I'm falling apart. Help!

[windinthetree]

Warning TMI! I suffer terrible health anxiety.

Last week, I was very constipated strained a lot and when I looked down in the toilet there was a streak of bright red blood (small streak) on one of the bits of stool.

I panicked. Called the GP the next morning. Went through my symptoms explained I have piles from pregnancy, I have always had various levels of constipation and therefore mucus was a normal for me no real change. GP was lovely and said sounds like you have a small tare etc, recommended some stool softener and said not to worry. Then she said the following:

However we will get a full blood count done and a stool sample.

Now this has sent me spiralling - I don't understand the sudden u turn of it's a small tare and just keep an eye out to we will do full bloods and a stool sample.

It's the first time I've seen blood but also the hardest I've ever strained which I explained.

Can anyone help me here. Why the sudden u turn!

It sounds like she's being extra diligent to reassure you, OP.

Hi @windinthetree
Firstly I have health anxiety too. I could of written this myself as I had a similar scare a few years ago. When the blood is bright it's fresh so it usually from a tear yes and nothing to worry about. Did you tell the dr about your anxiety? Maybe they are doing tests to put your mind at ease.
I can imagine it's nothing serious. I get very anxious about every sensation in my body and have a panic attacks. It's scary but it's our mind being irrational. Type in google www.cntw.nhs.uk/selfhelp and go to health anxiety xx

I'm hoping so!

I did say to her I suffered from it and apologised as I know it would be annoying for GPS when they have a patient like this so maybe she is just being over cautious.

I'm away for the next week or so, so I can't get the bloods done yet anyway. I may speak to her (send a message) asking the background of these tests and whether it is just a put your kind at ease exercise.

I think what the gp is saying is that the most likely reason is piles/constipation. That said when someone reports blood in stools I think they are obliged to rule out anything more worrying. Blood test is a fairly quick easy was to do this.

It's just an abundance of caution on the part of the doctor and they're doing it to reassure you that nothing is wrong. As another poster has said, bright red blood is not a concern unless there's lots of it obviously. I also suffer from anxiety, so know where you're coming from. Just tell yourself there's nothing wrong, get the tests and forget about them.

Please don't panic - I know its easy for me to say! But she's just being thorough and cautious.

It probably is a small tear but she's just checking it's nothing else. Also, remember fresh blood is less concerning than old blood.

If it's not a tear there are a number of other things it could be so don't worry that it's cancer and several of these can be indicated by bloods.

She's just being thorough, don't worry until you have something to worry about x

Easy to say but wouldn't worry. Happens to all of us so my GP told me. I'd be happy they are looking in to it throughly, probably just because you're pregnant. Fresh blood not actually IN the poo I have been told is of no concern if it happens now & then.

@binbum apologies I'm not pregnant I should've been clearer. They are left from when I was haha

If she knows you have health anxiety it's probably why she's making sure, sometimes they investigate further sometimes they wait and see.
I do understand the first time I saw blood in my poo I was absolutely terrified but it was just hemorrhoids.
Bright red blood hasn't travelled very far at all, usually from just inside the bottom.

@windinthetree Ah I see, if it helps mine have definitely been worse since I had my DC 4 years ago, I had a thrombosed haemorrhoid in pregnancy & ever since then I get on & off bleeding. Honestly easy for me to say but really really would not worry x

Thanks all. I'm relatively young (26) and have always struggled with health anxiety.

I think it's because she said yep just sounds like a tare and nothing to worry about at all and then a few moments later switched to however we will be doing xyz.

My brain struggles to calm itself with that

Trust me, doctors don't say "yes, it sounds like xxx" if they actually think it's something else! They're really careful about they say.

There is no U turn. It’s a totally standard thing to check when you have blood in your stool.