I had some similar symptoms, rectal bleeding, though not in the stool and some loose stools and weight loss and trapped wind. The specialist said that if my mother came in with the same symptoms, he'd be considering bowel cancer as a possible option but at my age - I was 40 at the time - it was the least likely option and I'd be "the unluckiest person in the world" if it turned out to be that and that the most likely cause was hemorrhoids with a slight possibility of IBD (ulcerative colitis or Crohn's).

It turned out to be exactly what we all expected - hemorrhoids, probably combined with the stress of the whole situation and a few coincidences. Stress can cause bowel symptoms like stomach aches and going to the toilet more often, so the thing with bowel symptoms is that worrying about them can exacerbate them, thereby increasing the worry and therefore the symptoms in a vicious circle.

It's normal to be worried; I was freaking, even though I knew bowel cancer was unlikely, but the odds are that whatever is wrong is far less serious.

Hi I am 31 and I have been having explosive diarrhoea for the last 5 days, or very watery which is now resulting in bloody mucus, I am absolutely beside myself with worry that it is bowel cancer. I had a sigmoidoscopy 18 months ago which was clear other than a leftover skin tag from a hemorroid. All my issues back then went after that. This week has been hell! Every time I eat I toilet. I'm so hungry! I'm so sad! I'm so scared. Doctor told me on the phone it's a stomach bug and has given me antibiotics which I can't take :( she wants a stool sample sent to the lab but how am I supposed To do that when it's mainly water, I mean I am getting very thin formed stool (TMI) today but every time I eat it's so depressing! I'm so worried it's bowel cancer. Hope u are ok x