blood In stool, anyone else? TMI sorry but need advice

This may be related to me lying on my butt most of the time but need some advice or personal experience

 

I’ve been having blood after I poo on the toilet paper. It’s bright red in color, so I’m pretty sure it’s not from my upper GI. After I wipe it’s gone. I’m suspecting fissure or hemorrhoids. My stool is pretty healthy but kind of dry. And there is mild pain in the rectum skin when I go. It feels like bleeding from the skin area. I don’t need advice from people telling me to go see the doctor because I will only go if it’s an emergency due to protecting myself from coronavirus.

 

I’m asking if anyone has had any personal experience with similar symptoms and how to help yourself if it is hemorrhoids or fissure? I’m eating fiber (flaxseed, chia seed, lots of veggies). Should I be putting any Vaseline? Or wait for it to resolve itself? Any other way to soften the stool without taking pills?

Someone else recently posted about this.

Probably anal fissure or piles of bright red but may want to mention to Dr who may not want to be bothered about it at this time.

Most likely hemorroids or fissure. You can get an over-the-counter pilll called Colace to soften the stool.

Thanks. Does softening the stool usually help resolve this?

Yes and some hemmeroid cream.

Any natural way to soften stool other than taking otc pills?

A lot of fiber should do that. There is nothing unsafe about using Colace, either. It is a tried and true safe way to soften stool.

 

However, if this problem continues, you do need to see a doctor just top make sure.

east

Ok, I’ll stock up on my fiber.

The only way I’ll ever see a doc is if I’m in shock.

FWIW, my gastro claims that fiber and water will keep us regular. Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's a little simplistic, I think. So if you decide to bulk up on fiber (fruit, veggies, whole grains) be sure to drink lots of water. I had a terrible problem with constipation during my taper and found that fiber and water alone didn't do it for me. So I used some magnesium citrate in the form of CALM, a mag powder I buy from Amazon. You mix it with water and drink it once a day. I still use it. Works great. Nice, soft . . . well, you get it. 

 

If you need to speak to your doc, can you consult her/him using telehealth or evisits? I "visited" my doc using this last week.

 

But you might try more fiber, water, and CALM. Couldn't hurt.

 

Good luck,

 

Katz

 

 

Normally "see a doctor" is good advice. However at the present time, seeing a doctor for anything other than a life-threatening condition is simply insane.  Bear in mind that where the virus actually *is* (i.e. percentage of people infected in your area) is about 3 weeks ahead of where we *know* it is (due to incubation time, testing time, etc), so infection rate in your area might already be where New York City is known to be now (about 5-10% infected I think). Infected people will tend to rush to their doctor; and where I live at least, many people are *ignoring* the signs saying "if you have symptoms of COVID, don't go here" and walking into doctor-office waiting rooms and sitting there coughing and feverish. As it turns out, a few weeks ago I *almost* saw a doctor for symptoms similar to what is described here. I got as far as my doctors waiting room, saw what was going on, and got the hell out of there fast. Later got some (OTC) Colace  & antifungal cream (fungal infection is another possibility) & hemorroid cream. They are already helping so I don't think it's anything more serious (like cancer). If it is, I'll find out *after* the COVID crisis is over. Not safe to see a doctor now.

P.S. I went through a couple weeks of worry that I caught the virus from a minute or so in doctors waiting room. But I am now past the 2-week incubation and feeling fine so probably I didn't.

 

P.P.S. I know someone here who *did* catch COVID-19 from going for a routine doctors visit in his hospital-office a couple weeks ago. It is a really dangerous thing to do at the present time.

Agree , hemorrhoids cream it is

I agree, Hypatia. One of my front teeth in my upper denture broke off yesterday. Called my dentist and was told to come in today. Got there and was told that because this wasnt an"emergency" it wold have to wait. I have no problem with that! Its a cosmetic thing, and definitly not an emergency.

Now is the time to try to safe as you can. Limit your going outside (and I know how much this bothers us all!) Use hand sanitizer, if you have it. Wash your hands a lot. Try NOT to touch your face, but for those of us who wear glasses, that is almost impossible.

 

Nice, informative post, Hypatia. Thank you!

east