I (18 F) have been having continuous rectal bleeding for a month now. The bleeding usually occurs without bowel movements, but I've also had streaks of blood and clots in my stools. I've also had a lot of pain mostly on my right side of my lower abdomen/pelvis. I've been having urgent bowel movements with lots of loose stools, so no straining. Should also mention that I haven't had a period in 3 months (never had this issue before). I've had life long issues with loads of trapped gas/an inability to pass gas.
What concerns me the most are the dark clots. I haven't taken a picture every time, but sometimes the clots are entirely black and the bleeding surrounding is a duller brownish colour. I've visited a doctor and we ruled out external hemmorhoids and I have been referred to a GI specialist, but am unsure of when I will get to see them.
Please let me know if anyone has had similar experiences and if the bleeding possibly aligns with internal hemmorhoids or any other issue, as I'm aware I'm too young to be worrying about the big C.
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indigobanana
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you are young but that doesn't mean they shouldn't rule out the big C. You need a colonoscopy, that will diagnose whatever this is. I know people on here have had a lot of bleeding with polyps and similar symptoms to you. Chase up GI referral if it persists
Ok, thank you so much for the reply. It sucks that they haven't flagged me as urgent simply due to my age, but I'll make sure to call the clinic as this is definitely persisting thanks again!
Thanks for posting. I hate to hear you are having these issues, but they definitely need to be checked out asap. Bleeding, lots of abdominal pain .. definite signs you need answers to. Yes, you are young but this should definitely be labeled 'urgent'. Please focus on getting in front of the GI specialist and getting a colonoscopy.
Also, is the "too young to be worrying about the big C" coming from you or was that told to you by your doctor? You should never accept your age being a determinant of what tests you need or when you should get them especially when you are displaying all those signs of something not being right. Bleeding alone is definitely something to get answers for and that could be caused by many different things that are not "C", but accompanied by abdominal pain should escalate the issue to 'urgent' and needs to be prioritized. The pain could be caused by a lot of different things as well, but you need to know what's going on as soon as you can.
I do not say this to frighten you but want to make sure that you know that it is no longer true that someone is "too young" for colorectal cancer. There is a lot of research being conducted to determine why people are being diagnosed at a younger age, with no family history. As I have become more involved in some cancer groups after my cancer fight, it is very eye opening when the kids are being diagnosed with late stage cancers. Catching things early are absolutely key.
There are countless stories of individuals who were told by their doctors that they were "too young" or "it's just hemorrhoids", who ended up being diagnosed with colorectal cancer. I share this message with you because there are so many survivors and advocates and organizations that have made it a priority to get the word out that there is no such thing as being too young for this disease. On social media, check out the hashtag #NeverTooYoung or #Never2Young
We do wish you all the best in finding answers. Please focus on getting it addressed as soon as possible. If you need to force the issue, please do. And please let us know what you find out as it can be helpful to others on this site.
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.
I was actually told by some healthcare workers that 99% of the time with young people the issue is hemmorhoids which resolves in a couple days and they did not believe I needed to see a GI doctor, although I told them this has been going on for weeks. They even said that women often confuse vaginal bleeding with rectal bleeding even though I told them I am not getting my period, so that would be impossible.
I'm very greatful however, that the next doctor I saw considered everything and did a rectal exam to rule out hemmorhoids. She actually said her priority is sending me to a GI specialist so they can check for an internal mass or IBD. I guess the problem is that the waiting time is very long and I can expect to wait months for a colonoscopy.
I actually saw on the news that colon cancer is on the rise in young adults and I'm aware I need to get it ruled out ASAP, but I don't want to go into a spiral of worry.
As you are a survivor, would you mind sharing any of the symptoms that you had, specifically how the bleeding was (colour, if there were any ckots, how frequent, etc.)? I'm concerned that bowel movements are not triggering my bleeding, but it seems to rather be continuous and the amount of clotting seems odd.
You have the bleeding and that could be a lot things causing that. You know it's definitely internal and need to get a "look see" as to the cause. I really hate to hear the "waiting time" is so long. Several months is definitely unacceptable. I wish I knew how to get you a better priority to having this done. Your description of the "pain mostly on my right side of my lower abdomen/pelvis" having been going on for weeks. I would think that isn't good. True, it could be caused by many different things, but I would think getting some answers soon is in your best interest.
Are there any other resources you could use? Are you on the list as 'urgent' or could your doctor change that? I really hate to see you placed in the 18 year old and doesn't need to get answers quickly.
I didn't have bleeding as one of the signs. Initially, it started to hurt to eat a big meal. Like 1/2 a large pizza. So my answer to that was to not eat a big meal. I had a little 'knot' / soft fatty deposit (as I diagnosed it) I could physically feel on my right lower abdomen (just to the left of my hip bone). It was small and wasn't painful at all. I had it for years. So I ignored that as well. Then that 'knot' was becoming a little tender and at an annual physical the doctor wanted to check it out and scheduled a CT scan. From there it's history as stage 4 metastatic colon cancer and a 4+ year fight.
Please keep us up on how your journey is going and if you are able to speed things up.👍🤟🧡🙏
Thanks again for the reply! I'm going to visit the GI doctor tomorrow and see what they can do.
And wow, your symptoms sound so similar. I haven't been able to eat a full meal for weeks because it hurts too much. And the pain/tenderness is exactly beside my hip bone in my right lower abdomen.
You are incredibly brave for fighting for 4+ years, I have no idea how difficult that must have been! Having family members who have also had to fight, I know it is not easy.
I'll push for a quicker colonoscopy tomorrow morning and let you know how it goes!
Another point I forgot to share ... It was strange I didn't have bleeding as a sign of something going on. One of my Oncologist commented... "you know, that tumor we took out of you in 2012 was a polyp in 2006" .. I just said ... yep, I know. (of course after I was on the good side of the fight you get some real honest comments which I do like to hear).
I was not old enough at the time to get a colonoscopy. I didn't have 'signs' to say I should be getting one. Then boom ... I'm stage 4.
Proud of you jumping on it and pursuing answers early. 💪🧡
Hi. It's awful going through this and the not knowing. At the moment I'm pretty much going through the same thing. Bleeding 4 weeks but hard to poo for me I've been examined and no piles outside or in the anal canal. I have now been referred urgently for a colonoscopy. I may add I have chronic pancreatitus and liver problems aswell. And now anemic apparently. So I've a few things going on but I'm really worried about this. I though probably piles but my heart sank when I was told there isn't any. I hope you get this sorted soon. Let us know how you are getting on with it all. D x
Hi, I'm so sorry to hear about this. It's definitely worrying, especially when dealing with other health issues. I'm currently dealing with a spine injury and other nervous system issues so I definitely understand that it can be very overwhelming. Thankfully I've got a colonoscopy in a week! Although my doctor told me it's definitely not internal hemmorhoids im praying that's all that shows up. I hope that's all that shows up for you aswell, but if not, we'll get through it! Keep me posted!
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thanks again! 
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