To ask any HCPs for advice?

[catgirl1976]

DH is never really ill

But since Monday he's been really poorly

He had diarrhoea and he said he passed blood. I asked him how much and he said "about a pint" (Can't have been but must have been a lot as he's not given to exaggeration) He said the blood was bright red, so fresh

Since then he's been in bed with dizziness and stomach cramps. So nearly a week. After the Monday diarrhoea he was constipated till today ( and that was after some Sennokot)

He went to the GP who said IBS but I think it might be something else

You can actually see his stomach cramping - it's visible to the naked eye

He has no appetite and he's a weight lifter who normally eats 5000 calories a day so that's unusual

He looks grey

He has a slight temperature but only slight

He won't go to the walk in or let me ring 111 but has said he will go back to the GP tomorrow but I am worried

Does anyone have any idea what it might be? I was thinking polyps or something. I'm quite worried :(

Thanks :(

[Allthebestnamesareused]

How much pain is he in? Possibly an ulcer?

Definitely get to GP asap if he won't go to A&E

[PlayOnWurtz]

He needs medical attention you know this. He knows this but is scared. Get him seen.

[catgirl1976]

Not agony but he's barely been out of bed and he looks ashen if that makes sense

I've tried to get him to the walk in but no go so I'm pleased he's agreed to go back to the GP tomorrow but I am worried it's something nasty

I don't want them to brush him off with IBS - I know him and he's not normally ill. If he says it hurts a bit it hurts a lot

[catgirl1976]

He drinks too much which adds to my worry

[PlayOnWurtz]

Call 111. What's he going to do if you do? He's not able to get out of bed... Go downstairs and call.

[Babymamamama]

Could you call 111 And get some advice over the phone. He sounds really unwell.

[catgirl1976]

I know they will say come to urgent care and he won't go. Otherwise I'd call them. I'm just glad he's agreed to the GP again tomorrow but I'm worrying what it might be

Which I appreciate is pointless and google is never reassuring when you search symptoms

[TheCatOfAthenry]

Doc here. IBS shouldn't cause bleeding in and of itself unless he had something like haemorrhoids with it. I'm amazed the gp is happy to make a phone diagnosis anyway.

He really needs seeing quickly. Could be a number of things, including inflammatory bowel disease or diverticulitis, which are serious but treatable.

All the best. Please continue to urge him to be seen sooner rather than later.

[catgirl1976]

Thanks Cat

He did see the GP in person on Monday and he did a rectal exam but I have IBS and I have never had bleeding and it has come on so suddenly it just didn't ring true to me

He's been taking anti-spasmodics which haven't helped

I feel a bit silly starting this thread - I think I wanted someone to come and on and say "Oh it's this, give him a slice of bread and three drops of something and he'll be right as rain" - silly really

I'm glad he's going back to the GP and to be fair on Monday they did say if it hadn't improved it would need further investigation so hopefully they will refer him and get it properly checked. I shouldn't have googled as I've got myself quite worried whereas he has just accepted "Oh it's IBS".

I am almost certain it isnt

[TheCatOfAthenry]

Sorry, misread first post about GP visit. Either way, very quick to call it IBS. Glad he's going back.

[catgirl1976]

I'll update and hopefully it's something and nothing

Really appreciate the advice from everyone and I'll be ensuring he's at the GPs at 8:30am to get an appointment

[randomuntrainedcuntowner]

How old is he?

[catgirl1976]

He's 43

[regrouted]

Along with bleeding not being a symptom from IBS, IBS is also a diagnosis of exclusion, so really everything else needs to be ruled out first beforehand. Sennokot works by irritating the bowel so that might make his cramping worse. There are other laxatives that work in different ways, but he does need to be seen first to see that they are indicated.

Some weight lifters, particularly after years of heavy lifting can develop bowel prolapses (not necessarily externally protruding or touchable on rectal examination) or intussusceptions where the bowel telescopes into itself. They can take quite a long time to actually get to the point where they are noticeable let alone cause pain or interfere with opening your bowels. This prolapsed tissue can ulcerate and bleed, but also cause obstruction when opening your bowels so the stool gets stuck into pockets. When there is a impacted stool stuck, you can get overflow diarrhoea, which stool behind the blockage breaks down and literally overflows around it.

