Bright red blood on tilet paper, bowel cancer fear

[blueangel]

Should also mention that sometimes it stings a bit when go to the loo! Would a colonoscopy really be needed?!

Hi Louise, if it stings a bit sometimes when you go to the loo, then it's more likely to be piles or a small tear. Piles can be a real pain in the bum (literally) if you suffer badly with them as they can also itch and be very sore. My partner suffers with them quite badly and I also get them sometimes so we have some quite amusing "Percy the Pile" conversations!

[louise123_uk]

It doesnt always sting just every now and then. Today there was a little bit of mucus and some bright red blood coating a tiny area of the stool near to the mucus and a some flecks on the toilet paper each time I wiped.

Could I have an internal fissure or hemmaroid without the doc being able to tell from a mere examination? Also, would a fissure say last months or even years??

[louise123_uk]

terrified right now that I might have bowel or anal cancer of some kind, id be terrified! and ive been reading of horrible outcomes like needing a colostomy which at 26 (well any age) sounds horrific!!

[nomorepanic]

You have been googling haven't you????

If the fissure or piles are quite high up then the doc may not be able to feel them or see them.

This is why I suggested a sigmoidoscopy.

I have had loads of bleeding this week but I know it is cos of either piles or a fissure.

Mine flare up when I get a bout of diarrohea like I am having at the moment then it calms down again for a few months.

[louise123_uk]

I have been googling, I know its bad! Its just before went to docs bout a month ago, I had more or less went along with always thinking piles or a fissure were cause of bright red blood from rectum but my doc examined me (inserting a finger, sorry to be graphic) and she said everything seems fine and said she wasnt worried! But I just cant get past why she wasnt worried as surely it would have been the other way round, dont worry if she found piles or a tear! cos I assume by saying nothing unusual she was ruling out these conditions which only leaves scary things like anal cancer! But then I have heard about things like internal fissures/piles but surely these wouldnt last for ages (Im pretty sure ive had the blood on the toile paper off and on for well over a year or more! yep, worried at 26 ive already left it too late)....

[nomorepanic]

It is highly unlikely at your age to have bowel cancer to be honest.

What you need to do is go back to the doc (like I did) and say you are getting the bleeding on and off and would really like it looked at by a consultant for reassurance.

I did this and as it happens I ended up being diagnosed with Crohn's and IBS but that is another story.

You can't second guess what the doc found so I would ask for more reassurance on what is causing the bleeding or further tests.

[louise123_uk]

Thanks for your reply I do think I'l head back to docs. Ive ignored things for so long I think is also whats worrying me, i just assumed bright red bleeding was nothing of concern and that only dark blood was sinister!

Have a severe medical phobia though so hence why really the only answer I really want from my doc is you have nothing to worry about its piles or a fissure but then I have also read that piles or fissures can actually be the start of rectal cancer!

[louise123_uk]

Can they do one of those sigmoidoscopy in my GP's office? Im terrified of hospitals!

[blueangel]

Hi Louise

Some GP surgeries might be able to do sigmoidoscopies, but only if they have the right equipment. If you're a patient at a large health centre you might be lucky, otherwise I'm afraid it's a trip to hospital - but they can give you a sedative so you probably won't remember much about it.

In your other post, I don't know about fissures, but piles most definitely aren't linked with cancer, as they are basically varicose veins in your bum!

[janni]

I have had same with IBS symptoms. Strain can cause it or piles. Please don't worry too much, hope this helps in some way