Hemorrhoids that bleed produce bright red blood. If its bright red blood, its much mire likely to be that than anything sinister... especially if your GP has already found one.

Hi Grillz.

You didn't mention your age, which can be important when considering bowel problems.

I'm not a doctor, but I am a long term iBS sufferer.  Passing mucus is one of the symptoms of IBS; the older name for IBS is mucous colities, implying how common it is  Having a clear FOB is good - presumably blood from your hemorrhoid didn't get into the sample and that's why it was clear.  But it is definitely good since it means there's no internal bleeding inside the bowel. 

The flexible sig test is the next logical step, but there's absolutely no reason to assume it's going to be bad news.  

So please try to remain optimistic; don't google your symptoms because that never helps, and let us know how you get on.

Thanks for the quick response, the blood is bright red, but very occasional, so that is more reassuring. The mucus thing is everyday (assuming I've been), never seen blood mixed in with it. 

I'm hoping its exactly what you've said above, I should have gone to see the doc when it first started but I was embarressed.

Hi telemando, thanks for replying

I will be 40 next week, the only bowel issues in the family is constipation, I have always had the opposite problem.

I am more reassured by the tests, but I dont want to go in completly confident if that makes sense, just incase they find something. I think losing my friends so recently has certainly made me more scared, they were so much healthier than me.  It was one of them that played hell at me when I'd said i'd had symptoms for some months. He left it so late, he was stage 4 by time he was diagnosed. 

Dr Google is definetly my worst enemy. I'll update on Monday x

Hi Grillz.  

At 40, bowel cancer is still low on the list of possibilities, although I can understand why you're concerned because of your friends. 

I also understand why you don't want to "jinx" things by being over-confident. But just remember at this stage of the game, your attitude isn't going to change the result - that's fixed, but you just don't know what it is yet.

You know what telemando, you're right

**** it, I am going to go in Monday as confident as possible xx

Updating because I know whats its like to follow these threads and not find out what happened. Had the flexible sigmoidoscopy today, which was a breeze, no pain, tiny bit bloated. 

They dont know whats causing my symptoms, but we do now know its nothing sinister. I'm so glad I pushed for the camera, even though I got myself very worked up before hand.

Thank you to everyone thats replied, you can't believe how helpful it is to talk to someone who knows what you're going through. Friends are great, but they tell you to stop worrying, like you have some magic switch you can just flick off, though they do mean well

Amazing news!!!!

So happy for you!

Try to fix the diet, eat more veggies and fruits and lay off the starchy carbs (white breads, white apsta etc) to see if it helps.

With the mucus still present you could ask Doctor to do a faecal calprtectin stool test if not already done - if normal then it will rule out Crohns and Ulcerative Colitis.

Great news again!!

Brilliant. So pleased for you. :D