Bloody stools

[olly_whinnett]

Hi everyone,

About a year ago I saw that there was blood in my stools (red, not black meaning it's the lower GI tract) and I went to the doctor who said it's probably internal piles but he didn't examine me as I didn't feel comfortable with that. About a couple of months ago I started to get blood in my stools again but it went away so I ignored it. About two weeks ago I started to get LOTS of blood in my stools regularly (everytime I go).

If I do have a tumour and it is cancerous is it likely to have spread far because it has been left for so long as I haven't had it examined?

What are the odds of it actually being cancer? Is this extremely unlikely?

I don't feel comfortable with the doctor putting his finger up my backside. Is there any other way of him being able to tell whether it is a tumour or not or do I have no choice?

Sorry to post a medical question on an electronics board. I know it is inappropriate.

And this isn't a joke BTW!

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

As suggested, the most likely reason is probably piles (I can't spell the proper word! - haemorrhoids - cheated!, used google), but if it's worrying you I would suggest you go and be examined, which probably would be a good idea anyway!.

Personallyl I would find it distasteful as well, and I've only seen a doctor once in more than 25 years - and then only because I was taking my daughter. Bear in mind the doctor has seen it all before, and look on the bright side, girls get LOT'S more medical proding than boys 8)

(I'm presuming you're male?)

 

[Jay.slovak]

You are right, this post is not appropriate. If I were you I would post it in a medical forum.

I have to think about keeping this thread open...

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

You are right, this post is not appropriate. If I were you I would post it in a medical forum.

I have to think about keeping this thread open...

Difficult call, but this forum does say:

Relax for a bit and have a general conversation (off topic is allowed!) with other members

It's times like this that makes me really happy I don't have moderator ststus here :lol:

 

[olly_whinnett]

You are right, this post is not appropriate. If I were you I would post it in a medical forum.

I have to think about keeping this thread open...

Okay, you can change my post to 'does anyone know of a decent medical forum?' if you want.

I apologise!

 

[olly_whinnett]

You are right, this post is not appropriate. If I were you I would post it in a medical forum.

I have to think about keeping this thread open...

Difficult call, but this forum does say:

Relax for a bit and have a general conversation (off topic is allowed!) with other members

It's times like this that makes me really happy I don't have moderator ststus here :lol:

I thought you were a moderator! Silly me.

 

[olly_whinnett]

You are right, this post is not appropriate. If I were you I would post it in a medical forum.

I have to think about keeping this thread open...

Difficult call, but this forum does say:

Relax for a bit and have a general conversation (off topic is allowed!) with other members

I wouldn't have posted this question if this was not written if I'm going to be honest.

 

[Jay.slovak]

Yep, tough call.

Relax for a bit and have a general conversation (off topic is allowed!) with other members

I wouldn't say talking about something so serious is a Relax or general conversation.

Let's just see where will this discussion lead us to.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

I thought you were a moderator! Silly me.

Not in **** Chat 8)

 

[Hero999]

What are the odds of it actually being cancer? Is this extremely unlikely?

I don't know it sounds like piles to me but I'm no doctor.

I don't feel comfortable with the doctor putting his finger up my backside. Is there any other way of him being able to tell whether it is a tumour or not or do I have no choice?

I can understand that but I'd rather put up with it and find out what the problem is, and I thought that was the normal examination for prostate cancer which (as far as I'm aware) doesn't manifest itself in bloody stools.

Sorry to post a medical question on an electronics board. I know it is inappropriate.

Doesn't bother me, I don't have a problem with it.

My advice is search Google and go to the doctor.

 

[Dr.EM]

There is another examination method which may be applicable if your uncomfortable (understandably) with the doctor. It is called a beryian (sp?) meal, and you basically eat a meal contaning a radioactive chemical with around a few hours half life. When it travels to your bowels, a machine similar to an X ray will show up where it is going, and probably any anomalies on its path. Anyhow, i'm not sure thats appropriate for this, it might be though. A CAT scan would surely show this sort of stuff up too, but again its not the stadard procedure, at first at least.

 

[docel]

piles

It could be simple piles/ Haemorhoids and it is splitting occassionally, mostly due to constipation. Also aggravated during severe cough, sneezing etc.,
The veins in the rectum get tortuous(cf Varicose Veins), inflammed and burst due to external pressure of defeacation (about 20PSI average, 5psi normal and upto 40PSI in constipation( equal to a mini truck tyre pressure ) ).
Best see a doctor and be done with the examination. The Finger up is quite painlessas they do with local anaesthetic paste. (Proctoscopy) Will also be done visually via an interesting Fiber-optic proctoscope, which is electronics and may be on-topic!
If the inflammed veins burst , fresh blood will be voided in the stools. The complication is more unpleasant than the examination. The cure , too, is fairly simple, so please see a surgeon.

 

[Hero999]

I didn't think it was radioactive, I just thought it showed up on the x-ray because it's opaque to x-rays.

 

[docel]

BARIUM Meal

It is Barium sulphate which is X-ray opaque. Bitter too!

 

[olly_whinnett]

I don't think Barium is opaque - it's radioactive, so why would it be opaque?

 

[olly_whinnett]

Re: piles

It could be simple piles/ Haemorhoids and it is splitting occassionally, mostly due to constipation. Also aggravated during severe cough, sneezing etc.,
The veins in the rectum get tortuous(cf Varicose Veins), inflammed and burst due to external pressure of defeacation (about 20PSI average, 5psi normal and upto 40PSI in constipation( equal to a mini truck tyre pressure ) ).
Best see a doctor and be done with the examination. The Finger up is quite painlessas they do with local anaesthetic paste. (Proctoscopy) Will also be done visually via an interesting Fiber-optic proctoscope, which is electronics and may be on-topic!
If the inflammed veins burst , fresh blood will be voided in the stools. The complication is more unpleasant than the examination. The cure , too, is fairly simple, so please see a surgeon.

This makes sense. I have been on a massive dose of methadone for a considerable length of time (I'm not a junkie - don't ask) and as a result have been very constipated. Constipation is the only side effect I have been getting from the methadone and I guess this must have given me piles in my rectum!

 

[Hero999]

I don't think Barium is opaque - it's radioactive, so why would it be opaque?

Barium sulphate isn't radioactive, it's opaque to x-rays, meaning it doesn't allow them to pass, this is why it's used to take x-rays of the GI tract which is transparent to x-rays.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barium_sulfate

 

[docel]

opaque

well, the point was thrashed, filtered and digested, I think and accepted.

Whats left is the academic interest; will he or wont he visit his surgeon :?: :?: :!:

Right Olly?

...and the next posts should be, specifically, in that direction.

 

[spuffock]

Its opaque, not radioactive, and its got to be tasteless, its insoluble.

 

[olly_whinnett]

Its opaque, not radioactive, and its got to be tasteless, its insoluble.

It's definitely not tasteless!


In the end I decided that I don't want to visit the doctor. I would not want to have the knowledge that I have cancer and so I am not going to bother as I most likely have piles.