Severe pain in my lower abdomin and blood in my stools

For the last six months I have experienced severe pain in my lower abdomin. It usually happens in the morning when I need to move my bowels. It lasts for 30 seconds to a minute and reduce me to my knees. I move my bowels following this and my stool is covered in thick red blood and mucus.

When it first started this would happen maybe 3-4 times a month. Now It happens a couple of times a week.
I have an appointment at the doctors in two days, but I am getting very worried about it after reading a few things especially about the bleeding.

.......................

Hi.

Thank you for using our free online services here at abdopain.com.

I can see that you are very worried about the severe pain in your lower abdomin and blood in your stools, on going for the last 6 months.

I can also see that you are even more worried because of the presence of blood in the stool and what it could potend for you.

Actually, it might not be what you are thinking of. May I start by asking how old you are? It makes a diffrence to the possibility of what could be going on. If you are less than 50 years old, it is likely that this is a case of what we call inflammatory bowel disease (Crohns disease or Ulcerative Colitis).

If you are more than fifty years old, it makes it more likely that this is a case of diverticular disease or diverticulitis.

Also where on your abdomen do you have this pain? I sit on your right lower abdomen or left lower abdomen? Diverticluar diseases are more common on the left lower abdomen, while Crohns disease or ulcerative colitis could be on teh right or left.

What's your appetite been like? have you had aany recent unintended weight loss? What about your stools? Has there been any change in the hardness or looseness of your stools? Well, I am asking these questions to help exclude the possibility of bowel or colon cancer, which I do not think it is.

It is good that you would be seeing your doctor in two days time. I believe you will get a very detailed assessment, including physical examination and then some blood tests and perhaps scans, if deemed necessary.

The good news is that if your symptoms are due to diverticular disease, Crohns or Ulcerative colitis, there are things that can be done. Even at the worst case scenerio, if it is due to bowel cancer (which I do not think it is, based on information provided so far), as long as it has not spread, it can be cured. yes, I mean cured completely.

Please see your doctor and we all here at abdopain.com really and truly wish you the very very best.

If you can, please kindly come back and update us on this page on how things went.

Best Wishes.


Dr O Edema
Abdopain.com