That's not to say that that is definitely going on at all and there are lots of possibilities that he might be suffering from, many of which are not sinister and are treatable. He is currently suffering and experiencing 'something" so as you say you are urging him to be seen as soon as possible to get some pain relief and subsequent sorting out of whatever is going on.

[catgirl1976]

Thanks regrouted

It's ages since I was diagnosed with IBS (and it's rare it flares up these days) but I am sure I had loads of tests for other things including a camera up my bum before they came to that conclusion so I was when he saw a locum GP for 5 minutes and they said IBS

Plus it's been very sudden and with the bleeding doesn't add up to IBS for me.

GP tomorrow and hopefully a more considered approach than just going "Oh....IBS" :(

[GladysKnight]

My husband had bloody diarrhoea with ulcerative colitis so that is a possible diagnosis. But bleeding like that all of a sudden is very worrying. If I were you I'd tell your DH that you are very worried so you are going to ring 111 to see if they can reassure you - but write down everything they say, and if they say go to hospital now, it's them saying it to your DH not you, and hopefully he will go too.

They might not of course, but I would personally want it seen to, especially with the alcohol angle as it can lead to dangerous bleeding I believe (can't remember the exact name of it but it's something to do with enlarged blood vessels. If he is grey and feverish and feeling dizzy, as well as cramping, I would be worried that something dangerous is still going on inside him, possibly still bleeding? Does he have any pain?

What colour was his poo today? If it was blackish, that is another sign he might be bleeding inside still.

best wishes, hope you get an answer and the right treatment soon

[GladysKnight]

Sorry just noticed your title asked for HCPs and I am NOT one. Apologies.

[ZigZagIntoTheBlue]

I have crohn's which is an inflammatory bowel disease- the symptoms you describe sound very much like a flare up for me but I wouldn't expect mine to just come on like that from nothing. Has he had blood in his stool before and not mentioned it? I was bleeding for ages before I sucked it up and went to the doc, I was embarrassed and thought they'd blame other things for it. I had to fight quite hard to get taken seriously though so be prepared to stand your ground. I first went to gp whilst at uni and they didn't even listen dismissed as 'stress'. Moved back but was at different gp and now suddenly gluten intolerant, they had me try removing all gluten. It was only when I moved house again and saw a doc I'd known my whole life, he knew I wasn't lying and it wasn't my normal. From then diagnosis was simple; a blood test and a colonoscopy.
Best of luck, make sure you don't leave without a blood form/referral. Even if they think suddenly allergic to something you could have referral in pipeline whole he tries new diet etc.

[regrouted]

It does sound like a poor consultation. Bleeding (rather than a bit of spotting on tissue with over-straining) can occur in a person with IBS, but it's the associated poor toileting over time leading to haemmorhoids and fissures rather than this sudden onset with your DH.

There are imaging investigations other than colonoscopies/sigmoidoscopies so I hope that's not putting him off being reviewed and potentially referred (if not requiring to be stabilised if he is acutely unwell at A&E). I should have added as well that the intussusceptions and internal rectal prolapses associated with weight lifting (as seen in post-partum women, also) can also be managed and surgery is not always indicated (it's an elective procedure).

I'm sure this goes without saying, but if your DH gets any worse throughout the night then do seek help. Otherwise hope you both get some rest and get an emergency GP appointment tomorrow.

[ZigZagIntoTheBlue]

How is he this morning op?

[catgirl1976]

He woke up at six feeling horrible. Still won't go to the walk in

I'll be ringing the GP at 8:30 when they open for an urgent appointment

Thanks everyone for the advice

[LurpakIstheOnlyButter]

My DH had this. Gp took a stool sample and it turned out he has campilobacter - food poisoning from chicken.

[BarbarianMum]

My friend had a similar situation with her dh a few years ago. He lived because she dragged him to a&e on day 4. GP kept saying constipation and he wouldnt seek a second opinion stupid stubborn man. He had pancreatitis, ended up in intensive care and wasn't discharged from hospital for 3 months.

So not to alarm you but if you think he needs a&e insist.

[Supersoaryflappypigeon]

Keep us posted op

[Moanyoldcow]

Wtf is it about some people who won't seek urgent medical help when they obviously need it? You are doing the right thing OP - hope he gets better soon.