Why is my stool red?

[jo_e914]

Hi everyone,

At the beginning of February I had unusual issues with constipation. I say unusual because if I'm ever constipated it usually lasts for a day, maybe 2. This time lasted almost 2 weeks. Finally things seemed to have gone back to normal. Stools were a normal size and color.

Fast forward to this morning, I had a bowel movement and I noticed the paper was red and looked as if I had wiped up blood. I looked at the stool and all of it was a dark maroon color. I currently have what I think are hemorrhoids, because it feels like I have a cut near the anal opening as well as inside. A few minutes ago I had another bowel movement and the stool is still discolored, but this time more of a pinkish or light red compared to what it was this morning. This is the first time in my life this has ever happened.

I think I have IBS because certain foods bother my stomach and I get gas from time to time also after certain foods. I haven't been to a specialist for it yet tho. I saw my general practitioner for a regular checkup last week and he didn't mention that my blood levels weren't normal.

My stool doesn't look like any images that pop up when I search for blood in the stool online. All the pictures look like blood is literally mixed into the stool and in my situation it looks like someone took the stool and dipped it in red color dye. Im hoping its from whatever cut/sore I have near the anal opening.

Of course my mind is screaming cancer, but I'm hoping that its something else. I am going to give it a few more days to see if it improves on its own.

Does anyone know any idea what could be causing this? Any info would be great. Thanks!