Should I be referred to Colonoscopy now ?

[Craigdwalshe]

Hi,

I’ve passed blood in my stool on 3 occasions the last week and am very concerned. I went to the Drs yesterday, she examined my prostate and all seemed fine and nothing visible wrong. They want to do bloods next week and wait 2 weeks for results. Should I be getting referred straight to Colonoscopy now ? I am a fit and healthy 40 year old mate, I think this is the reason I’ve not been referred immediately.

Any thoughts ?

Many thanks Craig.

[GCCA-Survivor Administrator]

Hi Craig,

Thank you for posting in Colon Cancer Connected. Hate to hear you're having to deal with this, but great you're getting it checked out and seeking answers. Blood in the stool is definitely a symptom of something. And there are so many reasons for this to be occurring.

Not sure why they are doing blood work next week and didn't start that while you were there yesterday? You already know you have blood in your stool, so a FIT test will only reveal what you already know. There are certain procedures & protocols that need to be followed and that's probably one of them.

And to your question ... Yes. With this "examined my prostate and all seemed fine and nothing visible wrong", the colonoscopy should be your next step in determining answers. Definitely.

If you were given a FIT test it would turnout positive as you already know you blood in your stool. Given that, a colonoscopy is next in order to determine what's going on. Not sure why the only thing on the table is a blood test and having to wait 2 weeks for bloodwork seems to be a long time for that. I would think you would be moved up in priority category. Perhaps there is a different place to go to get things expedited?

We do wish you all the best in getting answers. I think you are all over this and that's great. Please keep us informed as to what you find out and what you had to go through to get it done. That info can help others here on this site as well.

Thank You,

~Tom, GCCA Survivor - 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.

[Alloagirl]

Why the prostrate exam, my husband has a blood test re prostate every year. Don’t know what they has to do with blood in stool. Yes you need a colonoscopy to see what is going on in your bowel. It may be many things and not cancer which I expect it what you are worrying about. I had blood test mainly to check no blood loss . Get back to your GP to ask for the colonoscopy , obviously your doctor checked for haemorrhoids.Good luck.

[Merlin1993]

Hi Craig,

I had a very similar issue to you. The GP sent me for blood tests and stool sample first, and then once the results came back (within a week) he referred me onto the outpatient department with a colectoral consultant. Had a consultation and then was booked in for a sigmoidoscopy a few weeks later. Maybe that’s the route your doctor will go down. Good luck

[Sunshine8240]

I had the same. Blood tests and stool samples first. Had to wait for blood tests too prob a couple of weeks as had ro wait a while for the actual nurse appointment. Bloods came back as anemic. Stool samples normal. It wasn't until all that came back they decided to give me a FIT test, which obviously came back positive(400) as my symptoms included rectal bleeding! That then seemed to trigger the referral to colorectal specialist who called me and then booked me a colonoscopy 10 days later. X

[Craigdwalshe]

Thanks for all the input. Update, I called Doctors today to try and make more sense of the appointment. Apparently the NHS in the UK won’t accept referrals to Colonoscopy until a blood test and stool sample have been submitted. I had bloods taken today and have a FIT test which I will do tomorrow. So now the anxious wait for results.

[Mylife21 in reply to Craigdwalshe]

What was your outcome?