Tummy pains last night...... then lots of blood (warning TMI alert!)...

[Toothache]

For those who have read about ds he is much better. He's had bad bad abdominal pains for the past few nights (so bad he's breaking out in a cold sweat on the loo!).

Anyway.... yesterday on the way home on the train my tummy started cramping and making those ominous bubbling noises. I managed to hold off going to the loo until I was at home where I completely exploded (sorry).

However to my horror it was mostly blood! What the hell could that be???

I got really scared, DH was working late last night so I was on my own with the kids. I took some Imodium and only had a small 'episode' after that (with blood in again). But after I had taken the tablets I read the leaflet which said "Do not take if there is blood present in faeces".

So 2 questions really:

1)What could be wrong (I've had piles before and it doesn't feel like those).

2)What damage might I have done by taking Imodium??

Please, anything would help really. I'm at work today (like a true Contractor!), but feel sick and shaky and frightened.

TIA

No idea honey, was going to suggest piles.

Get to the doctors ASAP

check out NHS direct

well all i know about this is that if it is red blood it is down from the stomach, because if it would be the stomach the blood should be more black than red.
hope you'll be ok.

Thanks folks. It was definitely bright red fresh blood.

Toothache, get to the doctors this sounds like dysentery! (Otherwise known as food poisoning- salmonella, shigella, E.coli...lots of different bugs cause it). If two of you in the family have had tummy problems, it's highly likely!

BTW, I've had it and survived it's not fatal! You'll probably need to provide samples of stool for both of you (sorry)and it can be cured with antibiotics.

Has ds had any blood?

I'd ring NHS direct if you can't get to your GP straight away, but it sounds like somethng you need to get checked out

OK, if blood is bright red , it means that it is coming from anywhere lower down in the gut- if the blood starts in or has to pass through the stomach it comes out black.

piles in side, they will have blown out with the presure. hope you feel better.

if you still worried go to docs

toothache - go home, call the GP and rest. Gone into work?!! Are you mad, woman? After all, you don?t want to spread any possible bug around at work - as my mum would say, "no-one will thank you for it."
Sounds really scary - hope you get it sorted out fast xx

not piles, they don't cause cramps!

agree, go home and rest. If you do have to prepare food for the rest of the family make sure you are meticulous about washing your hands, or you'll all have it soon!

Really, make an emergency appointment with the GP and get seen. I ignored my symptoms for ages (thought the diarrhoea was just "readjustment" after returning from a trip to Egypt, and managed to see past the really obvious blood and mucus for about 2 weeks). GP tore me off a strip for leaving it so long. I got 10 days off work too, and a visit from Environmental health too!

Thanks folks.

I haven't had any stomach pains since yesterday and ds seems fine. He has had 2 normal poos since his last bout of stomach pains.

I'm wondering if(for that read: hoping that) it was as someone suggested.... internal piles that perhaps ruptured. I'll see how I get along today, if it happens again I'll get straight to the GP. Promise!

I put the symptoms into the NHS link and it worried me even more.

Toothache, GO TO YOUR GP! Piles do not cause cramping and explosions of blood! Dd may have got over the bug or it may be lying dormant in him, ready to pass on to the rest of you.

You NEED your stools checked for campylobacter and all the other bugs I mentioned lower down. Do you want dd and dh to get it too?

If there have been two of you in the family with symptoms, then this is most likely an infection, NOT cancer, colitis or anything else you have read about on the internet. It is easily treatable and completely curable.

As others have said toothy sounds like good old fashioned food poisoning especially as it is doing the rounds, could be bacterial Campylobacter, Salmonella or Shigella or viral.

Do not take any more Imodium, this is bad for food poisoning as it bungs you up and can make the stomach pains worse (I speak from experience), I would go home, starve yourself for a day or two or eat things like dry toast if you can face it and drink plenty of fluids.

If it's no better it might be worth going to the doc who will ask you for a stool sample to be sent away for testing.

Oh the other thing be extra careful with hygiene ie scrub your kitchen and bathroom things like door handles and cloths are great carriers. Better to be safe when you have little ones around. Often these bugs make adults feel like c* for a few days but can be dangerous in young children.

Hope you feel better soon, I'm sure it will pass in a day or so.

Also, if you do have campylobacter or any of the other bugs, Environmental health will NEED to find out where you got it from- there may be some unsanitary food outlet in your area which needs to be shut down!

This is the sort of thing GPs are there for, if you go in and tell him/ her what you ahve told us, you will be taken seriously and the right steps will be taken.

Phone for a doctors appoitment and GO HOME!

yes toothachs right, i was only refering to the blood loss you need checking out for infections

the cramping and pain sounds like food piosoning
sorry to have miss lead you

Tissy - I just thought that I might have a tummy bug that caused diarrhea and perhaps the force of the blast (so to speak) caused the piles to rupture??? Wishful thinking..... I've never wanted piles so much in my life!!!

Dd had a touch of the runs a few days ago too, but only for a couple of days and it didn't seem to be causing her any pain.

Will sneak away early today and try to see the GP. The problem is that my GP surgery is a NIGHTMARE so will only get an emergency appointment if I explain in great detail to them why it's required...... difficult to do in an open plan office.

Actually, I probably better at work at the moment.... at least I'm close to a toilet and not on the train or in a station where you have to walk miles to the toilet then PAY to use it.... not great if you need to loo veeerrrrrry urgently.

Would Food Poisoning not make us vomit too, none of us have been sick although I feel a bit nauseous today (still managed my coffee and toast though)?? Ds's appetite never faltered at all.

I've never had food poisoning so I really don't know what to expect. Thanks.

No, food poisoning wouldn't necessarily make you vomit.

Piles are more likely to burst if you are straining with a HARD poo..(sorry!)

So dd has had diarrhoea too? Hmm....

Go to the GP, stand at the reception desk, say in a very loud voice that three members of your family have had diarrhoea, and you think you may have dysentery (just the technical term for bloody diarrhoea, BTW)and watch the waiting romm empty...you'll have an appointment in no time

Agree with tissy toothy - re the GP and food poisoning not causing vomiting it all depends on the bug involved. I've had similat to what you have described and yes sometimes after a night on the toilet you can bleed from erm the sheer activity. Better to get down the GP and get checked out, does sound like an infection if your DH has had it as well.

When I used to see all the customer complaints at work the majority of them would come back as nothing detected.

You will have to tell me your results when you get them, I'm sad like that, my DP says there is something wrong with someone who likes bacteria!

lol SK... I'm fascinated by it all as well.
BTW just to confirm DH hasn't had any symptoms... yet.

Lol Tissy - Great idea!! That'll show them!

How are you Toothache? It sounds like an infection to me, as well. I had two gut infections when we were living abroad but I didn't go to the dr for ages as I would have 'an episode' and then feel better for a couple of days and so on. It was only when I told a (lucky!!) friend who'd lived in Africa who recognised the symptoms that I realised I had an illness and it wasn't the water, travel sickness, migraine or nerves making me ill! Five days a/b's sorted me out.

Thanks Suedonim. I haven't had any 'episodes' yet today. And I've had a noce salad roll for lunch. I have a kind of burning aching pain in my abdomen though and feel a bit lightheaded.

Phoned that doctor yet, Toothache??