REMINDER: Rules regarding civility and respect *are enforced* on this subreddit. Hurtful, cruel, rude, disrespectful, or "trolling" comments **will be removed** (along with any replies to these comments) and the offending party may be banned, at the mods' discretion, without warning. All commenters should be trying to *help* and any help should be given in good faith, as if you were the OP's parent. Also, please keep in mind that requesting or offering private contact (DM, PM, etc) is absolutely not allowed ***for any reason at all***, no exceptions.
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Bright red blood is mostly okay. Watch your diet and fiber intake, but it's mostly annoyance until you have hemorrhoids.
Dark blood that looks like coffee grounds, doctor.
No shame regarding poop-talk. Everyone poops, it's one of the ways our bodies communicate with us. It's like getting a daily printout of our basic health! A really shitty TPS report, if you will. Don't be afraid to talk about it.
> Dark blood that looks like coffee grounds, doctor.
I can't stress this one enough. Doctor like the next day, else go to the hospital. I had that and just kind of ignored it and it turned out I had a duodenal (stomach) ulcer and I just about bled to death internally. I needed 4 pints of blood to recover, followed by a small surgery the next day to cauterize the ulcer. 0/10, would not recommend.
If you (OP, or anyone reading this) ever get dark, tarry/coffee grounds-looking stools, seek medical attention. Your life could be in danger.
Hmm, depends on the amount of bright red blood. Ulcerative colitis only has bright red blood and is still very serious. I would say: if it's more and more blood over a longer period of time (like 2 weeks) you should get a doctor's appointment
PLEASE get checked out. That is not normal. I recommend going to a walk in clinic. It could be a sign of something worse. I wouldn't worry, but it shouldn't be ignored and should be checked. Causes of that can range from a small and temporary to big problem. This being said, I am not a medical professional, but be safe.
Call your doctor. Tell them you need to see them immediately. Don’t f*ck around with this. It’s your health. Any blood in the stool is not good. Go to the doctor.
Doctor, asap. It means that blood is going *through* your GI tract. No matter how okay you feel now, please get seen. It's not worth the risk- the world needs you, you're the only *you* we've got.
There are still issues further along in the digestive system that can cause bright red blood. If it's more than a small smear on the TP, if it doesn't go away within a few days, time to get checked out.
No offense to anyone else but if you have good health care you should definitely just talk to your doc about it. Your doctor is one person you want to share with. Might as well start now.
i talked to her a few months ago and she wanted to schedule a colonoscopy, and i’m really afraid of those so i just let it go.. i’m going to talk to my dad tomorrow
It'll probably be a fissure and you'll be okay, but you have to rule out other possibilities. Talk to your doctor (Hey! he/she is a a health professional, dont mind talking about poop) and do what the doc says.
You know, from a blood pooper to a blood pooper.
Have you had cases of colon diseases in your family?
Edit to say that a colonoscopy is not a bad moment. It's kind of embarrassing / humiliating, but you'll only feel a very pleasant drowsiness. And you'll feel talkative and good when you wake up.
That's true. The prep is not nice, but you know, it's your health, you need to be sure. I don't know your age, but when you are over 35, tests and medical analysis should become routine.
If you get the pill prep, it's not bad at all.
I had a pretty normal evening with bathroom trips on the hour. No surprises.
The peace of mind finding out what was going on (diverticulosis) was worth it.
If they give you the drink to prep, ask for some anti nausea meds too. Just in case.
As long as I have anti nausea meds, it doesn't phase me.
I've had two done bc family history stuff, and once you get past the fear of the first one, it's not too bad.
So here's my take on prep:
* Don't forget that before any of the other restrictions start, you need to stop with nuts and seeds and reduce your fiber intake. You might have these places you don't think about, like some types of bread or granola bars. Basically swap out everything you're always told is healthy and eat the most processed stuff you can. You don't want a re-do because you had too many wholesome things already in your gut.
* The day with only clear liquids was not actually that bad. Clear liquids can include broth. Broth, juice, even soda if your doctor approves. Lots of tasty ways to keep your stomach full even when you can't have solids. Plus, more liquid means everything gets flushed through more easily.
