Bleeding from down there

[WishIhadmagicpowers]

NC as this is embarrassing and personal, not a troll post, I’ve posted before under a different name.

I have IBS. Bloods/stool sample were both fine (taken several times, not just once) so no need for any further investigations or referrals. Bloods showed no inflammation and I tested negative for coeliac.

I have diarrhoea most days, but earlier this year I’ve started having a more embarrassing problem. I thought I was having incontenance as I had noticed staining on my underwear, and I had started to hurt down there- it’s a really sharp burning pain. I noticed a few weeks ago that actually it’s not incontenace but it’s blood. I’ve had diarrhoea with blood in it a few times before. Today, I had diarrhoea (no blood) then went for a walk and started to feel the sharp pain, so I came home and my underwear was stuck to me in a patch of blood. It’s not leaking all over my underwear, it’s only the patch that was stuck to me. It was both brown and red so I think it had been bleeding on/off for the entire time I was out walking.

I thought it might be a pile or fissure so I checked myself using a mirror but couldn’t see any blood or redness or obvious cuts. I also wiped down there but again there was no blood which I thought there would be if it was a fissure or pile? I have tried using anusol but it doesn’t really help.

I’m too embarrassed to go to a doctor about it, and I don’t know if this is just part of having IBS, but it’s happening nearly daily now and having a serious impact on my life- more than the constant diarrhoea/nausea is. I’m young (university age) and nobody is even seeing my underwear apart from me, but it’s still really embarrassing and it’s affecting the clothes I wear because I’m very anxious about bleeding randomly from down there and it being obvious. I was so worried thinking it was incontenance so I was relieved when I realised it actually wasn’t, but now I’m even more worried because I’ve realised it’s blood which is bad too! The blood is a mixture of deep, bright red and also brown- I’m unsure if this is because it’s dried blood or if it was brown anyway.

Sorry I know this is a horrible topic to post about but I don’t know what else to do. My doctor said I have to learn to manage my IBS so I don’t want to go back with this if it’s something simple I could treat at home, but I don’t know if it’s a fissure or pile or if there’s anything else that could cause this. There was no blood when I wiped and no obvious cuts or blood when I checked in the mirror. For anyone else with IBS, is this normal with it? What else could it be if not a pile or fissure?

No luck getting through to the doctors unfortunately, it just keeps ringing engaged. I think with this time of year (coughs, colds and all sorts of bugs) its probably really busy but I’ll keep trying and hopefully get through eventually

Have you tried bile-acid sequestrants? If not, see if your GP will let you try them (Questran or Colestid). I had this and it was basically my digestive juices (very acidic) burning my anus.

Bile acid sequestrants have stopped the diarrhoea and thus the burning too.

Good luck, I know how horrible it can be!

Is it worth calling 111 if you can't get through to the doctor? I would want to be seen ASAP if it was me.

I have had piles for years, and have ibs. I think it can be that some risk factors for ibs are also risk factors for things that cause bleeding, but ibs itself does jot cause bleeding.

And I think uts extremely rare for piles to just randomly bleed not associated with a bowel movement... I guess walking could irritate a fissure though (which would also explain the pain potentially).

I'm glad your getting back to the GP though - blood from bums should always be investigated (so should your previous occurrences of blood mixed with stool!)

Do you have an online form you can complete for your GP?

I always thought that if the blood was a bright red colour then that means its 'fresh' and is coming from a pile etc , but if the colour was brown or dark red then its come from somewhere 'further up' and you should definitely get it checked out.

Hope you're ok .. But dont delay, call today

@ImJustADaddy

I always thought that if the blood was a bright red colour then that means its 'fresh' and is coming from a pile etc , but if the colour was brown or dark red then its come from somewhere 'further up' and you should definitely get it checked out.

Hope you're ok .. But dont delay, call today

I think that's bright red blood means it's coming from lower down and much more likely to be a pile/fissure, but it is no absolute garuntee.

Definitely should be checked as you say.

Didn’t manage to get through unfortunately, I’ll try again tomorrow. I’ll probably hold off calling 111 because it’s not a huge amount of blood and it’s been happening on/off for months so it doesn’t really feel urgent enough for 111.

From reading everyone’s comments, I think it sounds like it could be a fissure that’s not just not healed up I’ll keep using the anusol from the pharmacy and hopefully I’ll be able to get through to a GP tomorrow

For the love of all things holy, please go and have a check.

Your GP will have seen big bums, small bums, hairy bums, wrinkly bums, wobbly bums, old bums, young bums, leaky bums, bums with piles etc etc.

