View Full Version : Bowel Cancer scare- urgent referral
Hi all, I have really helped myself the last couple of weeks and practiced techniques to stop worrying. However, I went to the doctors today and he was a very firm one. As iron levels are low he asked some questions. I said about the bleeding I've had on and off for years and that it is affected by diet...plus the haemorrhoids. I was in there 45 minutes! Long story short is he has done an urgent referral to the bowel department and given me an urgent stool kit for when the bleeding stops. I haven't lost weight and he did checks but refused to put my mind at ease. I am not quite sure what I am going to do..the world all feels dark all of a sudden. He wants more bloods and won't give me iron tablets as it will not give a true reflection on my bloods.
nomorepanic
12-07-22, 15:18
They are just being cautious so I wouldn't worry too much yet.
At least you will get seen quickly on an urgent referral.
I'm going through the same thing! Anemia and blood in stools - urgent referral. I have a colonoscopy and endoscopy next week and am having terrible OCD intrusive thoughts, and struggling every day. Hope you are ok, you're not on your own.
My GP was very negative also, which has made the whole thing worse. Maybe that's what they are trained to do...?
Good luck Jem! Can message anytime if you are worried. The procedures themselves are not that bad at all!
What I don't get is that I had a colonoscopy 6 years ago and it takes years for a cancerous polyp to grow.
Hi all, I have really helped myself the last couple of weeks and practiced techniques to stop worrying. However, I went to the doctors today and he was a very firm one. As iron levels are low he asked some questions. I said about the bleeding I've had on and off for years and that it is affected by diet...plus the haemorrhoids. I was in there 45 minutes! Long story short is he has done an urgent referral to the bowel department and given me an urgent stool kit for when the bleeding stops. I haven't lost weight and he did checks but refused to put my mind at ease. I am not quite sure what I am going to do..the world all feels dark all of a sudden. He wants more bloods and won't give me iron tablets as it will not give a true reflection on my bloods.
This was the situation with my husband a few years ago. Very low iron and bleeding - urgent referral for colonoscopy and was seen within two weeks. He doesn't have cancer; he has piles which bleed..
Doc's just doing his job Willous...
You're fixating on the HA trigger word which are 'urgent'. If 'urgent' equals cancer then I've had it umpteen times, only I haven't had cancer..
RE your iron levels, are you vegetarian or vegan?
Hi Nora - hope you're good.
My GP said piles can't cause iron deficiency anemia? But if you are bleeding a lot - why not?
My GP said piles can't cause iron deficiency anemia?
Your GP needs to go back to medical school Jem...
My doctor said it is very rare.
My diet has not been great as I feel stressed a lot of the time however do eat meat...mostly chicken though although I do eat some beef.
I need to wait for the bleeding from the Haemorrhoids to stop before I can do the FIT test.
I said the same to my doctor Willous - I'm on codeine for arthritis made me severly constipated, have malabsorption, IBS, anxiety and eating hardly anything. But she just wasn't interested. Unfortunately I have googled and most of the info (NHS website etc) says iron deficiency due to blood loss. But for some reason, piles can't cause this...
At the moment the iron tablets have really messed with my stomach, along with all the fibre I've been eating...I daren't even look at my poo :scared15:
My doctor said it is very rare.
Depends on how much blood you lose. Our toilet looks like Freddie Kruger's gone to town on my husband's bum at times. My brother was the same and he was also treated for iron deficiency due to bleeding piles.. (his were banded in the end)
I need to wait for the bleeding from the Haemorrhoids to stop before I can do the FIT test.
And what are you doing to treat the piles? Diet is important as straining just aggravates the piles and you've said yours has been poor?
I said the same to my doctor Willous - I'm on codeine for arthritis made me severly constipated, have malabsorption, IBS, anxiety and eating hardly anything. But she just wasn't interested. Unfortunately I have googled and most of the info (NHS website etc) says iron deficiency due to blood loss. But for some reason, piles can't cause this...
That's not true..
At the moment the iron tablets have really messed with my stomach, along with all the fibre I've been eating...I daren't even look at my poo :scared15:
If you did, you'd probably see that your poo is black..
Iron really messes with my stomach, so much so that I can't take supplements..
