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Sigmoidoscopy

Phil80
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Hello. Been here before, same issue, rectal bleeding (long term). Just looking for some info or advice. 

I have had bleeding on toilet paper for a long time, sometimes a little bit, sometimes a bit worse, but nothing in the toilet or visibly on/in the stool. The bleeding isn't all the time, it comes and goes. It will happen for a while, then stop and I'll be fine for a while, then it will start again and so forth. I don't appear to have any other symptoms of anything. I do also suffer with fissures, or used to.

I have been to the doctor, had a finger check, all fine. Had blood tests, fine, and I've had the poo test (qFIT) which was all okay. I was recommended to maybe have a camera check and after a specialist chat at the hospital he recommended a sigmoidoscopy. He says they can address the possible haemorrhoids and have a look around.

So, is this serious? I've been told they're not concerned about anything serious seeing as all the tests were okay. The doctor said it could also be fissures on the inside. I have read about polyps but I'm sure the doctor said that would be more likely further up inside and that may have resulted in a positive poo test?

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    Hi Phil80, 

    I think you did the right thing after noticing rectal bleeding to get this investigated and it is reassuring that all blood tests and FIT tests have all come back fine. If it was recommended to you to have a sigmoidoscopy then it would be a good way to have a closer look at everything and address the possible haemorrhoids issue by having a good look around. It sounds like they are not concerned and that the doctor thinks it could be fissures on the inside but it wouldn't hurt to have the sigmoidoscopy just to know for sure what is causing this bleeding. 

    Our website has information on the flexible sigmoidoscopy and I hope that you will hear from the experiences of others on the forum who have had the procedure before and who can tell you more about how it all went for them. 

    I hope that you get complete reassurance soon by talking to your doctor about any concerns or questions you may have and getting this sigmoidoscopy done. 

    Best wishes, 

    Lucie, Cancer Chat Moderator

  • Offline in reply to Moderator Lucie

    Thanks for the reply. I am having the sigmoidoscopy but I was just hoping for some info or advice from anyone who might have had one :)

    I was mainly wondering if there was still a possibility of polyps at this stage, going by the fact all the tests were okay etc...

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    Hi Phil80,

    I had one a few months ago. It was ok - I only had gas and air and no sedation as I didn't want to have to stay in hospital all day and it only took about 15 mins anyway. It was a bit painful at times especially when they took the biopsies but it was manageable with gas and air and over so quickly. It was interesting to see bits of me I'd never seen before. :-) and mine came back all clear and no Crohn's or coeliac either. 

    I hope yours goes well and you have a good result too.

  • Offline in reply to Von1968

    Thanks for the reply. Do they always take biopsies? How much does that hurt exactly? What do you mean by gas and air? They are checking me for fissures and haemorrhoids mostly, as my qfit test was all good. But I'm wondering, could the bleeding can still be polyps? Or is that something that occurs further up/deeper inside? To be honest I haven't thought about it much seeing as my qfit poo test was okay. Clearly the doctors and hospital aren't concerned because I had to wait some time my chat at the hospital and now I'm waiting for a letter for this sigmoidoscopy which I was told about 3 weeks now. So they aren't in a hurry.

  • Offline in reply to Phil80

    I'm not a medical person so I'm not sure about biopsies.and polyps, you'd have to ask your consultant probably. I was waiting almost 2 years for mine so it wasn't concerning to them and my fit test was fine too. I suppose pain is subjective depending on how well your tolerance is. Gas and air you breathe in through a tube to relieve the pain, like women in labour. They were so lovely when I had mine and I was told to ask for them to stop and give me sedation if I needed it but I just wanted it to be over and not have stay there all day. It's not the nicest experience but wasn't half as bad as I was expecting. 

    Take care. 

    Yvonne. 

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