Write it down and go in to the surgery and hand over the note to a receptionist so you don't have to say the words out loud. Email your surgery asking for a call back and explain your symptoms there.

Please do not put it off. The worst case scenario could be treated much easier with early diagnosis but also, the stress, of what could be something as simple as a fissure, will make your IBS worse and create a vicious cycle.

@Whywonttheyhelpme

For the love of all things holy, please go and have a check.

Your GP will have seen big bums, small bums, hairy bums, wrinkly bums, wobbly bums, old bums, young bums, leaky bums, bums with piles etc etc.

Write it down and go in to the surgery and hand over the note to a receptionist so you don't have to say the words out loud. Email your surgery asking for a call back and explain your symptoms there.

Please do not put it off. The worst case scenario could be treated much easier with early diagnosis but also, the stress, of what could be something as simple as a fissure, will make your IBS worse and create a vicious cycle.

You’re so right! I was getting embarrassed in case it was embarrassing or awkward but its probably as normal to the doctor as looking at someone’s finger or head or foot, it’s all just a body part to them! I was more worried about feeling silly because they’ve already said it’s just IBS and there’s nothing else wrong with me, so I didn’t want to go back with a minor problem I could fix myself but I don’t think I can fix this because the OTC isn’t helping.

I’ll try again tomorrow to get through, it’s a good GP practice but the phones are really busy and they haven’t opened up yet to book appointments in person and the doors are still locked unless you have a booked appointment. There’s no online ways to contact them and we don’t have econsult or ask my gp or any online systems so unfortunately it’s just the game of trying to get through on the phone! I’ll keep calling tomorrow and hopefully get through as they close at the weekend

My GP ignored bleeding for a year, I insisted on a gastro referral, saw him last Friday and he has arranged an urgent colonoscopy and gastroscopy for me this week. Please go to the GP and insist on a referral if necessary. You have every right to one and can also choose where or who if you want to see someone different from last time.

In a usual stool sample they will check for infection. You need your sample to have a calprotectin test for IBD- it’s not done as routine as it takes a couple of weeks for results. It is a very reliable source of inflammatory markers for IBD. In “normal people “ it’s around 50-100. If you have IBD it can be anywhere between 200-5000 if you are in a flare. Most likely it’s piles or a fissure higher up but def get checked out more. Bleeding in any form is not a symptom of IBS.

@OutdoorHousePlant

My GP ignored bleeding for a year, I insisted on a gastro referral, saw him last Friday and he has arranged an urgent colonoscopy and gastroscopy for me this week. Please go to the GP and insist on a referral if necessary. You have every right to one and can also choose where or who if you want to see someone different from last time.

Wow! I’m so glad you insisted on the referral. I really hope your colonoscopy and gastroscopy goes well this week I was referred to gastro previously but my bloods and stool sample were fine and they said there’s no need to do any further tests as I don’t have IBD and they said my age means it won’t be anything more serious. I got referred again this year but I think they said it was rejected as they have seen me already and it’s IBS (this might be wrong, the phone was breaking up so I’m not certain).

I tried to get through to the GP again throughout today but the phones are just engaged all the time and it’s not even ringing or putting me into a queue. I’m not bashing them though because it’s not their fault, it’s just so busy. I’m working next week so I’ll just have to keep trying when I can and hopefully get through at some point x

Am I the only one thinking 2 days of numerous and frequent efforts to speak to your surgery is not acceptable? I would be raising my disgust with that one! You definitely have good reason to need to speak to a doctor.

I agree @Desmondo2021, they may be busy but at the same time, that doesn't mean OP (or anyone in need) should just accept that they can't access help because a lot of other people also need it.
OP, when I've been unable to get through to my GP surgery, and it's been something that really needs to be checked, I've called 111 and they've booked an appointment for me, or have booked me in with out of hours.

Op, I’m not a Gp but a nurse, we see lots of bums and discuss much worse things. I know we are conditioned to be embarrassed by this stuff but honestly it’s what we are there for.

Hope you manage to get an appointment.

I might actually try 111 if I just can’t get through next time, I guess they’re probably well used to people not being able to get through to their own GP. Honestly I didn’t mean to bash my GP surgery, it’s actually a great practice but it probably doesn’t help that I’ve been calling during busy times in between University work and I’ve not been able to sit and call all day until I can get through. The bleeding was only ever on/off and it wasn’t a lot of blood, but it’s definitely something that I want to get sorted. I’ve been using anusol from the pharmacy and whilst it’s not taking away whatever is causing the pain/blood, it’s making it a bit more bearable at least!