You need to keep on top of the codeine/constipation thing Jem. When I have to take codeine, I up my dose of magnesium or my colon goes on strike. Also, a kiwi helps to keep things moving..
Also, a big fibre increase isn't helpful with IBS. You might be making the situation worse..
I am eating and drinking well now, lots of water. This will hopefully clear it up so I can do the FIT test. Strangely I hadn't had bleeding for a while before the blood test but when I do it cam be a lot!
I am finding things very tough at the moment and have a prebooked holiday to Spain next week with my family.
You're right Nora, fibre has really messed me up, on top of iron tablets. My bowel doesn't know what's hit it.
My worry is I couldn't see blood in my stool, it came up on the fit test which means it's higher up in the gut.
But anyway, I've cleared up the constipation which is great, I realised I haven't been looking after myself and just focusing on pain and pain relief when really without the right nutrients the pain has just got worse. I think the iron is working a little, not feeling as breathless. But I have to stop taking it for a few days while I start this protocol for the colonoscopy and endoscopy. :(
Another doctor called today, my usual one. It was because I wanted to double check about whether or not the FIT test would notice the difference between the blood from Haemorrhoids or not. She said just to go ahead and do it but if it shows a false positive that's going to make it worse. Google thinks its likely to also pick up the fresh blood.
She seemed confused as to why the other doctor didn't give me iron tablets but did not prescribe any?
I asked about the fact I had a colonoscopy 6 years ago and said surely it's unlikely to be colon cancer. She said logic is good but they have to be certain.
You're right Nora, fibre has really messed me up, on top of iron tablets. My bowel doesn't know what's hit it.
My worry is I couldn't see blood in my stool, it came up on the fit test which means it's higher up in the gut.
It's my understanding that a positive FIT test means there's bleeding occurring somewhere in the gastrointestinal tract and one of the simplest causes for this can be blood swallowed from bleeding gums/nosebleeds etc. There is a list of more likely causes before we reach serious diseases territory..
When I was Vit D deficient my gums bled a lot. If I've had had a FIT test done at that time, there would most likely have been blood found in my poo..
But anyway, I've cleared up the constipation which is great, I realised I haven't been looking after myself and just focusing on pain and pain relief when really without the right nutrients the pain has just got worse. I think the iron is working a little, not feeling as breathless. But I have to stop taking it for a few days while I start this protocol for the colonoscopy and endoscopy. :(
Good to hear that the constipation is under control! :yesyes: (so's mine - fingers crossed)
I am eating and drinking well now, lots of water. This will hopefully clear it up so I can do the FIT test. Strangely I hadn't had bleeding for a while before the blood test but when I do it cam be a lot!
I am finding things very tough at the moment and have a prebooked holiday to Spain next week with my family.
Nice job on eating and drinking well. Your colon will thank you for it. :D
You can choose to go and have the best holiday, ever - despite these health concerns.
Hi, sorry to jump on the post but can Codeine cause ongoing problems for a while? I didn’t know about taking magnesium. I’ve just had terrible withdrawal from being on a high dose of Codeine after an accident and my stomach is still all over the place, I have IBS.
Hi, sorry to jump on the post but can Codeine cause ongoing problems for a while? I didn’t know about taking magnesium. I’ve just had terrible withdrawal from being on a high dose of Codeine after an accident and my stomach is still all over the place, I have IBS.
Codeine causes constipation. You have to counteract this with a laxative. I use magnesium citrate...
If you've been on a high dose of codeine, it will have affected your digestive system. I have IBS and I have to take codeine for my migraines so I have to be careful. Sometimes I have to be on them for three days (and prescription strength) and my IBS goes nuts but I have no choice as codeine is the only painkiller I can tolerate..
It'll take a little while for your system to settle down but it will, and you need to make sure you're having a BM everyday (so take a laxative if you need to) but magnesium is more gentle (on the right dose) than most other laxatives.
I've been on Codeine for years. They have really affected my bowels but I have to take them until I have my hip replacement, I think they are very addictive and I can feel very panicky and anxious when I havent taken them. I think you have to taper off slowly.
