Please tell me this doesn't HAVE to be cancer

[Wornout8]

A very good friend of mine is suffering with rectal bleeding and lethargy and awaiting investigations, does anyone have any positive stories to share where similar symptoms turned out not to be cancer please?

My friend had this happen . Turned out it was internal piles (hemmerroids) xx

DH had similar. Had a colonoscopy and it wasn't cancer.

Could be crohns, IBD, or a good intolerance. Not necessarily cancer

OH had similar, it was severe ulcerative colitis. Not ideal by any means but he's doing well on treatment

Diverticulitis for me.

I've known people who've had this who have turned out to have diverticulitis and Crohn's.

Same symptoms here. IBD.

An ex of mine had those exact symptoms and was convinced he had cancer. Thankfully it turned out to be a rectal tear and the tiredness was probably down to the fact that he was working so hard.

It's more than likely nothing sinister, @Wornout8 - I know it's so stressful though 💐

The exhaustion could easily be due to being anaemic from the bleeding. Lots of causes for that that aren’t cancer.

I had this 20 years ago and it was internal piles.

I get bleeding now but after decades if IBS it is the outer skin tearing, as it has become thin and easily damaged.

For DH it was diverticulitis. They told him the result during the colonoscopy so he wasn't left wondering.

My dad and two aunts have all had colonoscopies with similar non cancerous outcomes.

A friend of ours has recently been diagnosed with diverticulitis, the amount of bleeding was unbelievable, to the point were an ambulance was called. He was really poorly at the time, but a few weeks later he seems fighting fit again.

My Dh has this. Had colonoscopy but couldn’t find the cause! I’m now wondering whether we should follow up. Hopefully not cancer else would’ve shown on the colonoscopy.

Thank you so much for the replies, it's lovely to hear some reassuring stories.

Piles, polyps, diverticulitis, it doesn't have to be from cancer and fatigue could be from anaemia from the bleeding and stress.

DH had terrible rectal bleeding, pain, weight loss etc.

We were convinced it was cancer and his GP was concerned.

He had the colonoscopy and it turned out (thankfully) to be really bad IBS. I didn't know IBS could be that bad. He lost so much weight and was bleeding so much I honestly thought he was dying (as did he).

Good luck to your friend

I thought I had cancer when this happened to me. Actually was ulcerative colitis and severe anaemia due to blood loss. Ulcerative colitis is rubbish but less bad than cancer.

Friends dd - one has crohns, other ulcerative colitis. It’s not always cancer. I suffer with rectal bleeding a lot- mine is due to really bad IBS.

Mind you, Crohn's and colitis is a life sentence. Not saying it’s as bad as cancer but it’s certainly not a relief to get that diagnosis. Fingers crossed your friend has piles.

DH had rectal bleeding, abdominal pain and extreme fatigue, turned out to be coeliac disease.

I have ulcerative colitis, these are my symptoms.