Blood in Stool

[dody2osu]

I'm 21 years old and away at college so it's not easy for me to get to my family's doctor.  Plus, it's very expensive to see someone outside of our network or even to pay a co-pay for doctor's close to me at school.  For the past year now I've been having mucous and blood in my stool.  It started with mostly mucous.  One day, I went to the restroom 22 times thinking I had urgently, but only mucous came out... no stool.  Those symptoms subsided for a couple months and then came back and then subsided again.  Then, more recently (about 4 months) there has been blood in my stool and that comes out after I used the restroom.  It started out with just a little bit, but today there was alot and it is always bright red.  It's to the point that 75% of the time there is blood in my stool and it hurts a little bit to use the restroom.  I'm not sure what I should do and it's difficult for me to see and doctor or specialist until I'm on winter break from school, and even then I only have two weeks off.

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Welcome to the MedHelp forum!
Since there is blood which you can see, it is coming from the lower gut. This can happen in hemorrhoids, rectal polyps, diverticulosis (outpouchings from the bowel wall), inflammatory bowel disease, or dysentery.
In hemorrhoids the blood falls after the stool. In fissures it lines the stools. In all other problems the blood is mixed with stools.
Since now it is predominantly falling after stool, it could be hemorrhoids. There are hemorrhoidal creams available in the market which you can apply. Sit in a tub of warm water for 10 mins at least twice a day. Increase fiber in your diet. Eat lots of fresh fruits, vegetables, oats, porridge etc. Good sources of fiber are fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. In addition you can try bulk stool softener such as psyllium (Metamucil) or methylcellulose (Citrucel).
Keep a stress diary and see if any food item aggravates the bleeding.
You can try this until you can consult your doctor. Take care!

[lancelot1414]

You shouldnt wait so long to see a doctor. Its not normal to have any muccus or blood on the stools. I recommend to see a doctor rush. You need blood work like CBC to check your hemoglobin levels, also you may need a gastroscopy or a colonoscopy to check for ulcers. Hope you can see a doctor soon.

[ssantor]

I would advise to see a doctor.  It could be a number of things but it sounds like it is not resolving and it is also getting worse.  The bright red blood indicates that the source of bleeding is happening in your lower GI tract, not in your stomach.  The mucus could be a symptom of irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis, or even infection.  None of these will resolve on their own.

[n8tivebrowneyez]

Well i work in a nursing home and it could be many things so if i was you i would try to go in to see a doctor. My sister had that and she has an infection in her stomach.