Blood found in sample

[Poohtle]

Hi, after starting awful IBS symptoms of stomach ache, egg smelling burps, violent diarrhoea and nausea my doctor offered to try a stool sample so we could see if there is anything going on. Unfortunately it’s come back positive so she’s put me on the fast track appointment system but I just can’t help thinking the worst. Has anyone been through this with a good outcome?

[Maureen1958]

Just because it's found some blood, this can happen, it doesn't mean there is anything wrong but obviously they have to check everything is okay. I used to bleed sometimes when I went to the toilet it's not unusual.

I found this on the net:

Getting your results

You should get your results within 1 or 2 weeks.

Waiting for results can make you anxious. Ask your doctor or nurse how long it will take to get them. Contact the doctor who arranged the test if you haven’t heard anything after a couple of weeks.

There are different results you can get after the FIT. These include:

Blood in your poo

You will need further tests if there is blood found in your poo. Your doctor might call this FIT positive.

This doesn’t mean that you have cancer. Blood in your poo can be caused by cancer or by other medical conditions.

You usually have a test to look at the inside of your large bowel. This is called a colonoscopy.

Full article here:

cancerresearchuk.org/about-...

Try not to worry, I saw something on the web about this recently and was surprised about how many tests come back positive but when investigated there was only a small percentage of them had anything wrong! I'm sure everything will be fine.

[Poohtle in reply to Maureen1958]

Thank you very much. My mind just went straight to the worst outcome instead of being rational!!

[Maureen1958 in reply to Poohtle]

That's what we do, it's what makes us human! 🙂

[265599]

Hi.Same here red flagged,turned out to be severe diverticulitis, 2 weeks metronidazole cleared it up totally.

After colonoscopy.

[Poohtle in reply to 265599]

Thank you for taking the time to reply. It’s so good to know that this is standard rather than a near definite C word diagnosis.

[Hidden]

HiYes, standard. Two week wait referral for a colonoscopy. I had this turned out to be piles and diverticulitis! Same as most people

[Poohtle in reply to Hidden]

Thank you for taking the time to comment. My mind was all over the place with the blood being found in the sample. Thank you for the reassurance.

[Hidden in reply to Poohtle]

I was worried sick coz I had blood that was visible and invisible on the FIT test but had like upset guts with pockets of gas and bloating with loose poo etc. That caused me to worry and I kept looking at doctor internet which made things worse! I also lost weight which made me worry even more. Turned out to be piles, DV and h pylori infection which mimic the symptoms and causes anxiety!Please remember that it’s like only 3 percent of colonoscopy find cancer and that’s including old age people with family history that are at high risk etc. I don’t know your age but most cancer starts from polyps, most are non cancerous but some can turn in 10-20 years! Most polyps start in middle age so this is why the FIT test is done by the nhs when your 60 so that they can detect any blood trace from the polyps as the stools pass. ( early detection) they can then remove them. A colonoscopy is a great idea if you get the chance if your 45 plus. If they find polyps you may need a re scope in 3-5 years. If they don’t your most likely never to need one again or for at least ten years if you want to screen

Take the sedation if you can

[Poohtle in reply to Hidden]

Thank you. Knowing those statistics really helps. I doctor Googled too and of course cancer is the first thing that comes up. My dad died of bowel cancer 6 years ago but he was diagnosed at stage 4 and had a bad reaction to chemo. He also had secondary cancers so was sent home with a 6-9 month prognosis which he lived to 9 months more. I am trying distraction to just take my mind off it as much as possible. I’m just turned 52 and have been having problems with sulpher and sewage smelling burps, loose stool, diarrhoea and distended tummy and tummy pains since December. Hopefully it is something small and I can be fixed and get on with life.

[Krisbetty]

Try not to worry same as you I was booked in for a colonoscopy, and they found five plops which were all benin. Which gave me peace of mind.

[Poohtle in reply to Krisbetty]

Thank you. That’s really reassuring to know.

[Hidden]

Google h pylori snd plenty on YouTube. Your the same age as me. It’s good age to have a colonoscopy especially as you have family history. Your thinking of your dad’s situation and that’s natural to link it to your situation. But like I said it’s extremely unlikely you have developed cancer at your age but you may have the potential of polyps! Once you have this done and the clear your have a weight from your mind and be be able to move on. It was the same for me. I was fixated in the end with cancer

[Poohtle in reply to Hidden]

Yes that’s the trouble. I do get fixated and having spent the last week and a bit in bed due to Covid and other illness I have too much time to think!! How long from the colonoscopy to your results?

[Hidden]

They tell you there and then. My mum had issues and that triggered my fixation. It’s natural to think that way after mental trauma but you just have to try and think outside the box. The mind is a powerful thing and it will try and trick you into all sorts of things. The reality is though it’s not likely at all. That’s what anxiety is. A state of mind into the unknown that’s unlikely to happen

[Poohtle in reply to Hidden]

Thank you. You’ve been so helpful and eased my mind. 👍🏻

[Hidden in reply to Poohtle]

👍