Piles/IBS/trying desperately hard not to google please reassure me!

[Haggisfish]

Hello all
I have had a long history of bottom problems (piles that bled occasionally, nothing too awful and in recent years anal fissure that split with every mammothly large poo and would bleed but nothing worse).

However, over the last year (since having DD), my stools are much looser, much more mucusy (an orangey colour - once about 6 months ago def bloody, but not really since then) and having a definite real urge to go to toilet NOW! I also have cramps very low down and pain in rectum. I had a EMCS.

I have been to the GP several times who diagnosed post natal piles and/or IBS, but without any examinations. The proctosedyl she gave me works a bit to reduce pain. She has now done a blood test to rule out inflammatory bowel disease - am waiting for results.

Should I push for a colonoscopy if it is all clear? I am really concerned that it may be cancer of some sort - however, I am also a total worrywart and have been convinced I am very ill before, which have all turned out to be nothing.

I am 34 and there is no family history of anything bottom related. My gut feeling (sorry!) is that it may be colitis or something similar, but am desperately trying not to google and make myself worse.

I know there are some MNs who have had rectal/bowel cancer - please don't think I am being flippant or that I haven't been to my GP - I have. Could you also not post any scare stories, as I am fully aware of the awful things it may be, but am also aware that the laws of probability suggest it won't be any of those things!

So, I suppose I am asking for reassurance really. thank you in advance.

Mucus and an urgency are ringing alarm bells. Sorry I know you didn't want scare stories. Could well be something like Crohns or Colitis tho so you really need to rule everything out. My bloods showed nothing serious but in my case it was. There is now a very simple test to rule out bowel cancer which GPs are supposed to offer. Perhaps you should start with that?

Thanks Tallulah. Are you describing the occult faecal blood test (is that right?!) or another one GPs are supposed to offer? i'm going to get an appt tomorrow, so will push for it and a colonoscopy as the symptoms are not getting any better. Can I ask how your serious problem was diagnosed in the end - was it a colonoscopy? I think because I can be prone to anxiety and have had piles and just been pregnant, they are opting for the most common/most likely. However, I am a little concerned. thanks for your reply.

Hope you got on OK today.

I was sent for a barium enema (nowhere near as horrible as it sounds) which highlighted a problem. The hospital then recalled me for a CT scan which confirmed what they assumed they'd found. It was all very quick- referral from GP at end of January, BE and scan in February and surgery mid-March.

Haggisfish, like you i had emcs and nearly all if not most of the symptoms you have describe soon after.
I had scans, bloods, mri scan etc etc. Finally they gave me a colonoscopy and still they found nothing. Just put it down to Ibs.

I would push your gp further if you think things still aren't right. Good luck

Well, I went back to GP today after another unpleasant poo experience in the early hours of the morning. All my bloods were fine, including iron, inflammatory markers and ESR - the last two were very low, in fact, which is a good thing. She thinks it is excess acid and has prescribed omeprazole. I told her I was worried it was cancer, and she reassured me that I am wrong age group, symptoms not quite right for it etc. So, we'll see how I get on - would prefer a camera up bum if I'm honest, just to make sure nothing untoward is going on. Good luck to everyone else - let us know how you get on!

Although, interestingly, my thyroid hormones were borderline abnormal, so will see how that pans out, too! Blerdy pregnancy - the things they don't tell you!

If your symptoms don't get better, please go back to your GP. I went 7 times before I was referred. I'm not in the right age group either- it's irrelevant.

Thanks Tallulah - I will go back if I need to. I think that's part of the problem though is that I do go quite frequently (body has not been quite right ever since giving birth...). If necessary, I will ultimately pay to have a colonoscopy privately, although they are horrifically expensive. Will give it another two weeks.

Also, my symptoms do seem to come and go, so my poo can be ok for a week or two and then go very odd for a week or two.

Mine seemed to be linked to my cycle when it first started, with it being worse during my period and just before. Then it got worse all the time.

You poor thing, Haggisfish. Tummy and bowel things are not straightforward to diagnose, so all the things they don't know are under the umbrella of IBS. I have colitis, and I drained away. Blood and mucous must be investigated. I too had awful piles which were eventually injected. I think that, and getting the colitis under control helped. I hope you get a diagnosis soon!

Hi Haggisfish. I saw your thread the other day but didn't have a chance to reply. Half term and attempting to work. Not a good balance! I'm the one who had rectal cancer - there may be others but I'm quite vocal ;).

My symptoms were ignored by GPs for ages as I didn't fit the profile. They didn't use the words but the message was clear. I was 28 or 29 when I first went to see a GP about the oddness of my bowels. He treated me as if I were stupid and a spoiled middle-class brat with not enough to worry about (the joys of inner London).

My saga is too long and involved to list but I was finally diagnosed at 40. It had clearly been cancerous for some time but no doubt had caused me problems at a pre-cancerous stage for many years before hand.

It's obviously extremely unlikely that you have colo-rectal cancer, as it was extremely unlikely that I did. And I hope that nothing I have ever posted here has given rise to panic as it is still very rare. But, to be honest, I would rather you went through a few weeks of panic and fought to get a GP to take you seriously than go through the shit I've had to deal with.