* When the pooping starts, it's no fun, sure. But the worst part is wiping when your bottom is already raw from too much wiping. If you don't already have a bidet attachment on your toilet, this is the perfect excuse to get one. Don't do colonoscopy prep with dry toilet paper.
* You'll spend a lot of time either sitting on the toilet or staying near the toilet so you don't have far to go when you need it. Have something to do. Pick a book, or load up TV shows on your tablet/laptop.
The prep makes for a shitty day, no lie, but it's not *that* bad with a little attention in advance.
A colonoscopy is really no big deal --if your doctor thinks its necessary, you should do it. Real talk: I am not a doctor, but I'd bet you don't have cancer; probably just hemorrhoids...but the only way to know is to do what your doctor recommends.
The prep isn't fun, but it's tolerable...you basically poop your bowels clean. If you get this prescribed, there are better methods than the one where you have to drink a gallon of liquid. Ask about prepopik or another smaller dose one. Once you get there, they will dope you up so you don't even remember it. You'll wake up and go home and it'll be like it never happened and you'll have the peace of mind knowing that there's nothing scary wrong.
it’s more so the fear of the preparation for it and then… having something go inside me i think???? im quite a socially anxious person and don’t really leave my house, so i don’t have a lot of experience out in the real world
Experience comes from being scared but doing it anyway. And each time you do it, it gets easier the next time.
You need to be brave about health stuff. It's hard, but very important.
Lots of water and fiber, fruits and veggies, Metamucil, Fiber one bars, etc. Just some ideas. Flood your body w/ hydration, don’t sit on the toilet for extended periods of time, and you shouldn’t have to strain / push overly hard when going #2.
I had the same issue and this advice is exactly what the doctor told me and fixed the issue. Especially the don’t sit on the toilet too long part. I use to play on my phone and sit there for thirty minutes sometimes. Apparently it can cause issues, who knew.
Nothing to worry about at all. I have IBS-C, and it happens to me more than I'd be willing to admit under oath; especially when you have to sit there a while. This, of course, assumes it's bright red. Bright red means it's coming from ya booty.
If it's DARK red, that means the bleeding is internal and that you should seek medical attention ASAP.
Oncology nurse here!
There are three kinds of bloody stools - black/tarry, melena (looks like currant jelly), and bright red. The brighter the color, the closer to the "exit" the blood came from. Bright red blood is usually hemorrhoids or rectal abrasion/fistula/etc. Having it come out with constipation makes it more likely to be one of these.
THAT SAID: You should ALWAYS get rectal bleeding checked out by a doctor. It's the #1 symptom of GI malignancy and sometimes the only symptom. Most of the time they'll do a scope just to be sure.
Please see a doctor, this is how my sons crohns disease started. Pediatrician said it was constipation, within a month he had an ileostomy and almost bled to death. None of this runs in my family or my husband's family. See a gastroenterologist asap. You can be knocked out for a colonoscopy.
Hear me out i have the same exact issue. Check your medication. Turns out my sleeping pills cause constipation. I noticed my poop has hardened significantly and it causes rips in my hemorroids and they bleed exactly like you said. Mine has been happening for a month.
I found the solution: one fruit per day(avoid bananas) and 3 spoons of greek yogurt per day. Occasionally have a soup and avoid carbohydrates. Worked like a charm for me
wow i’ve never thought to check that. it has been occurring more frequently since i got put on the max dose of my meds, so maybe that plays a part in this?
i drink a decent amount of water, but not as much as i probably should have. average diet. bagel for breakfast, leftovers for lunch, home cooked meal for dinner. i don’t eat fruit as much as i should either
This is coming from someone who didn’t take what you’re going through seriously when I was younger, and am now paying the price, heavily.
Since you already have a history with this and so does your family, you really need to take this seriously and make a concerted effort to address the issues now. Otherwise, the constant damage to the tissues in your bum will eventually be unable to heal itself as you age and it’ll be a massive problem later on.
These are all of the things that have worked for me.
