Chest pain,Bleeding

Hi folks this is my first post and it's great to have somewhere like this to ask questions from people having the same life affirming experience I'm having! lol.I'm in Month 5 of my Pegasys treatment and my GP ordered a fecal occult test as my bloodwork showed I was aneamic (I know thats bad spelling).There was blood present and I was wondering if others have had this happen as I was/am terrified it's bowell cancer as I find positive thinking on this treatment hard to maintain.(I'm depressive).Is it to do with my aneamia as i feel a little tight in the chest which is apparently a symptom (whch i monitor closely)4 weeks to go and I'm worse now than any other time on the treatment.I'm 40 years old and tested positive 10 years ago.I do not feel aneamic but my temper is O.T.T..any advice would be greatly appreciated.I have anxiety which I 'm hoping is making me feel like this and I'm on no medication for it or my moods.I'm completeing this treatment no matter what!.Thanks! Rod

[jmjm530]

Hi Rod and welcome. You probably know that none of us are doctors but we're willing to share what we do know and our treatment experiences.

There are lots of reasons blood can be found in fecal matter, from ulcers to hemmrhoids. So I wouldn't jump to any conclusions until your doctor runs some more tests.

Anemia is very common with interferon/ribavirin treatment. So it's possible the anemia has nothing to do with the fecal blood.

Since it appears you're only seeing a GP, -- especially in light of your GI issues --  now might be a good time to get some input from a GI or a GI who specializes in liver diseases. They are called hepatologists and are usually found at your larger, teaching hospitals. They also have more experience in treating hep c and hep c treatment related anemia.

All the best.

-- Jim

[Mister beagle bailey]

Hi Rod and welcome, I agree with Jim and you need to see a specialist.  I had anemia before starting treatment, only my anemia is called thalassemia ( I was born with it).  You probably need what we call recue drugs like procrit to raise your HGB but having fecal blood may be another problem.  So please get to se a specialist as soon as possible.  Let us know how you make out.

Beagle

[mycoldfeet]

The comments about the blood in the fecal matter,are on the mark and without an endoscope run up there to look, won't find out, but red blood means its below the stomach, it may be a slight case of varacies, no matter if your anemic you don't need to lose any, what matters to me is anemia, is a shortage of red blood cells (that carries oxygen) and chest pain is your heart's way of saying hey I need more oxygen. Call your Dr first thing, chest pain is nothing to play with.

[cuteus]

I hope your dr is not discounting the tx as the main cause for your anemia.  HE ordered a fecal test because you are anemic? ah! hello! yes, you will be anemic with this tx! It does not translate to GI bleeding the reason for the anemia.  How low is the hgb?  Make sure he does not pursue the GI blood as the anemia sole cause, make sure he intervenes with the hemolytic anemia, which is what you most likely have.  Naturally, he has to do further testing to determine where the intestinal blood is coming from.
If you have had antibiotics, other bacteria with powerful toxins can proliferate and cause damage to the intestinal lining.  Did he also order a culture, I hope?
best of luck with the follow up tests.

[cuteus]

I hope your dr is not discounting the tx as the main cause for your anemia.  HE ordered a fecal test because you are anemic? ah! hello! yes, you will be anemic with this tx! It does not translate to GI bleeding the reason for the anemia.  How low is the hgb?  Make sure he does not pursue the GI blood as the anemia sole cause, make sure he intervenes with the hemolytic anemia, which is what you most likely have.  Naturally, he has to do further testing to determine where the intestinal blood is coming from.
If you have had antibiotics, other bacteria with powerful toxins can proliferate and cause damage to the intestinal lining.  Did he also order a culture, I hope?
best of luck with the follow up tests.

[RodT]

Thanx for the quike replies everyone!-The Gp I have is notoriously thourough and frankly a little stressed and overworked but I'm not complaining because I say him for the 1st time in Feb and was on the treatment by March,after seeing doctors for the last eight eyrs and having them do very little.I presented to one with Ascite swelling (feet and abdomen) and he told me to "put my feet up"!(I'd been getting for 6 mnths)-Hence i got the doc I have now. I'm probably working myself into a state over something small (funny I do that a lot since March! lol), but I am onto it and have contacted my specialist.I'm pretty sure he did cultures and he (GP) told me not to worry myself, just get back to the specialist.It must've been a pretty small amount because when doing the "test" I got real "up close and personal with it" and it wasn't visible to the naked Eye! lol-I was mainly curious if any one had the same experience!-Again thanx!

[mikesimon]

I certainly don't want to alarm you but I would think that varices should be ruled out possibly through an endoscopy. You said you had ascites and swollen ankles and these are often seen with portal hypertension. If it is varices generally the blood in the stool is black and tarry and the stool is usually loose. Good luck. Mike

[GrandOak]

Often times additional tests are ordered to test if there may be internal bleeding causing the anemia.  Particularily if you are not responding to a rescue med (i.e. Procrit) to counter the chemo-induced anemia.  Do you know what you labs are and if your Hgb is getting dangerously low?

As for temper issues, Riba is known to cross the blood-brain barrier and as such play trips on ones mind.  I think when coupled with stress and perhaps frustration of tx, it does result in us becoming (and excuse me here gals) more PMS'y.  It is often called Riba rage.  I know I struggle at times as to whether it is the meds, my old man returning using meds as a crutch, or something else when I find my fuse getting short.