I'm a few years older than you (40) and recently had a bit of a bowel cancer scare and was referred for a colonoscopy. My symptoms were rectal bleeding (just on the toilet paper, nothing in the stool), weight loss, trapped wind and having loose stools more often than usual. The specialist said that at my age the risk of bowel cancer was less than 1% and he wasn't concerned but would do a colonoscopy anyway, just to be certain. All they found was hemorrhoids. 

Thank you for your reply

I keep trying to tell myself its unlikely. I think its the unknown isnt it. I'm glad it was nothing sinister in your case ! 

Thank you for your reply

I'm sorry to hear about your diagnosis and hope you are well

I did start googling and promptly stopped (your right it is not helpful)

I've rang the GP and she's trying to push things along so hopefully soon I'll get answers 

Yeah, try not to google. I know it's hard but you will find all the very unlikely stories. People who were diagnosed with cancer at 30 are likely to post about it online, whereas the majority who had absolutely nothing found or just something like hemorrhoids probably won't because there isn't much to say in those cases. 

I kept having to remind myself there are other options as well as hemorrhoids and cancer and that cancer is really the least likely option because those are the only ones you really hear about online. 

I'm ok thank you.

I've had many a false panic after reading things, it turns a simple headache into a brain tumor, a sore throat into throat cancer, if you know what I mean.

Let us know how you get on. x

Hi, hope you are doing well. Sorry to jump in on this post but I was wondering how long did you have your symptoms as I am experiencing the same as you were including the weight loss. How are you now? I'm so scared

Hi Florenceg

As a bowel cancer patient in the past I would hope you have been to see your GP to get checked out. If not, please do asap to get checked, could be other things causing your symptoms but if it is cancer the sooner diagnosed the better the chances of survival. x

The rectal bleeding started back in May. For most of May, it was happening almost daily or at least every second day, then it eased off after a month or two, eventually coming maybe once a week. The weight loss was over a period of about a year. The gassiness lasted maybe two weeks?

I am still getting some bleeding, but am pretty sure it's external. The other symptoms seem to have mostly stopped. The loose stools stopped pretty much straight after the colonoscopy so I am guessing they may have been due to the stress of the whole thing. My weight seems to be staying the same. And the gasiness only lasted a couple of weeks.

I would second the whole see your GP thing. Odds are whatever is going on with you is something really minor but it's best to get it checked out just in case.

Hi All I thought I would post an update!  So I'm still rather worried. So after some blood tests and and  a stool sample it turns out I have high liver enzymes which is worrying me. Stool sample came back normal for any inflammation and I'm not anaemic or coeliac, so thats slightly reassuring but I'm still finding blood most days and I've got a stitch type pain in my left side and also some lower cramping and bloating. Any thoughts??