Blood in stool and abdominal pain

The last two or three days I have had sever abdominal cramping and pain, more so than normal and it is too early for it to have been PMS. At the same time I noticed bloating along with the discomfort and pressure. I have had somewhat irregular bowel movements, but nothing that was difficult or painful. Then tonight, the third evening, I noticed light red spotting on my stool, and the toilet paper was covered in the light red blood. A short time later I went to the bathroom a second time and there was nothing but the blood and some kind of mucusy material. While I know the blood in my stool is not a healthy sign, how long should there be blood present before I should be worried? My family has a history of IBD (inflamatory bowel disease) and I have had IBS off and on for years, but otherwise there is no family history of any types of cancer or other explanations. I am only 19 years old and I'm not sure if I should be worried or just stay calm and see if it passes? I'm in college and cannot afford running off to the hospital and doctors if it's nothing...any advice or insights would be amazing.

Liz.

[Morecambe]

As per my reply to Lynx 8807 (above) rectal bleeding is not normal and you should seek medical advice.

If you are losing significant quantities of blood then you may become anaemic.

So do get to the true cause of this and secure any necessary treatment

For more background google rectal bleeding and click on to one of the many sites - the Medicinenet site is particularly informative.

regards
Morecambe