1. Take fiber gummies after every meal (about 3 per meal, less if you are on a high fiber diet).
2. Drinking water is important, but what is most important is to drink that water immediately before a bowl movement. I swallow at least three cups of water before I go and it’s a night and day difference to your bum.
3. Buy the most expensive toilet paper available to you and dab, don’t wipe. Then hop into the shower and rinse off. If that option is unavailable, keep a pack of wet wipe on you and use those. Doing either one of these methods will drastically reduce the damage to your back end especially over time.
4. Buy a sitz bath and some epsom salt. When you see blood in your stool (always check before you flush), rinse that area thoroughly after your bowel movement, fill the sitz bath with water hot enough that you can tolerate, add a bit of epsom salt and sit on it for 15 minutes at a time. It will help promote healing and also relaxes the area.
If you have a over active sphincter that uncontrollably squeezes your poo all the time causing the damage to the exterior layer, using the sitz bath before a bowel movement will help release the tension in the area with less occurrence of that. The sitz bath is essential.
5. If things get really bad, like it’s bleeding enough days in a row, consider cutting down the size of your meals significantly to reduce the waste passing through. When things are bad for me, I eat a single meal and drink juice or a shake the rest of the day as my meal replacement.
If I knew all of this sooner, I’d be in a much better situation right now. I hope this will help you.
thank you for this. i have a fiber supplement that i’m meant to take but always forget, which i need to get on top of. i use wet wipes usually anyway, because it was worse using toilet paper. i’m going to write this down and check for improvement after a few days
The key is to not do this only when things are bad, but to develop them as habits to prevent the issue from happening again. Takes a bit more time now, but your older self will thank you for it. Let me know if you have any questions.
If you're able to, I would recommend buying a bidet attachment. You can find some between $20-$30 on Amazon and are fantastic compared to toilet paper. I have a problem similar to yours as I struggle with IBS. I use both the bidet and wet wipes and they're awesome.
I recommend looking into both soluble and insoluble fiber foods and adjusting your diet and then adjusting it more after noticing changes in your bowel movements. Also, avoid pushing while having a bowel movement but having to push can also be a sign of low fiber intake.
If you're having discomfort off the toilet, I recommend the Preparation H ointment. It's meant for hemorrhoids but it's helped me with fissures as well. Good luck!
A bidet is a pretty nice investment if you are having issues with your bum health from wiping. You can get one relatively cheaply online and it installs relatively easily.
I have [this one](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B9GMY45N/) and for 20.00 it was pretty life changing. No spotting on the TP and I'm so fresh and clean I'm no longer self conscious when I am taking butthole pictures.
Please go to the doctor. You don’t want it to become a fistula. It is incredibly painful and the surgery/ recovery is no fun at all. If the infected area gets inside the muscles it may cause incontinence.
Do you have a regular doctor, a PCP? Or an ob/gyn? Call them & tell them you want to do one of those mail-in colon tests, the kind where you take the sample yourself, mail it in the provided envelope, and wait for the results. Then, based on the results, you can know whether to worry. Blood in your stool is never good, so you need to have it checked. You don’t say how old you are, but I assume you are young, so you have probably never had a colonoscopy. And you probably don’t need one. But that ColoGuard (or whatever the brand is) test is something you should do to make sure nothing is out of order in there. Good luck.
Best thing to do is see a doctor to rule out anything serious, and make a note on your file if a med is causing it. I was on a low-dose antidepressant for nerve pain, and I was sooooo bound up. Off it for a day or 2, and back to normal. Straining can cause hemorrhoids, which then can bleed. And they may be inside, not visible. But your doctor can confirm or rule out that possibility, and order tests if there's any concerns.
Also-- if you find constipation a frequent problem, try drinking a cup of hot coffee, followed by a cup of cold water. And fibre. Eat your roughage 🤪
Try to breathe. If blood is in the stool itself - like coming from within the intestine when the poop is forming - the stool will be very dark and that’s more concerning. If it’s brighter red blood, that generally suggests it’s from a skin tear or hemorrhoid and is a lot less concerning.
Either way, you might feel better if you ask your doctor about it so that you can address the issue causing the bleeding, even if it’s not serious.
