Is rectal bleeding ever NOT Colon Cancer?

[becca1291]

I've had rectal bleeding with bowel movements since last Monday.  I went to the doctor Wednesday.  The doctor said that since I had been on an antibotic since Saturday for strep throat and that I had diarreha it was probably because of this.  She did a rectal exam and used a scope and found interior hemerrhoids and an anal fissure (tear).  She said if the bleeding doesn't go away in 2 weeks or gets worse to call her back.

Well, it has decreased but is still there a little bit.  Needless to say because I suffer from anxiety, I can't trust the diagnosis and I've convinced myself that I have colon cancer.  I found all these websites and it seems like everyone that was diagnosed had rectal bleeding - the bright red kind that I have.  Also, I'm 37 and found all of these people who are my age and have stage IV colon cancer.

I'm looking for people who have internal hemorrhoids and anal fisures to find out how much they bled.

I'm realy freaking out here!

[marc]

I have had hems and they usually burn or itch when you have a bowel movement.
Symptoms can last a while, including slight bleeding when you wipe.

[Chadster]

Polyps can bleed if they get aggravated, you can have polyps without having cancer.

[eduk8or]

anal fissures are fairly common and can cause a lot of bleeding

[AnxiousGuy86]

hemorrhoids can cause bleeding,especially if they are not treated and are constantly aggravated,if the blood is a bright red,its an external source,but if the blood is a darker colour ,it may be an internal thing.best thing you can do though is to talk to your doctor if it continues,no point in worrying about without knowing what it is.insist on having it examined by a specialist if it becomes worse or is giving you too much anxiety.

keep us updated please

[grateful]

This topic is what started my anxiety... I noticed a small amount in mucus and then for about a month tiny amounts here and there. Never on the toilet paper though. I did go to a GI doc and he thought it was colitis. I felt that it wasn't because I had no pain and no fever and my doc had already identified internal hemroids. I had a CT scan of my stomach because it freaked me out and everything was clear so the cause isn't cancer but could be colitis or polyps but probably is something benign. I haven't had it in a while so I'm just being conservative if it comes back I will probably go get a colonoscopy... I also started taking a pill called colon health it is a probiotic and I'm pretty sure that has helped. No more diariah either. BTW I am 34.

[AnxiousShaun]

After a few weeks of digestive issue, I found a lot of blood after a bm one day. I too convinced myself that it was cancer and that the amount of blood was going to cause me to die from blood loss. After a upper and lower scope, all they found was an internal hemorrhoid that they took care of. Things have been good for several weeks now. I'm sure you are fine, but of course you should have it checked out by a professional. Good luck!

[Daisy131]

i love the fact that i can post this annoymously and know that i will never worry about you people recognizing me in public!

last august i went through some ridiculous stomach issues- my diet was horrible and i was under tons of stress at work. well it started affecting my digestion, and after freaking out about it, i went to the GI doc- and got a colonoscopy at the ripe age of 26. i was convinced i had colon cancer b/c i was bleeding.

the GI asked if i ever saw blood in the toilet or just on the TP. well just on the TP. he said i'm fairly certain you have internal hems. and i do! not colon cancer, not crohn's disease, nothing but plain old hems and IBS due to stress. he preached fiber, water and exercise and proclaimed me totally normal.

basically, with colon cancer, you are not going to see bright red blood. your bowels will be black and very tarry looking, with a very weird consistency. bright red blood is anal fissures, hems, etc. i promise.

do you sit a lot at work or on the computer? that can aggravate/cause hems, as well as straining to use the bathroom.

[justnathan]

^agreed. hems can cause that. and you can also get a little blood from them when they get aggravated by diarrhea most definitely! alot of diarrhea with alot of wiping of a area that is sensitive to begin with and injured will yield some blood. its because the veins are so close to the skin that as the slightest skin wears off them from being raw or soar, little blood percolates through. ive had it happen to me when i had food poisoning last year. had diarrhea for like 14 days and little spotting on the tp from hurt hemorrhoids.