If it is piles or haemorrhoids, they’re just easily treated with a prescription aren’t they? I read stories online about people getting them stapled and operated on but I’m presuming that’s just in really severe cases?

@WishIhadmagicpowers, I’m much better now, I’ve learnt to manage my stoma and can leave the house without having accidents again.
I had Ulcerative colitis, Diverticulitis and Chron’s disease. I started off like you and was initially told it was IBS and I was being neurotic. My stool samples were fine, Calprotectin within normal range, bloods occasionally showed minor inflammation markers. It wasn’t until I had a colonoscopy that someone said ‘oh fuck, that’s bad’, my rectum was yellow with ulcers, rather than a healthy pink. Unfortunately I was one of the very few patients who did not respond to any of the many and varied meds available, so sub total colectomy was inevitable at some point. In my case, if asked would I do it again, the answer would be yes. Apart from the fact it’s a literal life saver, I had got to the point where I couldn’t leave the house, needing to evacuate my bowels some 25 times a day, and frequently not making it to the loo!
Life is much easier now.
Get stroppy, best to get seen sooner rather than later, go armed with information, take a look at Chron’s and Colitis UK.
GoodLuck. 💐

So I didn’t manage to get an appointment this week- through no fault of the GPs- unfortunately my work and university timetable meant I didn’t have time to keep calling and wait on a phone call back as unfortunately they can’t give a specific time for this. (I completely sympathise with the GPs workload and I’m not trying to bash them). I’m going to look at getting a private appointment because whilst it’s a lot of money it might be easier around other commitments.

I’ve posted on Mumsnet before and everyone has been really helpful, but this thread in particular has been extremely useful so thanks everyone who dropped by- it was definitely the wake up call I needed to get checked. The on and off bleeding has actually stopped this week which I’m obviously very relieved about!

I feel like my doctor thinks I’m hysterical I had mentioned occasional blood in my stool previously during a separate ‘flare up’, so we did some more bloods and stool tests which all thankfully came back clear so they confirmed IBS and gave me another prescription to stop the diarrhoea I was also having (didn’t help so I stopped taking it). I just learned to ignore the bleeding as it only happened occasionally, however then I started noticing more in my underwear and wasn’t sure if it was blood or leaking. That’s when the start of my OP begins.

I’ve never been checked ‘down there’ in the 3 years I’ve had IBS symptoms (I presumed my age meant there was no need as unlikely anything wrong) so I suppose this could all have been undiagnosed piles all along!

I should have gone back when the I realised i was bleeding more but I’ve been back so many times with new IBS symptoms that turn out to be nothing and I didn’t want to feel like it’s all in my head all over again, so I kept putting it off. I’m going to take it seriously now though and get it checked- I’m sure it’s just piles or a fissure but from the sounds of other posters stories, it’s better to get checked just in case.

Please don't be put off seeing a doctor because you think you're wasting their time or you're embarrassed about going back about the same thing. I had cancer and had to go back 5 times to get diagnosed. If I had worried what the doctor thought of me I'd be dead by now.
I'm not saying you have cancer but ultimately your health is your own responsibility and no one else is going to advocate for you. Sometimes you need to be persistent and something like this should always be checked out properly.

@Fadette

Please don't be put off seeing a doctor because you think you're wasting their time or you're embarrassed about going back about the same thing. I had cancer and had to go back 5 times to get diagnosed. If I had worried what the doctor thought of me I'd be dead by now. I'm not saying you have cancer but ultimately your health is your own responsibility and no one else is going to advocate for you. Sometimes you need to be persistent and something like this should always be checked out properly.

You’re absolutely right, it’s my responsibility so I’m going to take it much more seriously now. Because until recently the bleeding was only happening occasionally, it was easy to pretend it was all in my head but I know it’s definitely not. I’m so sorry about your cancer diagnosis and I really hope you are doing well now

They told me I had IBS for a long, long time and they were wrong. I had to go private to get a colonoscopy and was eventually diagnosed with ulcerative colitis when I was 27. Don't take no for an answer - pester them, and tell them that you want investigations done.

I've got visions of a video consultation with OP baring her bum to the GP......

Joking apart, hope you get it sorted.

Thanks, I'm all clear now but don't think the fear of it coming back will ever go away.

Oh, I really feel for you - I'm going through the exact same situation myself! My Dr arranged a colonoscopy to check that there was nothing untoward going on, which there isn't. But you absolutely MUST be checked out properly. Just because you're young doesn't mean that it can't be serious. If you can't get through on the phone, write a letter instead. The Dr will read it & ring you back 💞