Home screening vs colonoscopy

[rmlski]

Hello I have IBS and now diagnosed with sigmoid, Grade 1 piles/internal hemorrhoids. When stool is hard and/or I’m constipated it is painful/sharp to “go”. Sometimes blood on toilet paper and/or stool. I have a prescribed internal cream which is helping but she wants to do a colonoscopy. If I were to do the home colon screening, and it checks for blood in stool fo cancer screen, but the blood is actually from hemorrhoids how does that work?? Will it detect the difference? Not sure what to do and how it works.. it’s so much less invasive to do it at home. I have no other symptoms.

[MissEd]

Do you mean a stool sample? It wont be able to tell the difference between blood from haemoriods or something sinister. Better to have colonoscopy

[rmlski in reply to MissEd]

That’s what I figured.. was hoping to go that route, so much easier.

[MissEd in reply to rmlski]

Well of course but it wont tell you what you want to know. Im having one soon but not looking forward to it

[rmlski in reply to MissEd]

Ugh good luck with that!!

[TeddyBr]

Hello

I feel your dilemma... it's a subjective situation and choice. I hate invasive treatments because I think there are more choices but sadly not always offered on the NHS or depending postcode etc. I have piles both internally and externally plus two small lacerations of the skin in that area due to horrid menopause. I am like you constipated, blood sometimes on tissue, sometimes in toilet. My GP did a rectal examination etc and explained the blood came from the piles and lacerations because of hardness of stool and straining. I couldn't help myself but after lengthy research on home testing kits I bought the selfcheck brand bowel health test. Its the best and right one for me. It's tests for unseen blood in the stool but of course it will pick up blood from piles too. There is also a chance of a false positive because of your piles so it can be tricky but I've never had one personally. I did the test when my piles had calmed down, no blood for a while. I had negative results. To make sure I did it 5 times over 2 months. Over the top I know but wanted to be reassured. Plus I got GP to do the stool bowel cancer screening test too and same result. It's personal choice and an informed one. There are 3D colonoscopies which mean it is digital no scope in the anus, plus scans etc. Of course GP advice must always be taken into account so it's your decision but just wanted to share my experience because your symptoms and diagnosis match mine and felt I could offer something. Hope that's ok. Good luck and try not to worry you're in good hands with your GP and being on this site. Take care.

[rmlski in reply to TeddyBr]

Wow Teddy we are experiencing the same. Thank you for letting me know all that, helps so much. I had no idea about the 3D colonoscopy? Wonder if it’s covered by insurance. My GP is not very nice and not easy to talk to so not sure if she will agree to a stool culture. Maybe I can ask my primary. Did you get your home kit just over the counter from a CVS or Walgreens? Thanks so much for help!

[TeddyBr in reply to rmlski]

Hey

No problem at all, I know how frustrating, upsetting, emotionally draining all of this can be, so your words just spoke to me. I just had to contact you. I would definitely check your insurance and primary, it is worth it. I saw a consultant once and he just said that we should not always go straight to invasive, so I had a CT scan of the bowel and stool cultures tests and all showed fine. No invasion. So much better! Shame it is not more readily available, cost probably and resources. The bowel is very subtle and it takes years and years for anything horrid and these selfcheck brand tests are the same as the pathology labs when the GP sends it off, so for me it helped enormously. My GP has always said if any blood shows up in a stool they automatically they investigate, if it doesn't they don't, pending GP of course. I think invasive treatment has to be for last resort. I bought mine on line but they are available in some pharmacists. Not sure where you are from, but, I am in England and I bought mine on amazon as well as Lloyds pharmacy. These tests have to go through rigorous stages to be made available to us, again personal preference. They are reasonably priced too, around £10. I would just say, if you do decide to use one of these tests, make sure you have plenty of time, don't rush it, do exactly as the test says and take it from there. There are many reviews of this particular brand, pretty much all favourable. I have had piles for years, but last July it go so much worse, so the last year has been pretty awful with flare ups. Good luck!! In my thoughts.

[rmlski in reply to TeddyBr]

Thank you Teddy, I am in US, so I’m sure it’s found here. I’m so nervous about having the colonoscopy. At same time this is so difficult to deal with. I don’t understand what makes the piles worse? If we eat fiber and drink water..? Although I don’t always because then my stomach is queasy. Ever since I removed my gallbladder things have been worse. I started slippery elm marshmallow root and zinc. Praying it helps.

[BabsyWabsy]

Hi, If you are referring to the NHS screening where they post you a kit, that test looks for occult (hidden) blood, not obvious red blood. Occult blood may be a sign of something serious. Red blood is more likely to be something near the exit and caused by mechanical damage or injury of some sort, though still needs investigation as to the cause. Blood in stool is never normal.

Although a colonoscopy is invasive, it is not as bad as you might imagine, particularly if you ask for sedation. I had one last summer and was very anxious about it, needlessly as it turned out. And you get to see your insides, which was a surreal experience. Turned out that the preparation was the hardest part because it is lengthy and tedious. My son recently had a similarly easy experience too. If I need another in the future, I wouldn't be worried. If your GP / consultant is suggesting a colonoscopy, it should give either a diagnosis or peace of mind, maybe both.

[rmlski in reply to BabsyWabsy]

Thanks so much for letting me know, so it does detect blood inside the stool? Well I’m going to think about what to do, I may just do the colonoscopy, maybe she can get rid of the piles at same time. Ugh..