Blood in stool with diarrhoea, should I seek help tonight?

[DownByTheLakeWhereTheWatermelonsGrow]

I suffer from regular bouts of diarrhoea. Many visits to the doctor but no resolution.

Today I had a particularly bad episode. 40 minutes of severe stomach cramps and diarrhoea. Lots of retching but no actual vomiting.

This evening I've had further loose stools with blood in them. I am on hold to 111 but not sure if I'm being dramatic and can just go tomorrow to the GP? I am home alone with two kids so would need to call my Mum to come over tonight. Is this something that needs seeing to tonight or is it more likely to be a chronic thing that could be checked tomorrow.

Might want to head to A&E.
I recently had similar and ended up in hospital for a week on IV antibiotics due to an infection which inflamed my colon such that I had no poo in my stools, just liquid blood.

See what 111 say. I would assume it could wait though. Sounds miserable, hope you feel better soon

Could be diverticulitis, could be IBD. Have you ever had this investigated?

Don't go to A&E!!! Wait for 111 to answer or speak to GP in morning.

I had the same symptoms, made an appointment with my GP who ordered a fit test. Obviously it came back positive and I had a colonoscopy last week on the two week pathway.
I was told a&e if you’re losing a lot of blood, clots and severe pain. Otherwise gp appointment.

Poo with a bit of blood? 111/GP
Blood with a bit of poo? A&E

Doesn't sound like an A&E matter unless the bleeding is severe which it doesn't sound like it is. Wait for the GP tommorow.

Good summary.

Thanks everyone. Nurse at 111 said to get an emergency GP appt first thing tomorrow. Will do my best to sleep and rest!

Any luck at GP?

Thanks for asking. The doc was actually really great. She doesn't think there's immediate concern but has used it as a reason to try to finally diagnose my long term upset stomach issues. Got blood and stool samples to do and then I'm hoping she'll refer me to the specialist team for some scans.

I was going to ask if it is dark blood or bright red?
Bright red is far less concerning.

Bright red.

Nothing now since Thursday night.

If it’s bright red it’s fresh blood - could be a tear or fissure from going so often
Hope you get some answers

Not true.

Darker blood comes from further up the gut and has had time to darken before presenting itself. Bright red fresh blood has probably come from the lower part of the gut and has been passed very soon after the bleeding happened. (It's very rare that someone has such torrential bleeding from higher up in the gut that it passes through so quickly, but it can happen - but as I say, very rare and pretty obvious from the fact that the person is probably going to bleed to death without intervention!)

Small amounts of bright red blood passed on the outside the poo is often piles (haemorrhoids) or a fissure, especially if it's painful at the time. Needs checking but not an emergency.

Blood of any colour, any brightness or darkness, mixed in with the poo can be caused by any number of other problems, some minor, some serious, all of which ought to be checked but almost all of which can wait until the next day (unless you have a lot of pain, temperature etc, in which case call 111 for advice re how soon you should be seen).

If you're passing blood, it matters not what colour it is - get it checked!

If you're passing blood, it matters not what colour it is - get it checked!

Thanks for this. My blood was bright red. All I was passing by the time I decided to head into A&E was bright red blood. No stool. I was a bit fooled as my last meal two days before had been pasta with tomato sauce and then I’d had some strawberry herbal tea. There was a point where I was telling myself it’s red because I ingested red food and drink. Only when I was in huge amount of pain, hadn’t eaten for two days, could only sip water slowly, and almost delirious that I realised no that’s just blood and a lot of it. This is serious.

My colon was inflamed and bleeding copiously. I was given treatment for/to prevent sepsis as I had a nasty infection. I was admitted and kept in for a week.