Worried about bowel cancer

[Mumma02]

Hi!

I was just wondering if anyone could offer any support or advice to this very worried mother of 2.

Basically, I am very worried about my digestive health. Since I gave birth to my daughter in September 2016 I occassionally had bleeding from my bottom after bowel movements which at the time didn't worry me because I had heard this was common after giving birth...piles etc.

I gave birth to my second child 7 months ago and since then the bleeding after bowel movements has increased significantly. Not so much in amount but frequency. So now pretty much every time I go there is some blood when I wipe. Sometimes only a little speck but nevertheless...it's there. I have had 2 rectal examinations and both doctors said they could feel "a little pile" so I am hoping that is the cause...but should it bleed all the time?

Around 5 or 6 weeks ago I randomly had a spell of being very bloated for 5 days straight. Didn't matter what I ate it just wouldn't go away. This then led to a couple of diarrohea episodes and things then settled down for a few days.

I spoke to my GP in the mean time who sent me for full bloods and a stool sample and most recently a test for coeliac disease. All came back clear other than she said my iron levels were low. They came back at 12 which she said is not anaemic but on the low side? She said this is usually the result of heavy periods which I do have since having my son but I am worried I also have so many other symptoms of bowel cancer!

Since then I have also started suffering from indigestion which I have NEVER had before in my life. Even during both pregnancies. I also feel now and again a sort of stabbing under my right rib cage but it quickly goes. My stomach now constantly feels like I have diarrohea cramps but not severe enough that I need to go to the toilet and when I do actually go the stool is formed and not watery as should be expected with the way my stomach feels because it's constantly churning.

So basically does anyone have an idea of what this might be? I am terrified I now have bowel cancer even though my gp told me I "am too young for that" - I am 31 by the way. But I have read SO much information online now that suggests otherwise! She seems to think it's IBS but I'm not sure all my symptoms relate to this and can it just randomly start all of a sudden? I've never had trouble before in my life! I will be going back to my gp and I would love to just pay privately to have a colonoscopy but I know that's not an option with the Coronavirus at the moment. I'm so stressed!

Thanks for reading this really long post.

I had really odd pains in my left hand side, bloating and intermittent constipation. I had the blood tests for coeliac etc too. It went on for a few months (I had a pelvic US which was fine) and was finally referred for a colonoscopy, for it to reveal ... absolutely nothing! This was last year and the symptoms have more or less gone now.

Try not to worry, put it to bed for a few weeks and if the symptoms haven't gone by then ask for a second opinion.

I think mine was a hormonal reaction to Peri menopause, I wonder if yours could be hormonal changes from your babies?

Do you have any Bowel Cancer in the family? Parents, aunts/uncles, siblings, grandparents?

Thanks so much for your fast reply! I actually had my hormone levels tested too because I've been getting hot flushes but sometimes get goosebumps at the same time...never had anything like that before. But again they came back normal! Just don't know what is wrong with me! And typically we are in the middle of a pandemic so there's not much I can push for!

Borntobeamum...not that I am aware of. But I believe my mother's mother passed away from stomach cancer in her 40's. My mother was only a child herself so unaware of most of the details...

Bowel cancer is in my family, both grandparents, uncle and mother have all died from it . I have regular colonoscopies to keep a check on it. Sadly you are never too young to get bowel cancer. However , it sounds like you have been very sensible and spoken to your dr about this . I also have piles and can sometimes hear the blood drip out of me and splash in the toilet below, and also get it on paper when I wipe. From an anxiety point of view, if you went to the Drs everytime you saw blood from a pile, you'd be visiting the Dr regularly. If it's bright red blood I'd feel reassured down to a pile. You need to worry more if it's dark or if your poo goes very dark and sticky looking ( old blood ) Having said all that if you are worrying about it all the time, then ask for a colonoscopy for your own peace of mind.

Thanks Victoria! I should have added that the blood is always bright red and only on the toilet paper after I wipe. I definitely have health anxiety due to a huge cancer scare during and after my second pregnancy where I convinced myself I had cervical cancer but this turned out to be a cervical ectropion!! There was no telling me otherwise until I paid privately and had a womb biopsy though. I am hoping I have got myself in to a state about nothing but all I keep reading is how bowel cancer is on the rise in younger people and I have all these symptoms!