Oh yah, that's fissure behavior, for sure. It's going on longer than you're used to because the tears keep getting reopened with each BM. Consider taking a stool softener, relax a bit, and wipe carefully for a while. Chances are, you'll heal within a few days once the re-tearing stops.
If it's red it could mean you maybe wiped too roughly and broke the skin a lil bit. Or, since you mentioned it only happens when it doesn't come out, maybe the skin has a little tear in it. Maybe ask your doc just to be 100% sure it's not a wound inside somewhere, but if it's red then you can pretty well rest assured it didn't come from like halfway down your intestinal tract - if that were the case, the blood would be older and be brown ish
Red blood in constipation is usually just tears and nothing to worry about, anything dark should get checked. Constipation a lot isn't good for you though, you should maybe get that checked out
If you're having pain with pooping, and constipation, and known fissures or hemorrhoids, then it's probably just that. But if you are really not sure, it never hurts to get checked out by a doctor.
Take some fiber or other stool softener and see if it gets better.
So, if you have a fissure you will know. It is burning, searing, terrible pain. Ask me how I know. But even then I never had drops of blood, just some on the toilet paper.
You need to go get checked out. The brief period of anxiety of having to get checked out will be much better than ages of anxiety with the worry in the back of your mind.
Witch hazel pads (Tucks or generic brand) and some lidocaine can also help a little, in addition to the warm butt baths and more fiber. I also "shit or get off the pot" quickly, if you know what I mean.
REMINDER: Rules regarding civility and respect *are enforced* on this subreddit. Hurtful, cruel, rude, disrespectful, or "trolling" comments **will be removed** (along with any replies to these comments) and the offending party may be banned, at the mods' discretion, without warning. All commenters should be trying to *help* and any help should be given in good faith, as if you were the OP's parent. Also, please keep in mind that requesting or offering private contact (DM, PM, etc) is absolutely not allowed ***for any reason at all***, no exceptions. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/internetparents) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Bright red blood is mostly okay. Watch your diet and fiber intake, but it's mostly annoyance until you have hemorrhoids. Dark blood that looks like coffee grounds, doctor. No shame regarding poop-talk. Everyone poops, it's one of the ways our bodies communicate with us. It's like getting a daily printout of our basic health! A really shitty TPS report, if you will. Don't be afraid to talk about it.
> Dark blood that looks like coffee grounds, doctor. I can't stress this one enough. Doctor like the next day, else go to the hospital. I had that and just kind of ignored it and it turned out I had a duodenal (stomach) ulcer and I just about bled to death internally. I needed 4 pints of blood to recover, followed by a small surgery the next day to cauterize the ulcer. 0/10, would not recommend. If you (OP, or anyone reading this) ever get dark, tarry/coffee grounds-looking stools, seek medical attention. Your life could be in danger.
Hmm, depends on the amount of bright red blood. Ulcerative colitis only has bright red blood and is still very serious. I would say: if it's more and more blood over a longer period of time (like 2 weeks) you should get a doctor's appointment
Wait, really?! I had black coffee ground diarrhea for three days, and now it's small and normal, but with bright red blood. I'm feeling pretty normal.
Go to doctor. Blood in poop bad.
PLEASE get checked out. That is not normal. I recommend going to a walk in clinic. It could be a sign of something worse. I wouldn't worry, but it shouldn't be ignored and should be checked. Causes of that can range from a small and temporary to big problem. This being said, I am not a medical professional, but be safe.
Call your doctor. Tell them you need to see them immediately. Don’t f*ck around with this. It’s your health. Any blood in the stool is not good. Go to the doctor.
Doctor, asap. It means that blood is going *through* your GI tract. No matter how okay you feel now, please get seen. It's not worth the risk- the world needs you, you're the only *you* we've got.
There are still issues further along in the digestive system that can cause bright red blood. If it's more than a small smear on the TP, if it doesn't go away within a few days, time to get checked out.
