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Colon cancer or hemerhoids

jadeL334
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I am a 21 years old female who can’t stop googling as I am so stressed. as far as I know I have no family issues of colon cancer however my nan on my dads side had pancreatic cancer and my mums grandad died of bowel cancer both age in there 70s

I have recently booked for a doctors appointment however I haven’t had my appointment yet! But I have had bleeding on and off for 7 years, since I was 14, the doctors diognosed me with hemerhoids at the time, I do strain to have a poo, I do bleed when pooping and this is visible, this can range from a toilet filled with bright red/pink water or bright red bleed close to the stool, streaky blood in the poo. I also have a low fibre diet. 

My mum also suffers with Piles, after the birth of me at the age of 17, she is now 40 and I am 21. 

it hurts to get the poop out ajd it appears itchy and irritated. My mum told me to try germiloid I took it before I went to bed one night and on the first night the itching was gone however a small amount of blood was still visible, I missed a dose one night however for the next two consecutive nights I took the bullets and now my poop is light brown and slides out with no visible blood just a constipated smell. I believe i am very constipated as when I was diagnosed with hemerhoids the doctor said he could feel hard poo in my tummy! The itching has now disappeared. I work at a nursery with children so do a lot of heavy lifted! I am possibly overthinking just want some support!

I am undergoing a lot of stress at the moment as I have undergone a recent domestic abuse relationship and can’t stop googling which isn’t helping anything I have added more fibre into my diet and it’s improving! I have lost just under 3 pounds this week but I haven’t eaten much as I’m also on my period right now but what I am eating is healthier and less chocolate and crisp! 

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    I am not a nurse, but I would say that colon cancer is probably unlikely in your case. Hemorrhoids seem to be by far the most likely option. There are many other things that would cause bleeding too, such as a fissure, polyps, Crohn's, ulcerative colitis, constipation....

    My impression is that it would be VERY unusual for somebody to have colon cancer symptoms from the age of 14. When I was 40, I had rectal bleeding almost daily for maybe three months, occasional loose stools (maybe once a week), weight loss and trapped wind. The specialist said that if my mother came in with those symptoms, he'd be concerned about the possibility of cancer, but that at my age, it was possible, but the odds were less than 1% and I'd be "the unluckiest person in the world" if that turned out to be the solution. Given that you are only about half the age I was then, I'd say the odds for you are if anything, even lower.

    I will add that in my case, it did turn out to be hemorrhoids.

  • Offline in reply to MargaretMary

    I have slight weight loss but I think it’s from the stress I have all of your symptoms and I think right now I just have the flu from the children at nursery as I just feel very run down and just body aches tiredness headache slight nausea not as hungry…I’m also on my period and have had lots of stress!

    thank u for taking the time to respond! It’s put my mind at ease a little x

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    I forgot to add when I drink orange juice or eat fatty takeaways such as fish and chips or McDonald this can often make me want to poop more often

  • Hi JadeL334 and thank you for posting,

    I am sorry to learn that you are having symptoms that are causing you concern. This must be very difficult.

    It sounds like you have been through a lot recently, and I imagine the symptoms you are experiencing are adding to the stress you are feeling.

    I am afraid we cannot diagnose you but as MargaretMary has mentioned, it would be unusual to have bowel cancer at your age, especially as the symptoms have been ongoing for many years. There can be several reasons other than cancer such as haemorrhoids. However, only a doctor who can assess you and refer you for tests can say what the cause of the symptoms might be.

    Lots of people will search for the answers on the internet, but unfortunately, you will not be able to find out what is wrong this way and it can heighten anxiety. The best person to discuss your concerns with would be your GP, as they may be able to reassure you and help you manage your concerns.

    I hope this helps in some way and you can get the help and support that you need. If you would like to talk things through with one of our nurses, you would be welcome to give us a call on freephone 0808 800 4040.

    Take care,

    Jemma

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