I’ve been struggling with IBS for about a year now and I’ve been noticing other symptoms, i’ve Been having occasional bleeding (once a week) when wiping the blood is bright red/pink. I have also been suffering from a horrible itch down there for a couple of months too (sudocrem helps). I was finally referred and had a check up with the doctors yesterday and they found no piles or fissures so I’m being sent for a colonoscopy. I also suffer from severe health anxeity so the dreaded c word wont escape my mind. Any advice on colonoscopy’s or possible explanation for my symptoms would be amazing. It’s starting to ruin my relationships and social life greatly.
Thank you
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YellowSubmarine1878
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I think IBS/IBD comes with an tendency towards anxiety. The first thing to remember is that if cancer was suspected you would be fast tracked through all the tests and diagnosed quite quickly, which, in turn, would improve your chances of a cure or at least, remission. Remember bright red blood is fresh blood, so would generally come from a tear or piles etc.
Hi, I'm 20 so I know where you're coming from. Uni has been a nightmare so far. I also suffer from major health anxiety and panic attacks. I actually got diagnosed with lymphocytic colitis but also with IBS. I JUST started medication for the colitis after TWO YEARS of being messed about and fingers crossed there is some improvement. I went to counselling for my anxiety and it helped. I've been panic attack free for about 6 months. I have the blood like you, often its a case of passing lots of BM or constipation. If its bright red its an indicator its usually nothing to stress about. Coming on this site is a good idea but you have to take some advice and leave others or you'll worry yourself way too much. I have a few skin tags now (lovely stuff) and I use sudocrem but you can get anti inflammatory creams to soothe stuff down there, I'm going to look into it for sure. I don't have piles or anything like that and my colonoscopy was clear (it was the biopsies they took form the colonoscopy they found the colitis) so try and not panic when you see it. Trust me, I'm a google warrior and I was convinced completely, as certain as I knew what my name was, that I had something that was going to kill me. But it hasn't. And it won't.
Trust your instincts, you know you're own body and don't let anyone minimise what you're going through. Get an explanation and help for it. In my experience doctors have used my anxiety against me, saying its in my head and in a sense they're right. Anxiety will make it worse but it wasn't the cause of all of this, and they missed it for a long time. I can't say suggest what is wrong because the symptoms you mentioned could be so many things, and you've probably got others you haven't mentioned. It's so embarrassing to talk about, its made me such a recluse, I got so poorly, 6st 12lb, I didn't even get up in the morning. Chained to the loo all day I thought my life was over. Its not a simple fix, I don't know if my improvement is temporary or not but I'm enjoying the best week I've had in two years. Take every moment you can when you're feeling okay because it gives you more to hold onto when you're stuck in and poorly.
Colonoscopies- okay I've had two, one at 19 and one at 20. Basically they give you moviprep or something similar usually a few weeks before your appointment. Basically STRONG laxatives. You might have to take half in evening before your appointment and half in the morning before you go, or all the day before depending on the time of your appointment. This part is awful, I won't lie. It is grim but you'll get through it I promise, its all normal. I had a panic attack the first time I had had the prep because I hadn't gone to the loo yet and called 111, the gush of water started minutes after the call haha. Stay near a loo. Once it starts you can't control it, its basically a tap you can't turn off. It isn't like an upset stomach, its like the muscle doesn't work and the water is trickiling out. It will eventually run clear. My first time I had all the sachets in one day so by my appointment it had stopped. The second time I had the sachets split, half in the evening and half in the morning. I panicked because I was still dripping yellow/clear water up until my appointment. It was basically the prep stuff, there wasn't actually anything left. It was fine though, colonoscopy was clear as a bell. Just tell them. I ended up wearing pads to the hospital in case of the water leaking (gross sorry). You might be fully stopped by then but its a good idea anyway because I felt more comfortable. Its not like the runs or anything don't worry, literally water.
Stop drinking water 2 hours before your procedure- you'll have a leaflet about what you can and can't eat the days leading up to the procedure, nothing with dye or fiber basically. They'll give you a list. And it'll say when you have to stop eating. Its a long time but with all the water and prep you're drinking you won't notice. Its ALOT of prep. Its really hard but push through and drink it all so you don't have to do it again. They'll give you advice about how much to drink in what time period too. I think its usually about 2 litres and like 100ml every 15-30 minutes but it depends on which prep you get.
