Mucus, blood, diarrhea, & cramps! only 17 yo

weirdedout · Newbie Joined: 05 Jan 2007 Posts: 1

Hi. Sorry in advance if some of the following details are a bit gross, but I'd appreciate any insight you guys might have. :]

First off, I have an appointment to see a gi person this Friday. Don't know yet if I'm going to get a colonscopy or sigmoidowhatever, yet. But in the meantime I'm curious as to what your opinions on my symptoms are.

About me:

I'm 17 years old, female, and at a healthy weight for my height. I have GERD and am taking Nexium 40mg once a day.

My symptoms:
- Rectal bleeding on three occasions; first two were followed shortly by bloody diarrhea. The third, and most recent, happened without a bowel movement whatsoever. Blood dripping out of my anus for a few minutes coloured the toilet water red. So red in fact you couldn't even see the bottom of the bowl. There was no pain/itching/burning associated with this. I didn't even need to have a BM -- I just sat to urninate and noticed it. Stopped on its own eventually.
- Cramps. I get frequent sharp 'gassy' cramps in my lower abdominal area, my left side especially. They aren't too severe, and come and go in short bursts or sometimes stay for about a minute or two. These are just like cramps one might feel when they have a lot of gas that needs releasing.
- Changed bowel habits. I used to have a BM maybe once every other day. Now it is mostly one/twice a day (on the days when I don't have diarrhea). The stool itself is so soft as to almost be called diarrhea, and breaks apart easily. Most of the time it comes out in smaller soft pieces. No pain, no strain.
- Bloody stool. Occasionally I see large blotches of bright to dark red blood on the stool or mixed into the 'cracks' of the stool, if you will. Once or twice there has only been a small dot or two of visible blood. Other times entire portions of the stool are covered in it. No blood on toilet paper upon wiping.
- Diarrhea. On a few occasions, mostly in the morning, I get severe diarrhea accompanied by chills.
- Stool colour. My stools are becoming increasingly paler, like a light brown or brownish-yellow.
- Mucus. Also lately there have been HUGE amounts of thick white mucus on the outside of the stools which I pass that are formed. Sometimes there is so much mucus you can hardly see the actual stool.

I have had no significant weight loss and I believe my appetite remains intact. However I am really tired all the time. Could just be because I'm a student, but....I don't know. At times I get brief bouts of veritgo when I stand up from a laying or sitting position. Anemia?

Any ideas as to what this might be? Does colitis or IBS fit with these symptoms? Has anyone experienced anything similar?

southsidesweetie · Newbie Joined: 20 Feb 2007 Posts: 1

Wow. This couldn't explain better what's been happening to me almost every day for the last couple of years. All of the sypmtoms you mentioned, especially the harsh 'gas' cramps, the blood and mucus and the changing one day feeling constipated and only going once, then the next day having diarrhea, even the chills - mine is more of a cold sweat. I am 23 years old, female. My history might be useful, although I feel this is something else if someone else is experiencing the same things. I don't feel I have possibly been diagnosed right, but here's what's happened thus far.

