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I Wrote A Few Months Back About Seeing One Speck
Question: I wrote a few months back about seeing one speck of blood on my stool that never happened in my 66 years, but I do have hemorrhoids too. Blood is usually on the toilet paper or in the water but never stuck to the stool. Yesterday, I found what I thought was blood stuck on one entire side of a large stool, and the smaller stools had no blood on them. I have IBS and went to the bathroom three times yesterday and never saw any other blood. Today, I never even went to the bathroom yet. I have blood on the toilet paper since the second time I went to the bathroom yesterday and it is still there after I showered and probably scrubbed hard today. IS that much blood a concern for cancer? If it happens every few months one time and goes away, is that cancer or a fissure or ulcer or hemorrhoids? I am not interested in having a colonoscopy unless totally 100% medically necessary. Thank you.
Brief Answer:
History suggestive of bleeding hemorrhoid.If you were my patient i would have done proper digital and proctoscopic examination despite of suggesting colonoscopy. I am a very old doctor and in our times clinical presentation of patient was considered rather then just prescribing colonoscopy or MRI for every thing.
Detailed Answer:
Hello and Thanks for choosing"Ask a doctor" query for your query,
Have gone through your details and answer is-
There are two types of treatment in your case
First one is bookish-Book says every person above an age of 45 should undergo colonoscopy once every 5 years;But clinically apart from blood loss cancer presents with a number of other symptoms too.Secondly bleeding is very heavy and increases with time,There is drastic change in bowel habits(that too in weeks),There would be persistent severe abdominal discomfort which would not respond to medicine.Secondly you are a known case of hemorrhoids and bleeding is very common in hemorrhoids specially as the stage progresses. There are 4 stages of hemorrhoids.So from clinical point of view its hemorrhoid or can be a fissure(minor problems).Just consult a MD he would use a proctoscope to see the stage of hemorrhoid and would prescribe you conservative medicines for 3 month
1)Prep H
2)Calcium Dobesilate-Effective in 70% cases
3)Laxative-To pass stools easily
4)Sitz bath
If not relieved go for non invasive surgery.
Your case sounds like 99% related to hemorrhoid but in case you are over skeptical about cancer then go for colonoscopy for 100% assurance.As a matter of fact when ever large stool would pass it would irritate the swollen veins of hemorrhoid causing bleed while small stool would pass easily.Therefore a laxative should be taken.
Hope i gave you a practical answer,
Feel free to follow up,
Thank you!
History suggestive of bleeding hemorrhoid.If you were my patient i would have done proper digital and proctoscopic examination despite of suggesting colonoscopy. I am a very old doctor and in our times clinical presentation of patient was considered rather then just prescribing colonoscopy or MRI for every thing.
Detailed Answer:
Hello and Thanks for choosing"Ask a doctor" query for your query,
Have gone through your details and answer is-
There are two types of treatment in your case
First one is bookish-Book says every person above an age of 45 should undergo colonoscopy once every 5 years;But clinically apart from blood loss cancer presents with a number of other symptoms too.Secondly bleeding is very heavy and increases with time,There is drastic change in bowel habits(that too in weeks),There would be persistent severe abdominal discomfort which would not respond to medicine.Secondly you are a known case of hemorrhoids and bleeding is very common in hemorrhoids specially as the stage progresses. There are 4 stages of hemorrhoids.So from clinical point of view its hemorrhoid or can be a fissure(minor problems).Just consult a MD he would use a proctoscope to see the stage of hemorrhoid and would prescribe you conservative medicines for 3 month
1)Prep H
2)Calcium Dobesilate-Effective in 70% cases
3)Laxative-To pass stools easily
4)Sitz bath
If not relieved go for non invasive surgery.
Your case sounds like 99% related to hemorrhoid but in case you are over skeptical about cancer then go for colonoscopy for 100% assurance.As a matter of fact when ever large stool would pass it would irritate the swollen veins of hemorrhoid causing bleed while small stool would pass easily.Therefore a laxative should be taken.
Hope i gave you a practical answer,
Feel free to follow up,
Thank you!
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Yogesh D
Answered by
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