Blood in stool / health anxiety

[Crikeycripes]

Since the birth of my DS I've had intermittent ache / pain in my lower left pelvic area ( maybe the colon?). I can go several days without noticing anything but then on other days I'm very aware of it. It's not bad enough to prevent me doing anything as such. I've also had 2 random episodes of mid cycle bleeding (only occurred less than a day each time).

I also seem to have acquired a horrible health anxiety which comes and goes, eg if I hear of somebody having cancer I think it's going to happen to me and am beyond terrified of not seeing my DS grow up. I seem to have a real issue with death which I never did before.

I've had a pelvic scan and blood tests, all fine (no ovarian cancer which i was convinced I had . The radiographer suggested it might be bowel related but the scan didn't scan that area. I recently bought one of those bowel kits and when I did the test it showed as blood being present in the stool. Had a massive panick but my GP doesn't think it's anything to worry about. Being referred on the safe side but wondering if anybody else has something similar?

Did read another really interesting thread in this section about anxiety being linked to IBS but the blood thing is worrying me a lot.

If you have blood in your poo then you need to get it checked out (its probably nothing but at least you can rule things out).

IBS can be linked to anxiety, i suffer from health anxiety and it often triggers of IBS.

Please try not to worry but its best to get it checked, is there any chance you have piles? (this can cause bleeding). I had blood in my wee for ages (kept showing up in tests at the gp) but nothing was found.

Thanks for replying, appreciate it Marne

Crikey, those test-yourself-kits are known to show false positives, not uncommon - I really wouldn't worry too much! But its good the GP is having you checked for safety, and for peace of mind.

Re the health anxiety, I can relate to some extent....I developed a fear of flying after birth of the dds, which I never had before. Though HA, which I did have in my teens/intermittently, got better

I do think its a good point Footie makes, because p;ost natal depression can cause tremendous anxiety....maybe talk to your doctor about that? Having a baby, becoming a mother, is a huge thing - perspectives change, and old buried anxieties can rear up, all sorts of stuff. If you think it would help the HA to have some counselling, you could ask for some or source some if able to pay - I think, personally, thats what I would do (and have done).

Good luck, and again - those tests are not at all reliable, my bet is all is well

ps the intermittent ache I can also relate to - mine was IBS.

Thanks so much for replying Footie and Elibean.

You've both raised some really interesting points and very reassuring to note what was said about the home test kits.