I am so tired and feel slightly dizzy. Don't know whether it's the low iron, stress or a bit of everything. Wish I could just take iron. The bleeding has stopped after I have sorted by diet so going to do stool test but google says with bowel cancer the bleeding wouldn't carry on. It's definitely the haemorrhoids causing the bleeding.
It wasn't too bad before I saw the doctor on Tuesday...now I'm shattered. But blood was 3 weeks ago.
Thank you. I have gone from constipation to now almost diarrhoea, every time I eat I have to go. It’s just messed up my whole system but I thought by now it might have been back to normal. From the sounds of it it can take a while, it’s just the usual worry setting in that it’s more than that. Just trying not to stress about it too much but it’s hard 🤷🏼*♀️
I've been on Codeine for years. They have really affected my bowels but I have to take them until I have my hip replacement, I think they are very addictive and I can feel very panicky and anxious when I havent taken them. I think you have to taper off slowly.
They are indeed highly addictive. Co-codamol is the only medication I can tolerate for migraines but I am sensible about taking them, and only on a necessary basis. I start with the OTC doses and if those don't work I use my prescription strength..
Re your hip pain, have you asked your GP about any non-opiate pain meds?
I've just had my results via email.
The result shows <2 ug/g. Waiting for doctor to call back but its within range I think....there is no red dot. Google says above 10 is high but I thought it would be either blood detected or not...why a score?
I think because minute amounts of blood are normal for everyone, or most people.
Thank you Iris, that makes sense.
I thought I would feel massively relieved but now I'm wondering why my iron levels are so low and could it be something else.
That's natural when you have HA and other stuff going on, but at least the result is a good thing, right?
The colorectal team always grade the FIT test results in numbers. Your result is good. It might be a good idea NOT to see your results though before the GP has spoken to you? Just leads to speculation and googling...and potential for misinformation as regards your own results.
Yep, I agree. Even the Doctor doesn't have them yet. I am waiting for a call back. I have to stop googling as well.
I am going to take the PatientsKnowBest app off my phone as it is causing so many anxiety issues.
Yep, I agree. Even the Doctor doesn't have them yet. I am waiting for a call back. I have to stop googling as well.
I am going to take the PatientsKnowBest app off my phone as it is causing so many anxiety issues..
Well done. You won't regret it and you don't need this app constantly available.
Just spoke to the doctor who said microscopic blood was found in urine sample and white blood cells. I now need to do another one in a month. I can't cope anymore. He doesn't say what in particular things could be.
I actually don't want to feel like this anymore...just keep crying
flatterycat
22-07-22, 11:56
Just spoke to the doctor who said microscopic blood was found in urine sample and white blood cells. I now need to do another one in a month. I can't cope anymore. He doesn't say what in particular things could be.
That’s so very common. I have nearly always have microscopic blood in urine samples. Was told it’s just me!!
Thank you, that's good to know. My doctor is very old school, no nonsense type. I am going to Spain for a holiday on Sunday and wish I wasn't. The referral to the bowel clinic did not go over as there was a clerical issue.
I have had issues with my bladder for well over 20 years and I'm 37 now. Always wake up in the night etc. Swear I have a enlarged prostate. Just feels like with the health anxiety, although I'm doing my best to cope with it...I'm just getting one thing after the other.
Hi all,
I have had more bloods and some results were slightly different however my Ferratin levels went from 3-4, I'm sure this makes no difference. I am always tired but my GP will not give me iron tablets whilst under investigation and I am still awaiting the colorectal department appointment. I am so anxious and cannot tell whether it's that or not contributing towards the tiredness?
I went for a new job and got it but do not feel like starting and am just crying all the time.
I have so many aches mainly at night and woke up in the middle of the night with palpitations, a fast heart rate and aches in arms. Could it be stress? Trying not to google.
I'm exhausted....is anyone else in this weather? I'm so stressed
I'm exhausted as well, but I'm in the States and hot weather isn't abnormal for us (and we thankfully have A/C). Luckily I'm spending a week in cooler and rainy weather next week, and am definitely looking forward to it. Hoping for a long, cold, snowy winter.
Congrats on the new job! Hopefully you get some answers on your tests soon...I wish I could provide more advice or comfort there but it's not an area I'm very familiar with.
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