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Suggest Treatment For Severe Rectal Bleeding
Question: Hi: I have been experiencing rectal bleeding with my stools for about a week now. Prior to a week ago I was on a 10 day Green Smoothie Cleanse. A couple of days after the cleanse ended I started rectal bleeding with my stools, and the blood is bright red in color. I've also had a couple of mornings when waking up and going to the bathroom and urinating the toilet was full of bright red blood that had spilled out from my rectum. This doesn't happen every morning though. I have no pain, or any other type symptom just the bleeding with stools
Brief Answer:
Information
Detailed Answer:
Hello Saundra,
Bright red blood can be from internal hemorrhoids, but can also be from bleeding anywhere in the intestinal tract. Usually slow bleeding from the stomach looks black and tarry, so it is unlikely to be from that high up. I am concerned that there has been bleeding even when you have not passed stool, such as your description of it coming out of your rectum even after urinating. This would make hemorrhoids and rectal tears less likely to be the cause.
I strongly recommend that you call your doctor's office tomorrow, ask to talk with his/her nurse, and tell the nurse the situation and that you need to be seen promptly. If you are unable to get in to see your doctor tomorrow or next day at the latest, then urgent care or ER is your next option. This needs to be sorted out quickly as it sounds from your description as though there is a significant amount of blood being lost.
Possibilities are a colon polyp that was irritated by the cleanse process, an inflammatory process (less likely as you aren't having pain, fevers, or diarrhea), and the other things I described above. As you have a history of hemorrhoids, it is still possible that this is the cause, and the blood that comes out of your rectum after urinating (not defecating), is left over from the last time you pooped.
But as we can't say for sure - do go in to be checked soon.
Information
Detailed Answer:
Hello Saundra,
Bright red blood can be from internal hemorrhoids, but can also be from bleeding anywhere in the intestinal tract. Usually slow bleeding from the stomach looks black and tarry, so it is unlikely to be from that high up. I am concerned that there has been bleeding even when you have not passed stool, such as your description of it coming out of your rectum even after urinating. This would make hemorrhoids and rectal tears less likely to be the cause.
I strongly recommend that you call your doctor's office tomorrow, ask to talk with his/her nurse, and tell the nurse the situation and that you need to be seen promptly. If you are unable to get in to see your doctor tomorrow or next day at the latest, then urgent care or ER is your next option. This needs to be sorted out quickly as it sounds from your description as though there is a significant amount of blood being lost.
Possibilities are a colon polyp that was irritated by the cleanse process, an inflammatory process (less likely as you aren't having pain, fevers, or diarrhea), and the other things I described above. As you have a history of hemorrhoids, it is still possible that this is the cause, and the blood that comes out of your rectum after urinating (not defecating), is left over from the last time you pooped.
But as we can't say for sure - do go in to be checked soon.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thank you so very much for your detailed response. I had planned to call my doctor's office tomorrow but stumbled across this option while doing some online research. I will definitely either see my doctor or urgent care/ER before the weekend is over. I really need to get this sorted out. Thanks again for your response!
Brief Answer:
OK with plan.
Detailed Answer:
I'm glad if I can help. If you are willing and haven't closed the question yet, please let me know how you are doing after you have been evaluated.
Best regards,
Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh, MD
OK with plan.
Detailed Answer:
I'm glad if I can help. If you are willing and haven't closed the question yet, please let me know how you are doing after you have been evaluated.
Best regards,
Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh, MD
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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