You sound like me! I get all of that. Anxiety will be at the root of all the gastro stuff. I get long periods of bloating/indigestion and varying bowel movements. Also the bleeding...piles can bleed a bit every day especially if you ever get any constipation. I have always suffered with little fissures. It only takes one big bowel movement and that's it...bleeding a bit every time I go. Sometimes for weeks. You might have a tiny fissure keeps opening up? I've been in peri for years already...the odd night sweat, flushing, anxiety, gastro stuff is part of it too. I have convinced myself so many times I have bowel or some other related cancer. I find bruilidine cream from amazon great for my bum and I'm now on meds cos my health anxiety got out of hand. It's made the gastro stuff better. Try treating the anxiety with mindfulness/self help books and head to the MH board. There's lots of us with health anxiety! You're fine. Honestly.

Hairydogmummy thanks so much for the reassuring words. I never used to suffer with health anxiety but it does take over your life at times. I am going to wait until Monday before phoning my gp again to see if there's any difference.

It can come at you as you get older I think. All these little things happen to your body that you'd don't know if they're normal or not and people don't necessarily talk about but when you take them at face value, seem to match up with cancer or some other awful illness but actually it's nothing.

It's hard to tell if there is something for you to worry about without a colonoscopy. Could you try to ask for one?

I didn't have blood but I had severe pain, changes in bowel movements and weight loss. I was 44 and was also told I was too young to have cancer. Except that I did.

I understand your anxiety and the chances are that's it's not cancer, but if your symptoms continue and you are worried, you should push for investigations. In my case I ended up in a&e as my bowels were on the verge of bursting and had to have emergency surgery to have the tumour (as well as half of my bowels) removed.

I really hope it's nothing serious. Good luck!

Sorry to hear you have had this Dulcedelecherocks! I hope you are ok now? Were your symptoms constant or did they come and go? I would like a colonoscopy but my understanding is that everything is on hold due to this virus.

I have terrible health anxiety and have worried about bowel cancer in the past as I have ibs, which I've for the most part got under control now with diet. I also get heartburn and all of the symptoms are worse with stress and anxiety. The blood being bright red is reassuring (and I also have had this fairly frequently in the past due to small tears/piles)

Try and put it out your mind for a few weeks and look up foods for ibs (I'm not sure what is best for diarrhoea as mine is constipation so I upped my fibre and ate loads of veg) and try some mindfulness and see if it helps at all? It's horrible when your mind is constantly alert and your symptoms are very real but the brain and gut are very interconnected so I'd rule out those and see if it improves whilst we are in this limbo period anyway. I'm sure you'll be fine but do get it checked out when you can to put your mind at ease

@Dulcedelecherocks that sounds very traumatic indeed. I hope you are doing well now.
It is so unhelpful to hear GPs saying people are too young for bowel cancer, DH had it a bit younger than you but has a similar thing to @VictoriaBun.

OP two things for you to get checked are your bowel problems and your health anxiety.
You're not too young for cancer, it's an unhelpful thing to say and perhaps your GP could look at the Bowel Cancer UK campaign called Never Too Young.
I actually think it's something that is said to people with health anxiety, and then is really unhelpful because you Google and find somebody younger than you who had it, and lose a bit of faith in your doctor.

I'm not saying at all that you have cancer, just that you're not too young to have it.
Get the medical attention you need and I hope all is well.

Thanks for all your replies. I decided to phone my GP this morning instead and she said that one part of my celiac test had come back and the immunoglobulin (sp) result was slightly raised but nothing to worry about as it could mean anything...not great for my anixety! The second part of the test and result I will have to ring the surgery for on Monday. When I told her the receptionist had told me my results were normal she said this was the hormone level result. So worried about this now and I've been feeling a bit dizzy and light headed over the last couple of days too. This makes me think my iron levels are dropping even lower...what actually is an acceptable iron level? Feeling so fed up!

Yes it was rather traumatic and all a bit of a whirlwind. I am now in remission (thank god) as it was over 2 years ago but the fear of it coming back never leaves you, especially when you have a young child.

I hope you ter enough good news to calm you down. I've suffered from terrible anxiety since my diagnosis and every little ache and pain makes me think the cancer is back so I sympathise. Good luck.

Dh (39) was diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer last year. He had no symptoms until he was diagnosed. You are not to young to have bowel cancer but the chances you do are very very low. It could very well be the pile that is causing the bleeding. Have or bowel habits changed, colour, shape etc.

There are loads of different reasons that cause digestive problems. Good luck

@mumma02 hello just wondering if you have an update?

I have had symptoms for the last few weeks that have been bothering me and I cannot get an appointment until next Tuesday.

I have had a nausea feeling all day every day for the last few weeks. It seems to get better when I eat and then comes back an hour or two later.

I also have bouts of constipation, flatulence and belching that have been ongoing too.

I have experienced bright red blood after a bowel movement but only when struggling to pass and I put that down to piles.

Just wondering if any of you have experienced anything similar.

Thanks x