At the endoscopy department the nurses will call you in. You'll have to do abit of paperwork like what medicine you're on etc... and they'll explain the procedure. Blood pressure. Then you go into a ward and wait. They put a canula in your arm before they take you to the room with the colonoscopy machine. When I was with the doctor I had sedation. It honestly just makes you feel drunk. I'd have it if I was you because it's stressful. My heart rate was through the roof so if that's normal for you, as is with anxiety, don't let that freak you out. Every time that machine beeped I FREAKED out. But I explained about my anxiety and I managed to get through it. They put something in your nose, probably oxygen I was abit fuzzy. I remember during my second colonoscopy that I panicked because I felt like I couldn't breathe until the doctor said my oxygen was 100% and I felt like an idiot and managed to laugh abit. The actual procedure isn't pleasant. Its uncomfortable and abit painful at certain angles but its not like terrible agony or anything. My first colonoscopy I felt like I'd have about 6 vodka cokes I barely remembered a thing. I had an endoscopy where the sedation didn't really work, I felt normal so that was horrible but it was SHORT so that was fine, and then my second colonoscopy I felt 'tipsy' but I remember everything. Make sure to get biopsies if you have problems like diarrhea because it will rule out microscopic colitis. Its probably not anyway but better to get them done really. They didn't hurt. Sedation affects everyone differently. But I've had it as 'blackout drunk', 'sober', and 'tipsy' and I got through it. It goes by quickly. Afterwards they'll make you wait for abit if you've had sedation and then give you a drink and a biscuit (I brought my own box of cereal and almond milk because I have food allergies and I was STARVING). When you're abit more with it, someone will go through the results with you, make sure you're okay, and take you to the person taking you home. Please make sure you have someone to get you home if you're sedated. You'll probably be very tired that night.
Sorry this is so long and very informal- just wanted to talk to you as someone going through something similar as you and at the same age! If you ever want to know anything else feel free to ask. Its been 2 years of hell and its honestly ruined so much of uni and just so much of my life that if I can help anyone I will. I'm thinking I'm finally on medicine to help even though I thought I was beyond help at times. There is hope. It just takes time and strength. Health anxiety is a battle. My nan had bowel cancer, I was so scared because I saw parallels in our experiences. I've posted on here before about everything if you ever want hope it can get better, I'm finally going back to uni and going out this weekend and I hope you'll get through this rough patch. Good luck, hopefully its nothing too serious, your symptoms could be many things, just get the tests and I hope you don't have to experience this for longer than necessary xx
One last thing sorry-It took me over 6 months of me begging for a colonoscopy after loosing 2 and a half stone, enduring a week hospital stay attached to a drip, an ambulance call and god knows what else before I finally got it because of my AGE. I was 'too young'. My results were dismissed for a year and they were deemed unlikely to be significant because of my AGE. These results said I had microscopic colitis but my doctor decided to tell me the biopsies came back clear. Because of my AGE it was unlikely despite my life changing symptoms. I found out about my true results a year later because of a bad flare up, I had my GP print them off and showed them to a new gastro doctor (that I paid privately to see) and I've been on my new tablets for a week and its been the best week of the last two years. I've lost 2 years of my my life because of this age bias. Honestly most doctors aren't like the one I saw so don't worry but from personal experience, ask to see your results and get them to explain them to you in person. Don't let them dismiss you because of your age. Make them explain everything they are doing. Its your body and you need to know what's going on with it. Doctors jobs are to help you but they can be dismissive sometimes especially when it comes to age, I'm sure you know that. xx
Thank you so so much for your reply, honestly made me feel so much better. I’m really glad to hear that you’re feeling better! It’s a long road but there’s deffo hope and never give up. Thank you again really appreciate it
No problem, anytime! Thank you, its early day but I'm making the most of it aha. It's such a bad age to go through this but hey maybe that means we'll be sorted quicker. You're complete right, there's always hope no matter how much time passes, you've got a great attitude all things considered, hang on to it and you'll get through this. Be as happy as you can be and good luck again x
The colonoscopy is the easy part. The prep before if awful but mangable. I had to take half at 6pm then the rest at 6am. I slept fine and did not have to get up for the loo.
My tatic was to set up in the bathroom but in all honesty i would have been fine to wait until the first needed to use the toilet and then stay there. All in all it lasted about 1.5 hours start to finish. Then the occasional toilet stop for the next couple of hours but i was able to get to the loo without rushing too much.
The itching is what’s bothering me the most, no idea how to make it go away and nobody has a clue why it’s there. What are you using to cope with the itching?
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