7yo passing blood...TMI sorry

[Flighttattendant]

Hi,

Ds1 is 7 and has had a bad gastroenteritis thing this week.

He was having a lot of pain, on the loo about 10 times a day for a couple of days but since yesterday has been much much better, still loose when he goes but not very frequent.

He's eating and back to normal in most ways.
This morning he called me to the bathroom and there was quite a bit of blood in with his poo.

I've had colitis caused by antibiotics before and it was quite a nasty thing, took lots of treatment and about 4 months to go away. I panicked this morning in case this is what he has - he did have ONE dose of antibiotic during his illness as one doctor thought it was a urine infection, and this was the same antibiotic I had when I got ill a few years ago. Apparently it's one of the more likely ones to cause this infection.

He's just been again and still passing a lot of mucus, a bit of blood but hardly any this time. He thinks he needs the toilet but hardly anything comes out.

I'm really anxious obviously but can anyone reassure me that their child has had blood after diarrhoea? Could he have bled that much from a little fissure or something? He's not having any pain when he goes.

I will ring the doctor in half an hour when they open, but just hoping other people have experienced this and it wasn't a serious infection.

Thanks.

I do remember ds having lots of blood in his poo, but that was in the middle of gastro, not at the end iyswim. Anyway, he had horrid diarrhoea, the potty was filled with it and poo. The OOH doctor was unfazed, said...hmmm...actually don't remember what he said, but ds was right as rain within next couple of days.

It's a good idea to speak to a doctor, but it doesn't have to be anything out of ordinanry.

He's really been through it hasn't he? I can't offer any thoughts on what it may be, but would definitely ring the doctor.
Good luck.

Thanks, yes Winny I thought that too - shouldn't be starting now. My mother reckons it might be a little crack from the stress on his bottom, I don't know if that would cause the mucus as well though.

Really hoping it isn't antibiotic related thing.

Well, the mucus thing perhaps is expected with gastro and some gastros last a bit longer than 2 days- if it was really bad, as you say, it might take a couple more days for everything to go back to normal. Also, did he eat anything that could have irritated his stomach or intestins- you said he's back to eating normally.

Thanks, well no, nothing much really - he was happily eating and running about yesterday. He's been three times now this morning. I reckon he had a nasty bug and now this is just what he ate yesterday passing through...I guess he won't be back to normal quite as quickly as I hoped.

I will talk to the doctor in a bit, hopefully.

I hate this sort of thing!
arghh

thanks, Pixie - he is straining a bit but not on purpose now, it just feels like he needs to go but can't. I think his colon is probably quite inflamed still.

I have been reading up and sometimes things like campylobacter and salmonella can cause blood, so hopefully it is just the last of this passing through - he does seem fine in himself.

I've got an appt for him at 10 with the GP so hopefully he can reassure me us!

It does seem unlikely one dose of antibiotic could give him colitis.

Thanks again.

GP was not very reassuring! He says at least that he doesn't reckon it's likely to be antibiotic related colitis.

but there is no fissure, sadly (my best hope)

He said the results aren't back from the sample we took in on Weds, but if they come back with something nasty like salmonella etc we'll have to notify the authorities as they don't want it to be spread at school etc. He said lots of handwashing - well we are already doing that. and bleaching everything!

He did say that even if it is a nasty infection such as salmonella or campylobacter, it ought to self resolve. I can only send him back to school 48 hours after his poo is back to normal. So unless dramatic improvement before tomorrow morning, he won't be going back on Monday. Arghhh

How annoying.

At the same time it's good he doesn't think it's colitis and that it will most probably resolve on its own.

Yes, that's true. Got to look on the bright side!

He's still going quite frequently but no more blood since this morning so really hoping that was just an aberration..

thanks again Winny.