's a shame he couldn't have left it at the haemorrhoids diagnosis. Discussing it with your CBT therapist is a good idea but I suppose he or she can't really advise you on medical decisions..It's a difficult one, particularly for an HA sufferer.

spot on!!

[pulisa]

Rather than a full colonoscopy would you consider having a flexible sigmoidoscopy which wouldn't of course cover the whole colon but it would look at the area from where you are passing these small clots and would pick up any polyps? As you know it's far less invasive and could be seen as a "halfway house" in view of the fact that you have no other red flag symptoms and your FBC was fine.

[Kathryn313]

Full colonoscopy done this afternoon. I just had gas and air, the experience was better than I was dreading in terms of levels of pain.

All clear (as expected).

So let's see how long it is before the HA bonfire reappears...am in a good place anxiety wise at the moment but aware it is always there waiting so you have to keep up with all the tricks and techniques that get you bad patches!