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 :(

Tell him he is being a fool and he owes you and his family far more than this behaviour!

Ask him how he'd feel and what he'd think of you if you were clearly properly ill and refused to get help despite him being beside himself with worry.

He really should be going to hospital by the sounds of it. Hope you get further with the doctor, but it sounds as if you might have to be there fighting to get them to take him seriously because he won't! Good luck.

He's got an appointment with the GP at 11:05

I am hoping they refer him for some proper tests as he is not right and this not (in my non-medical opinion) IBS

Wtf is it about some people who won't seek urgent medical help when they obviously need it?
Lack of trust. Scared of the unknown or finding out what's wrong with them. Having to deal with receptionists with bad attitudes. Not knowing where the information they record about you will go. Not knowing how information they record about you will affect you in the future. Mot being kept informed or kept in the loop about what's going on. People making decisions about you without your input. They might have an idea about what's wrong with you, but don't tell you until they've completed tests. Them having a go at you due to smoking / drinking / not exercising / being overweight / not going to the doctor / being overdue for whatever.

Thinking of you Catgirl. Hope he's looked after better this time!

Ex-HCP here with experience in Gastro, he needs to see someone.

The chances of this being 'just' IBS in small (not dismissing the misery that is IBS)

On the other hand if the blood was bright red, it means it has come from lower down in the gastro tract, and that is usually easier to treat....when it gets diagnosed.

As a previous poster said IBS diagnosis is usually reached after everything else has been ruled out, not after 5 minutes.

Personally my GP who I have a really good relationship with, when I went to him with random gut issues he predicted that I'd be give a diagnosis of IBS but I still had to have a colonoscopy (camera up the bum) various scans etc.

To me IBS means that at the minute we can't find out what's wrong, but we acknowledge that there is something going on.

He's just left now for the doctors so I'll keep you posted (fingers crossed)

OK

They have taken a load of bloods and have referred him to hospital. They have fast tracked him and he should have an appointment in 2 weeks. They want to rule out bowel cancer etc.

I'm worried but at least he is now getting seen. :(

They have fast tracked him and he should have an appointment in 2 weeks.
Doesn't stop you worrying, but I'm sure if they'd thought A&E was necessary, that's where he'd be heading

let's hope it is not cancer.

Sorry to hear that op will be a nervous couple of weeks but will be good to get things ruled out/diagnosed and then treated.

I'm sorry your DP is going through this, but it's good that he has been referred. It doesn't necessarily mean that they think he has cancer, but obviously it's better to rule out the worst case scenario first

I know it doesn't help you worry less but I guarantee you that if they thought it was something sinister they would be sending him to hospital now x
Take care both x

I'm glad that your DH is going to be seen by an appropriate specialist, OP.

Whilst of course you can't help but worry, the vast majority of patients presenting with rectal bleeding to the GP will not have cancer. As he is feeling so miserable with sudden onset of symptom, it's best to get that emergency referral in order to rule the most serious possibilities out first and then narrow down what's going on.

I hope in the interim that he get's a bit of respite, you as well. Best of luck!

Thanks everyone

I am worried but I think there's lots of other things it could be so I'm trying not to jump to cancer and just thinking "it's good to rule it out".

Also it came on so suddenly and he's been fit and well right up until last Monday so that seems like a positive to me. He's not been losing weight or anything like that that might point to something sinister so fingers crossed.