I noticed blood in my stools along with stomach pain and passing gas. Why?

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I understand your concern.

Your current symptoms of gas, some pain immediately resolving after passing gas, and slow bowel movements are secondary to a condition called post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Since it all started after the COVID infection, it is named so. IBS can follow many other infections as well and not necessarily COVID. Now for your bleeding, I suggest you go for a colonoscopy. Age is although young, persistent symptoms need proper evaluation. This can be simple as hemorrhoids, anal fissures, or solitary rectal ulcers syndrome and can be an IBS. Colon cancers are not common at your age. I suggest you see a gastroenterologist in your area who does colonoscopies. Let me know the results once available. There are no blood or stools tests that can confirm the underlying diagnosis. That is why I am suggesting a colonoscopy. For post-infectious IBS, I suggest you take tablet Rifaximin 200 mg thrice daily, tablet Rifaximin (antibiotic) 200 mg thrice daily, tablet Levosulpiride (antipsychotic) 25 mg thrice daily before meals.

I hope this helps.

Hi,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

I understand your concern.

Three months is long, try to see a GI (gastroenterologists) doctor in a month or so. Other tests would not be that helpful as colonoscopy. So I suggest you to go for it.

I hope this helps.

Hi,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

Actually, the intermittent nature and painless bleeding suggest hemorrhoids.

Hemorrhoids are veins that are dilated just at the end of the anal opening.

If someone is constipated, these veins get engorged with blood and ooze intermittently, and once the pressure is resolved because of improvement in constipation the bleeding goes away.

Anything which improves constipation, straining at stools, or pressure over the bottom, will improve bleeding.

Since this is a probable diagnosis. For confirming the diagnosis, a colonoscopy is a must. If your age would have been less than 30 years, I would have only suggested a sigmoidoscopy, which is looking at only a small segment of the whole colon and does not require a colon wash preparation.

Hi,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

Well, the raised levels of leucocytes and neutrophils are non-specific. They did not tell any diagnosis by itself.

They commonly increase during infections of any sort.

If you have a fever and any localizing symptoms such as cough, sputum, or urine problem, this suggests infections of the lungs and urinary tract infection.

I know you must be very anxious about meeting with a gastroenterologist, but considering your age, I hope there is nothing other than hemorrhoids. Yet, we have to confirm it first.

Thank you.