One night out of the blue in 2004 (I was 20), I felt a horrible pain in my abdomen and could not lay on any side of my body comfortably. I went to the ER and they put me through a big donut and said i had some form of colitis. As soon as I could get into a gastroenterologist, I was scheduled for a colonoscopy. The photo results were ghastly. The colon looked inflamed, there were pus, bumps, sores. I was put on a regimen of prednisone and maintenence drugs, and diagnosed with Crohn's disease. At the end of the prednisone regimen, I was given another colonoscopy. This time the colon was pink and healthy, the prednisone seemingly working very fast. ( I was also given 60 count hydrocodones WITH 3 refills, and was taking the whole 8 a day if that sums up the kind of pain I was in. ) I had later changed gi doctors and the second doctor felt because I never took the maintenance drug and the problem only occured once that I did not have crohn's, but a one time flare up of something of the like. So he retracted the diagnosis, also giving me another colonoscopy and finding a polyp, later to find it was benign. Also through this time it was found i also had an anal tear (or fissure) that would bleed everytime i went. This concludes any doctor history i had regarding this. So since the fact it has been 2 years, and lately my system seems to be deteriorating. My 'gas' cramps feel horrible, and sometimes I wonder if they are that painful for others. My changing bowel habits from constipated to diarrhea and back. The blood and mucus, the blood seeming to come when I strain alot, because sometimes I feel like the muscles in my stomach/colon are not cooperating. And then the churning sounds, the incredible pain (bout 9-10 on the pain scale) being almost unbearable, the cold sweat and chills. Just tonight I have been in some horrible pain, resulting in diarrhea then bloody mucus with no stool, still feeling like I needed to go. Wish I could find out what was really wrong. I don't think this is Crohn's. Hopefully my history has been helpful, maybe you won't waste time like i did.

Irish Lass · Newbie Joined: 22 Feb 2007 Posts: 1

I ave similar symptoms, I go to the toilet and I have a pool of bright red blood that comes away with no strain mostly diarrhea but I go through phases of altering between constipation and diarrhea. I have pain in my groin and my left side. I am so tired to the point that i can cry with the tiredness, I sleep well but I wake up feeling I have not slept at all. I also get the chills but my face burns up too has anyone experienced this it usually happens before or after I have a bowel movement??

I am at my wits end. I have been to the doctor she did a rectel examination and said it was not piles. I have to bring a stool sample to her for the next three days and she took blood today to see how my blood count is. i will not see her untill next friday again but this is just really getting to me i CANT THINK OF ANYTHING ELSE AND i THINK A WEEK IS TOO LONG TO WAIT IF IT IS SOMETHING SERIOS.!!!

Guest · Guest

To the 17 yr old, sounds excactly like Celiac Disease, a gluten intolorance. You should cut gluten, wheat and maybe milk out of your diet untill your appt with the doctor just to be safe.

Guest · Guest

A friend recently had the same symptoms and was diagnosed with diverticulitis.

Guest · Guest

Just yesterday I started discharging only thick mucus. I can't control it and must wear thick pads. I have abdominal cramping. I have been to the bathroom over 20 times today. I just went to the bathroom and the mucus was all light red. Does this sound like IBS?

Guest · Guest

hmmm I'm having the same sort of thing, gassy abdominal pain at the top of my bum, and when I go to the toilet everything is fine but I wipe and there is blood and a shiny mucus on the tissue, what could this be?

thrivingmom · Newbie Joined: 12 Jun 2008 Posts: 1

It is anxiety. Your nerves are causing you to have colon spasms. Your dr. will most likely send you to a specialist who will do a colonoscopy just to make sure it isn't something serious (it's a good idea just to rule all the bad things out), but it's anxiety. I've had colon spasms since I was 5. I'm 32 now. You describe it exactly. Some constipation. Some diarrhea. Blood in the stool. The mucus and the cramps are a dead give away. If it were celiac disease, you would have it after every time you ate every day of your life. If it comes and goes and seems worse for a few days then gets better on it's own then comes back then it's colon spasms. Your dr. can give you smooth muscle relaxers to stop the spasms when you have spells. Half an Xanax can work wonders too. Try to meditate and take warm baths when you feel a spell coming on (usually mild cramps and stomach gurgling precedes all the other symptoms). You might just be very type A, but if you have specific issues that are weighing on your mind, you should see a counselor.

Guest · Guest

Actually gluten intollerence can worsen as we age and doesn't always present right away if the diet if very heavy in gluten and the colon is very damaged.

The only thing I can advise is to try to stay as calm as possible and eat a bland diet until the GI appointment. You could just have IBS with an anal fisure. You could have any number of other issues. Take care.

Mucus, blood, diarrhea, & cramps! only 17 yo

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