Red blood in stool and diarrhea

[anon]

Hi,

I have had diarrhea for a number of weeks now, with increasing quantities of bright red blood mixed with it. This blood is not "coating" a stool, as there is no stool as such.

I have been treating the diarrhea with Loperamide Hydrochloride (up to 8mg a day) while trying to diagnose the problem.

I do have pains of urgency for the toilet which come on in the space of one to two minutes before I have to go and I do not always feel satisfied when I leave the bathroom.

I have had this problem before, perhaps eight to nine months ago, but it was not so severe and seemed to alleviate itself within about a week. However, this time it seems to be getting worse.

What would you guess my problem to be and is my choice of treatment for the diarrhea sensible over such a long time span (I understand that I am not currently treating the problem itself, just a symptom of it).


Thank you

[Maria RN]

Hi. I recommend that you see your doctor to find out what has been causing your symptoms. An accurate diagnosis is important to get proper treatment. Here is dr Joshua's blog entry about blood in the stools: http://www.drjoshua.com/2007/01/05/blood-in-stool/

[stefanflemings]

The presence of blood in the stool can be various reasons, and they generally have to rectal bleeding or gastrointestinal bleeding. It's time to head to your doctor's office if you see blood Sun Ignorance can complicate matters even further. Ask yourself - can cause blood in the stool of other problems? Sure they can. Excessive blood loss can cause weakness, fatigue and even anemia.