bleeding during colon prep?

[Mommy_of_2]

I noticed during my colon prep that I have some mucus with blood? would this b something to call my doctor about?

[Mommy_of_2]

I had my colonoscopy and everything came back clear. The report said no polyps no tumours no ulcers. There wasn't even anything to biopsy. So I'm a little confused where the blood is coming from?? I've had a few more instances too since then with the same thing.

[Nicole_GCCA Partner in reply to Mommy_of_2]

Hi Mommy_of_2 ,Congratulations on a successful colonoscopy and no sign of cancer. What did the specialist say was the next step?

We often hear that once a colonoscopy is performed and cancer wasn't discovered, that there seems to be a lack of energy on the medical team's side to determine what is going on (since cancer was ruled out).

This is where we typically see patients have success working with GI doctors that specialize in GI disorders - particularly those that have experience in hard-to-diagnose disorders.

You may want to see a digestive disease specialist and be sure that they have a copy of your colonoscopy report/images and any blood work that was performed.

Was a DRE ever performed on you? When you experience blood in the stool, the doctor will often perform a DRE (digital rectal exam) where they will both look and feel with their gloved fingers, to see if an any anal fissure (tears in the anus), hemorrhoids, or something else that could be causing the bleeding. Depending on the DRE results, any symptoms you are experiencing, family history, other factors, etc. your doctor will determine if further tests need to be performed.

Are you still experiencing mucus in the stool? That can be a sign of infection, often treatable with medication.

A good place to start could be a phone call back to the doctor to ask what the next steps are - if you are still experiencing symptoms, let him or her know that, and ask, what's the plan? If they say that they are unable to determine the cause, seek out another doctor. But first I would recommend verifying - did they see any explanation for the blood or mucus? Were there any anal fissures, or internal or external hemorrhoids?

You may benefit from having a doctor use an anoscope on you - which gives them visibility on the anal/rectal area.

There are two active and wonderful groups on HealthUnlocked that may be of interest to you, many patients who have had symptoms that were undiagnosed for a long time (or still undiagnosed) and they might be able to offer some advice based on their experience.

healthunlocked.com/crohns-c...

healthunlocked.com/theibsne...

Good luck and we'll be thinking of you.

~Nicole, GCCA Staff Member & Colon Cancer Connected Site Administrator.

Just a reminder - this group is here to offer support, share experiences, and offer our thoughts - but this is not medical advice, and you should always consult your medical professional(s). Additionally, for all emergencies, seek urgent medical care, never delay.

[Mommy_of_2 in reply to Nicole_GCCA]

I have a follow up appt. in 2 weeks. I do plan on asking him if he seen hemorrhoids because he didn't write that in the report, yet they are visible to me. So it makes me worried that he potentially missed something. I'm not sure how likely that is but it has crossed my mind.