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Irritable Bowel Syndrome
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Posted 6/24/2006 7:24 AM (GMT -8)
Hello. Ive had IBS on and off the past 6 years, however this last time something has happened which kind of frightened me and I am looking for advice. 2 nights ago I had a really bad episode of IBS, as usual I get cramps every 10 minutes and then need to basically camp out in the bathroom until I feel better. This time however after having really severe diarreah , the next morning I passed what I can only describe as ( sorry in advance) a huge wad of blood streaked snotty mucus. Ive passed mucus before but always with stool and never on its own? Has anyone else ever have this happen to them after a severe bout? Thank you so much for any advice or responses.
Posted 6/24/2006 9:09 AM (GMT -8)
Hi pjbparrot,
Welcome to Healing Well :)
Mucus is common in IBS and yes you can pass it without stool however I'm just a little concerned about the blood. It could be harmless hemmies but you need to make sure. Have you had any tests to confirm your IBS? Colonosocpy, barium enema? Is this the first time you have bled?
Posted 6/24/2006 9:13 AM (GMT -8)
Hi pjbparrot,
Welcome to HealingWell! :-)
I can imagine how this new turn of events has scared you... But don't panic. Passing mucus is normal for IBS. Whether it be with stool or solely mucus - it is normal. The blood, however, is not commom with IBS. Don't worry too much about that either though... Blood can be from (internal) hemorrhoids. You may have aggrevated them with your previous night of D. Was the blood bright red? If so, your problem is most likely hemorrhoids.
Still, if you're worried you should consider seeing a doc.
Have you been officially diagnosed with IBS?
Posted 6/24/2006 11:07 AM (GMT -8)
Hi and thanks, yes it was just streaks inside the mucus, pink/red streaks, nothing dark or black. The mucus however was like jelly, got me kinda worried
Posted 7/11/2006 3:48 PM (GMT -8)

 My IBS is also flaired up right now. The other day I passed nothing but mucous without a stool. It was also tinged with blood but my hemmorhoids ae flaired up and I attribute the small amount of blood to that.

 I noticed that a few of you said you also pass only mucous sometimes. I spent two days looking on the internet for the cause and could not find one or even the definition of it. Anyone know?

I am curious as to where those of you say you have also experienced this got  the diagnosis that it was caused by your IBS.

Posted 7/12/2006 8:49 AM (GMT -8)
hi
im too having the same symptoms! let me tell u my whole story.. im 23 and had a baby a yr ago. about 3 months post partum i started having loose stools which were attribuites to postpartum thyroiditis. after my thyroid problem resolved i still continued to have loose stool which was then attributed to ibs, but i had no testing done. then i started to alternate, had diarrhea, constipation, thin stool, mucus stool.. had it all. over the last few weeks i have noticed on several occassions that i have what looks like bloody mucus in my loose stool. this is really frightening for me. the bloos is pretty bright red, and im scare.. what if its cancer. if anyone has symptoms like these, please let me know. i dont have this bloody mucus all the time, but i have seen it prob 3 times. im also thinking what if its not blood and just undigested tomatoe,, because i see undigested tomato skins in the stool too, sorry for the nasty details. pls help me out
thanks
Posted 7/12/2006 10:24 AM (GMT -8)
Hi lelele,
Welcome to HealingWell! :-)
Did you have a C-section when giving birth? Did you push for hours during delivery? Did you have a round of antibitics recently?
Those can all be factors in your newly developed problems. Having surgery has been known to trigger IBS. Pushing for hours has been known to cause hemmrhoids, which do bleed and will show up bright red in the toilet. Antibiotics have been known to trigger IBS as well.
With all that said, I still think your doctor should send you for tests rather than jump to an IBS conclusion without concrete proof. Maybe you could go back to him/her and ask for more tests.
BTW - Don't worry about being nasty or graffic... We talk about poop in all it's glory. Just make sure to follow the forum rules and not swear or post vulgarities. Thanks!
Posted 7/12/2006 10:51 AM (GMT -8)
Lelele, Lil's right on: you should see your doctor. Hemmroids are VERY common in women who have been pregnant and they will bleed bright red. But you do need to get checked out just to make sure. But don't worry yourself into a tizzy; colon cancer is not very common, especially among young people. IBS and hemmroids are hundreds of times more common. But bleeding can also be a symptom of Inflammatroy Bowel Disease, which will need treatment, so that's why you need to see a doctor to make sure that you "only" have IBS.

Have you had your hormones tested? There seems to be a link between women with hormonal problems and IBS. If your hormones didn't get straightened out after you had your baby, then that may be why you're having some bowel problems now. Also, changing your birth control can sometimes cause problems. If you're on some now that you weren't on for a long time before, or are on a different kind than before, you might explore going off of it or changing to a different kind. I think it was Lil who found her IBS got better when she got off the Pill. But some women who have naturally irregular hormones may find that BC makes them better, not worse, so that's something to think about too if you're not on anything right now.

Another thing you will want to explore with your doctor is getting a stool sample tested for c. difficile. This is a bad bacteria that you can get in your guts. It usually causes pain and diarrhea, but the symptoms can vary. It is actually quite easy to catch this in the hospital from toliet seats and I have read about a woman getting it who just went in for one night when she was giving birth.

Oh, and if you drink anything with red dye in it, like fruit punch, Jell-o, or Kool-Aid, you may want to stay off of it for a little bit while you continue to monitor your stools. Kool-Aid, I know from firsthand experience, WILL color your poops red, most especially if they are loose and/or watery to begin with. I haven't noticed this happening with natural foods, but certainly with the ones with a lot of dyes.
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