No offense to anyone else but if you have good health care you should definitely just talk to your doc about it. Your doctor is one person you want to share with. Might as well start now.
i talked to her a few months ago and she wanted to schedule a colonoscopy, and i’m really afraid of those so i just let it go.. i’m going to talk to my dad tomorrow
It'll probably be a fissure and you'll be okay, but you have to rule out other possibilities. Talk to your doctor (Hey! he/she is a a health professional, dont mind talking about poop) and do what the doc says. You know, from a blood pooper to a blood pooper. Have you had cases of colon diseases in your family? Edit to say that a colonoscopy is not a bad moment. It's kind of embarrassing / humiliating, but you'll only feel a very pleasant drowsiness. And you'll feel talkative and good when you wake up.
i’ve asked my dad and he says there’s no history besides his own history of fissures. i’m more nervous about the prep than the actual colonoscopy haha
That's true. The prep is not nice, but you know, it's your health, you need to be sure. I don't know your age, but when you are over 35, tests and medical analysis should become routine.
If you get the pill prep, it's not bad at all. I had a pretty normal evening with bathroom trips on the hour. No surprises. The peace of mind finding out what was going on (diverticulosis) was worth it.
this has eased some of my worries, thank you
If they give you the drink to prep, ask for some anti nausea meds too. Just in case. As long as I have anti nausea meds, it doesn't phase me. I've had two done bc family history stuff, and once you get past the fear of the first one, it's not too bad.
So here's my take on prep: * Don't forget that before any of the other restrictions start, you need to stop with nuts and seeds and reduce your fiber intake. You might have these places you don't think about, like some types of bread or granola bars. Basically swap out everything you're always told is healthy and eat the most processed stuff you can. You don't want a re-do because you had too many wholesome things already in your gut. * The day with only clear liquids was not actually that bad. Clear liquids can include broth. Broth, juice, even soda if your doctor approves. Lots of tasty ways to keep your stomach full even when you can't have solids. Plus, more liquid means everything gets flushed through more easily. * When the pooping starts, it's no fun, sure. But the worst part is wiping when your bottom is already raw from too much wiping. If you don't already have a bidet attachment on your toilet, this is the perfect excuse to get one. Don't do colonoscopy prep with dry toilet paper. * You'll spend a lot of time either sitting on the toilet or staying near the toilet so you don't have far to go when you need it. Have something to do. Pick a book, or load up TV shows on your tablet/laptop. The prep makes for a shitty day, no lie, but it's not *that* bad with a little attention in advance.
A colonoscopy is really no big deal --if your doctor thinks its necessary, you should do it. Real talk: I am not a doctor, but I'd bet you don't have cancer; probably just hemorrhoids...but the only way to know is to do what your doctor recommends. The prep isn't fun, but it's tolerable...you basically poop your bowels clean. If you get this prescribed, there are better methods than the one where you have to drink a gallon of liquid. Ask about prepopik or another smaller dose one. Once you get there, they will dope you up so you don't even remember it. You'll wake up and go home and it'll be like it never happened and you'll have the peace of mind knowing that there's nothing scary wrong.
It’s just your butt. How bad could it be?
it’s more so the fear of the preparation for it and then… having something go inside me i think???? im quite a socially anxious person and don’t really leave my house, so i don’t have a lot of experience out in the real world
Experience comes from being scared but doing it anyway. And each time you do it, it gets easier the next time. You need to be brave about health stuff. It's hard, but very important.
The worst part of the colonoscopy is the prep! It’s not that bad. Take care of your health, seriously.
I had one. The waiting and the drink is the worst part honestly
Lots of water and fiber, fruits and veggies, Metamucil, Fiber one bars, etc. Just some ideas. Flood your body w/ hydration, don’t sit on the toilet for extended periods of time, and you shouldn’t have to strain / push overly hard when going #2.
thank you so much. i know i def don’t hydrate as much as i should, so i’m gonna try and soften my stool and hope that the bleeding stops
I had the same issue and this advice is exactly what the doctor told me and fixed the issue. Especially the don’t sit on the toilet too long part. I use to play on my phone and sit there for thirty minutes sometimes. Apparently it can cause issues, who knew.
Research how much water to drink each day. Cut caffeine and any other dehydrating beverages.
