Bowel Cancer scare- urgent referral

[willous1]

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]

They are just being cautious so I wouldn't worry too much yet.

At least you will get seen quickly on an urgent referral.

[Jem1603]

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.

[Jem1603]

My GP was very negative also, which has made the whole thing worse. Maybe that's what they are trained to do...?

[willous1]

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.

[NoraB]

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?

[Jem1603]

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?

[NoraB]

My GP said piles can't cause iron deficiency anemia?

Your GP needs to go back to medical school Jem...

[willous1]

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.

[Jem1603]

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