Colin Cancer? Ulcerative Colitis? Chrons?

[Cedes1612]

Dark red blood in stool often

Chronic constipation due to MAT treatment but started as substance abuse.

Now I'm pooping big white jelly like mucus.

The Drs don't help me because I am an ex addict and on MAT they say that is the cause of everything. I've given up in Doctors helping me. About 3 days a week I vomit everytime I out something in my mouth even a cigarette. It's sad how used to vomiting I am. Lots of weight loss. Joint pain. Fatigue. Depression. Food issues

These are minor photos. Recently hasmd very large very hard stool with a huge amount of mucous

[GCCA-Survivor Administrator]

Hi Cedes1612,

Thank you for posting on Colon Cancer Connected. I hate to hear you're having to deal with the symptoms you are seeing. About you that anytime there is an indication of blood being in the stool, it definitely needs to get checked out. You are also observing mucus as another symptom.

I see that you are on a MAT program. I hope that it's going well for you. I would also say that just because you're an ex-addict should not mean you don't have your health concerns addressed. Anytime there is blood in the stool, there needs to be a determination on what is causing it.

One of the tests you can ask your doctor for is a FIT test. This test will determine if it is in fact blood in your stool and if it is it will come back positive. From what you have told me I would assume it would come back positive. So that should not be a worry. The next steps would be to determine what's causing the blood. There can be a wide variety of things that could be causing this. I would think that a colonoscopy would be warranted to get you a good answer as to what's causing this.

You said that the doctors are chalking this up to your being an ex-addict and that the medications you are on from the MAT program is the cause of everything. It is my understanding that a MAT program is something performed in a clinic situation and the medications are tailored to the patient's needs. If you have a counselor with this program, I would ask them if any of the medications you are on would cause blood to be in your stool. I would tell them you are experiencing this and you would like to determine what is the cause. If there is a medication causing this, I would ask if there were an alternative for you to try.

We do wish you all the best for finding answers. You are correct as it is completely unacceptable for the doctors to write you off in determining the cause of what you are seeing. Blood in the stool is definitely something that needs to have an answer. If the medications are the cause, then you need some alternative medication. If the medications are not the cause, you should be having a colonoscopy to determine what's going on. Also, please make a note of the other symptoms you are experiencing.

I hate to see you are having to go through all that. I do hope things continue to get better for you. The more I think about it, maybe pursuing these answers through your counselor would be a good way to approach this. This way you would have a referral and it wouldn't be the doctors just writing you off.

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.