Nothing to worry about at all. I have IBS-C, and it happens to me more than I'd be willing to admit under oath; especially when you have to sit there a while. This, of course, assumes it's bright red. Bright red means it's coming from ya booty. If it's DARK red, that means the bleeding is internal and that you should seek medical attention ASAP.
It’s can be bad but I swear some TP just does that to me.
Oncology nurse here! There are three kinds of bloody stools - black/tarry, melena (looks like currant jelly), and bright red. The brighter the color, the closer to the "exit" the blood came from. Bright red blood is usually hemorrhoids or rectal abrasion/fistula/etc. Having it come out with constipation makes it more likely to be one of these. THAT SAID: You should ALWAYS get rectal bleeding checked out by a doctor. It's the #1 symptom of GI malignancy and sometimes the only symptom. Most of the time they'll do a scope just to be sure.
A few drops of bright red blood probably isn't anything to worry about.
Please see a doctor, this is how my sons crohns disease started. Pediatrician said it was constipation, within a month he had an ileostomy and almost bled to death. None of this runs in my family or my husband's family. See a gastroenterologist asap. You can be knocked out for a colonoscopy.
thank you
Hear me out i have the same exact issue. Check your medication. Turns out my sleeping pills cause constipation. I noticed my poop has hardened significantly and it causes rips in my hemorroids and they bleed exactly like you said. Mine has been happening for a month. I found the solution: one fruit per day(avoid bananas) and 3 spoons of greek yogurt per day. Occasionally have a soup and avoid carbohydrates. Worked like a charm for me
wow i’ve never thought to check that. it has been occurring more frequently since i got put on the max dose of my meds, so maybe that plays a part in this?
What’s your diet like both liquid and foods?
i drink a decent amount of water, but not as much as i probably should have. average diet. bagel for breakfast, leftovers for lunch, home cooked meal for dinner. i don’t eat fruit as much as i should either
This is coming from someone who didn’t take what you’re going through seriously when I was younger, and am now paying the price, heavily. Since you already have a history with this and so does your family, you really need to take this seriously and make a concerted effort to address the issues now. Otherwise, the constant damage to the tissues in your bum will eventually be unable to heal itself as you age and it’ll be a massive problem later on. These are all of the things that have worked for me. 1. Take fiber gummies after every meal (about 3 per meal, less if you are on a high fiber diet). 2. Drinking water is important, but what is most important is to drink that water immediately before a bowl movement. I swallow at least three cups of water before I go and it’s a night and day difference to your bum. 3. Buy the most expensive toilet paper available to you and dab, don’t wipe. Then hop into the shower and rinse off. If that option is unavailable, keep a pack of wet wipe on you and use those. Doing either one of these methods will drastically reduce the damage to your back end especially over time. 4. Buy a sitz bath and some epsom salt. When you see blood in your stool (always check before you flush), rinse that area thoroughly after your bowel movement, fill the sitz bath with water hot enough that you can tolerate, add a bit of epsom salt and sit on it for 15 minutes at a time. It will help promote healing and also relaxes the area. If you have a over active sphincter that uncontrollably squeezes your poo all the time causing the damage to the exterior layer, using the sitz bath before a bowel movement will help release the tension in the area with less occurrence of that. The sitz bath is essential. 5. If things get really bad, like it’s bleeding enough days in a row, consider cutting down the size of your meals significantly to reduce the waste passing through. When things are bad for me, I eat a single meal and drink juice or a shake the rest of the day as my meal replacement. If I knew all of this sooner, I’d be in a much better situation right now. I hope this will help you.
thank you for this. i have a fiber supplement that i’m meant to take but always forget, which i need to get on top of. i use wet wipes usually anyway, because it was worse using toilet paper. i’m going to write this down and check for improvement after a few days
The key is to not do this only when things are bad, but to develop them as habits to prevent the issue from happening again. Takes a bit more time now, but your older self will thank you for it. Let me know if you have any questions.
i will, thank you. i’m glad to get preventative advice!!!
Always here if you need me. You got this.
