bowel problems

[lou597]

constipated
feeling of not emptying bowels properley (this is by far the worse symptom)
diarrhea
dark(ish) red blood on toilet paper after wiping

please someone reassure me im going out of my mind here!

[zombie]

It's quite scary when you wipe you bum and there's blood, but it by no-mean does it mean that it's something serious.

I've had the exact same symptoms as that on an off for years, Iike most people I automatically feared the worst. In my case I suffer from IBS/diverticular diesease, which sounds worse than it is. It just means my bowel has developed little pockets. (it's very, very common) It happens with age amongst other things. From time to time they become inflamed and it can be pretty painful, but isn't serious. Doesn't turn into cancer or anything nasty.

The symtoms come and go, sometimes i get bunged up and other times get the runs, and get the feeling I still need to go to the loo all the time. I have passed blood, lots on some occasions. Move often than not I also get sore on the lower left hand side of my stomach.

What I'm trying to say is you can have pretty horrific symptoms and it turns out to be somthing quite minor. Try not to worry, just make an appointment to see your GP, they see this all the time.