Pain and blood in stools....(TMI warning!)

[chl_hobbs]

I went to the toilet this evening (havent been all day and felt quite 'blocked' up) and when I strained to pass a stool, my lower abdomen and lower back(like the base of my spine) REALLY hurt. What's worse is when i wiped (TMI!)there was blood (bright red) on the tissue and some blood on the stool.

Ive been so upset by this that i started convincing myself i was bleeding internally (the op on my spleen was almost 5months ago now....)and kept crying at my mum about it. She tried to calm me down and i pretended i was ok but im pacing around and getting into a state!

I do have an anal fissure (my DR found it a few weeks ago) but im so worried as i had pain in my abdomen and back, and now, all of a sudden in my shoulder! Im convinced im slowly bleeding!!
Please someone, what could this be????
Charlotte

[Stormsky]

It could be caused by a number of things, you need to go to GP to investigate though, its the only way you will be reassured.

[nomorepanic]

It will be the fissure for sure

[Keith]

Warning TMI:

Once I strained hard when passing stools and I must have torn some of my skin as there was blood on the toilet paper. Nothing on the stools but I was bleeding from my backside. Nervously I examined my backside in front of a mirror with a torch, I could see a little tear of skin, so I knew the stools must have ripped my skin.

[Greenman50]

Same as Keith says ....i,ve had this on and off for years , had it again this morning (basically split my bum ) ...sorry it doesn,t sound nice saying that but thats what happens .
I,m in the grip of ibs at the moment so it was bound to happen .
From all i,ve heard / read fresh blood is not a problem you have only split ya bottom .

[PinkRoxy]

Ive had something similar. I notice some blood but only twice and it hasnt happened since after an IBS flare so I get pelvic and back pain with sharp pains and it hurts but nothing you can do about it. But afterwards when I need to go I have noticed some blood. I have no internal bleeding as I went to get tested.

ANd yes this is TMI I have noticed sometimes when you need to go alot and when you wipe so much I find some blood on the toilet paper and your bum feels so raw and sore. i havent had that in a while either.

[happycarrot]

I'm sure it is the fissure. The constipation you are having is probably causing the pain and bleeding from the fissure. Bright red blood is very fresh, so it is coming from the anus or somewhere very nearby, not further up in the body. I think your symptoms do not sound like you are bleeding internally at all. Constipation can cause abdominal pain. The pain in your back and your shoulder may very well be caused by tense muscles due to your anxiety and fear. Being so upset has surely caused your muscles to tighten up, and I always feel that tension in my upper back and shoulders.

[chl_hobbs]

Thankyou everyone that made me feel so better last night reading your comments. Today though in my lower left side it feels really 'twisty' like there's something twisted in there. When i take a deep breath in, it 'pulls'. Im constantly aware of it and it is getting me down. Im supposed to be at my mum's for some 'time out' (as recommended by my GP) but today im telling her i now have an infection after my op!!! (my op was on my spleen in august after a routine op went wrong ) Mum is a health litigation lawyer and is knowledgeable about things health related and is trying to reassure me, but im letting my head go wild with worry.

My surgeon said recently he thinks i may be suffering from IBS after the op and all the stress im under. My two CTs (in oct and end of nov) showed that op wise, im almost healed and everything is ok, apart from ovarian cysts (normal ones) and mild diverticular disease on my sigmoid colon (my consultant said almost 50% of the population has it because of the Western world's diet, we just dont know it because its ok until we get old). So, it could be any of those things, or something else entirely. I do feel constipated, and i have Movicol to help, but Im exhausted by the pain and the worry as im assuming that its to do with my op.

:(
x

[happycarrot]

I went to my doctor last year complaining of pain in the lower left side of my abdomen and she said it was from constipation caused by mild IBS. The constipation can cause discomfort in the lower part of your large intestine, which is located there. The pain you're describing sounds familiar. I think there are many people who post here who have IBS. I take a psyllium fiber supplement every day to prevent the constipation, and my doctor advised me to eat probiotic yogurt or supplements if the fiber supplements didn't help. I can understand why you are worried stressed since you had an operation that went wrong, but I really think that once the constipation clears, the pain will go away and the fissure will heal, and you will feel much better.