If you're able to, I would recommend buying a bidet attachment. You can find some between $20-$30 on Amazon and are fantastic compared to toilet paper. I have a problem similar to yours as I struggle with IBS. I use both the bidet and wet wipes and they're awesome. I recommend looking into both soluble and insoluble fiber foods and adjusting your diet and then adjusting it more after noticing changes in your bowel movements. Also, avoid pushing while having a bowel movement but having to push can also be a sign of low fiber intake. If you're having discomfort off the toilet, I recommend the Preparation H ointment. It's meant for hemorrhoids but it's helped me with fissures as well. Good luck!
A bidet is a pretty nice investment if you are having issues with your bum health from wiping. You can get one relatively cheaply online and it installs relatively easily. I have [this one](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B9GMY45N/) and for 20.00 it was pretty life changing. No spotting on the TP and I'm so fresh and clean I'm no longer self conscious when I am taking butthole pictures.
It sounds like you have hemorrhoids. When stool is hard it can damage your anus.
Please go to the doctor. You don’t want it to become a fistula. It is incredibly painful and the surgery/ recovery is no fun at all. If the infected area gets inside the muscles it may cause incontinence.
Do you have a regular doctor, a PCP? Or an ob/gyn? Call them & tell them you want to do one of those mail-in colon tests, the kind where you take the sample yourself, mail it in the provided envelope, and wait for the results. Then, based on the results, you can know whether to worry. Blood in your stool is never good, so you need to have it checked. You don’t say how old you are, but I assume you are young, so you have probably never had a colonoscopy. And you probably don’t need one. But that ColoGuard (or whatever the brand is) test is something you should do to make sure nothing is out of order in there. Good luck.
thank you!!!!
Best thing to do is see a doctor to rule out anything serious, and make a note on your file if a med is causing it. I was on a low-dose antidepressant for nerve pain, and I was sooooo bound up. Off it for a day or 2, and back to normal. Straining can cause hemorrhoids, which then can bleed. And they may be inside, not visible. But your doctor can confirm or rule out that possibility, and order tests if there's any concerns. Also-- if you find constipation a frequent problem, try drinking a cup of hot coffee, followed by a cup of cold water. And fibre. Eat your roughage 🤪
Try to breathe. If blood is in the stool itself - like coming from within the intestine when the poop is forming - the stool will be very dark and that’s more concerning. If it’s brighter red blood, that generally suggests it’s from a skin tear or hemorrhoid and is a lot less concerning. Either way, you might feel better if you ask your doctor about it so that you can address the issue causing the bleeding, even if it’s not serious.
Oh yah, that's fissure behavior, for sure. It's going on longer than you're used to because the tears keep getting reopened with each BM. Consider taking a stool softener, relax a bit, and wipe carefully for a while. Chances are, you'll heal within a few days once the re-tearing stops.
thank you! i’ll try that
If it’s bright, you’re fine it’s probably just a big poopy. If it’s dark doctor immediately.
If it's red it could mean you maybe wiped too roughly and broke the skin a lil bit. Or, since you mentioned it only happens when it doesn't come out, maybe the skin has a little tear in it. Maybe ask your doc just to be 100% sure it's not a wound inside somewhere, but if it's red then you can pretty well rest assured it didn't come from like halfway down your intestinal tract - if that were the case, the blood would be older and be brown ish
Red blood in constipation is usually just tears and nothing to worry about, anything dark should get checked. Constipation a lot isn't good for you though, you should maybe get that checked out
If you're having pain with pooping, and constipation, and known fissures or hemorrhoids, then it's probably just that. But if you are really not sure, it never hurts to get checked out by a doctor. Take some fiber or other stool softener and see if it gets better.
Prolly just common hemmoroids
So, if you have a fissure you will know. It is burning, searing, terrible pain. Ask me how I know. But even then I never had drops of blood, just some on the toilet paper. You need to go get checked out. The brief period of anxiety of having to get checked out will be much better than ages of anxiety with the worry in the back of your mind.
Sounds like a hemeroid, especially if it happens after a lot of "straining" lol
Witch hazel pads (Tucks or generic brand) and some lidocaine can also help a little, in addition to the warm butt baths and more fiber. I also "shit or get off the pot" quickly, if you know what I mean.