AT Doctors: Medical Question

[James Bond]

My drive to work is a 35 minute commute. This morning there was a big accident on the freeway so I got slowed down for an extra 15 minutes.

About half way into my trip I started getting really bad cramps. I had thought about using the bathroom before I left home, but was in a rush so decided to hold it in. By the time I got about 10 minutes away I was in a lot of pain, really struggling to hang on. I ended up having to stop short of my work once off the freeway and use a McDonalds bathroom.

I noticed some fairly bright red in my stool, and blood was visable on the toilet paper.

Is it possible that holding it in caused this, or could there be something seriously wrong? I feel really light headed at the moment (not sure if this is from psyching myself out..), so I'm thinking about going to the doctor during lunch.

Edit: I'm 22

 

[MixMasterTang]

Im not a Doctor, but stuff like that has happened to me on occasion. As long as it doesn't keep happening you'll be fine.

 

[dakels]

Yes holding it in can cause bloody streaks in your stool, more likely the toilet paper not so much in the stool. You can rupture blood vessels in your lower colon/rectum/anus area (usually) by holding it in. This is probably not the big concern in your case. You should see a doctor asap. Feeling sick like that and bloody stool is a sign of a more serious illness. Could be anything from very bad food poisoning to ...much worse.

Doctor may ask you things like what you ate/current diet, color of your stool, previous signs of blood in stool, pain during bowel movement, etc. Depending on those answers, age, medical history, etc he may give you a rectal exam, or detailed imaging like CT/Xray and go from there.

 

[James Bond]

Originally posted by: dakels
Yes holding it in can cause bloody streaks in your stool, more likely the toilet paper not so much in the stool. You can rupture blood vessels in your lower colon/rectum/anus area (usually) by holding it in. This is probably not the big concern in your case. You should see a doctor asap. Feeling sick like that and bloody stool is a sign of a more serious illness. Could be anything from very bad food poisoning to ...much worse.

Doctor may ask you things like what you ate/current diet, color of your stool, previous signs of blood in stool, pain during bowel movement, etc. Depending on those answers, age, medical history, etc he may give you a rectal exam, or detailed imaging like CT/Xray and go from there.

Well, it's not that I feel sick really... Just a little light headed. I also have hypoglycemia, so this is normal for me pretty often.

Thanks for the reply

Edit: Also, I've never had any problems like this before.

 

[dakels]

Well, a little dab of blood on the toilet paper, even a "tiny" bit on the stool after constipation can be normal/ok but blood in the stool, especially a clearly visible red coloration should warrant seeing a doctor. Hardness of the stool or lack thereof is a factor, also mucous/blood in or covering the stool is also a indicator of possible disorder/disease as well.

I'm not trying to scare you. Hopefully and most likely it's just some severe constipation/temporary GI distress but indications point to other possibilities (however small the chances) which you would want to have diagnosed sooner then later.

Oh and I don't know if Hypoglycemia has any relevance to this (and the fact that I don't know means little as I am no expert on the matter). If you have diarrhea then make sure you stay hydrated and watch your sugars but I'm sure you know this.

 

[James Bond]

Originally posted by: dakels
Well, a little dab of blood on the toilet paper, even a "tiny" bit on the stool after constipation can be normal/ok but blood in the stool, especially a clearly visible red coloration should warrant seeing a doctor. Hardness of the stool or lack thereof is a factor, also mucous/blood in or covering the stool is also a indicator of possible disease as well.

I'm not trying to scare you. Hopefully and most likely it's just some severe constipation/temporary GI distress but indications point to other possibilities (however small the chances) which you would want to have diagnosed sooner then later.

Oh and I don't know if Hypoglycemia has any relevance to this (and the fact that I don't know means little as I am no expert on the matter). If you have diarrhea then make sure you stay hydrated and watch your sugars but I'm sure you know this.

Thank you for the info, I really appreciate it.

More info: A few months ago I noticed mucus in my stool. I was having diarrhea often, for about a week or so, and the mucus was usually there. It stopped for a while, so I didn't let it get to me. What are the chances that these are related?

 

[James Bond]

Originally posted by: dakels
Well, a little dab of blood on the toilet paper, even a "tiny" bit on the stool after constipation can be normal/ok but blood in the stool, especially a clearly visible red coloration should warrant seeing a doctor. Hardness of the stool or lack thereof is a factor, also mucous/blood in or covering the stool is also a indicator of possible disease as well.

I'm not trying to scare you. Hopefully and most likely it's just some severe constipation/temporary GI distress but indications point to other possibilities (however small the chances) which you would want to have diagnosed sooner then later.

Oh and I don't know if Hypoglycemia has any relevance to this (and the fact that I don't know means little as I am no expert on the matter). If you have diarrhea then make sure you stay hydrated and watch your sugars but I'm sure you know this.

Just the fact that I will feel really light headed pretty often when I have not yet eaten

 

[GenHoth]

Blood in the stool isn't that big a concern unless it continues to happen. If you start bleeding from down there on the other hand, its a little worse but will often clear itself up if you clean up your diet.

 

[Stiganator]

Was it a big crap? If so no worries. If it was blood diarrhea, then you should see a doctor.

 

[James Bond]

Update: Went to the doctor. Turned out to be an internal hemorrhoid. Thanks for the help!

 

[dakels]

Good news Tizyler. I had a feeling it was something more then just constipation from your description. Your diagnosis is an easy one to deal with but good that you got it seen. Internal hemorrhoids can rupture and cause big problems if not dealt with, depending on severity. Treatment may be just time or something a little more aggressive but either way it shouldn't be a problem now that you have it properly diagnosed. Good luck.

 

[James Bond]

Originally posted by: dakels
Good news Tizyler. I had a feeling it was something more then just constipation from your description. Your diagnosis is an easy one to deal with but good that you got it seen. Internal hemorrhoids can rupture and cause big problems if not dealt with, depending on severity. Treatment may be just time or something a little more aggressive but either way it shouldn't be a problem now that you have it properly diagnosed. Good luck.

I wasn't prescribed anything for it - Should I have been?

I went today and there was _no_ blood.

Edit: By the way, thanks for all of your help Dakels.

 

[dakels]

Originally posted by: Tizyler

I wasn't prescribed anything for it - Should I have been?

I went today and there was _no_ blood.

Edit: By the way, thanks for all of your help Dakels.

It's not always necessary to prescribe anything for that condition. It all depends on the severity. As far as I am aware treatment can vary from nothing but time letting the swelling go down on its own (for very mild cases), or as severe as endoscopic and open surgical intervention for extreme/dangerous cases. I would trust your doctor's opinion with a mindful eye out for any recurring symptoms (pain, chronic discomfort, blood, mucus, distention).

Happy to help, just remember it's just some random person's advice on a forum.