NetWellness Colorectal Diseases

Bowel movement with lump of mucus/blood

Janice Rafferty MD — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 22:01:00 EST

Question: i have had itchiness from anus for a while along with small release of blood which i think is just from small tear in anus but today had a small bowel movement which had a fairly large lump of mucus/sperm type fluid which was covered in blood . have previously had pain and antibiotic treatment for w . . .

Answer: The blood and mucus may be from a fissure, or an irritated internal hemorrhoid. If the itching and bleeding continues, please seek an exam from a proctologist, who can diagnose the cause and prescribe appropriate treatment.

Ask an Expert: Janice Rafferty MD, Colorectal Diseases

Chicken and egg question!

Janice Rafferty MD — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 13:01:00 EST

Question: Hi there, I was diagnosed in 2002 with crohns disease after many different examinations. I then developed an abscess that was painful approx five times in a year and a half. It was intense pain which needed very strong painkillers. The abscess was misdiagnosed as piles by three different doctors on . . .

Answer: Anorectal abscess can be very difficult to diagnose. The majority of anorectal abscesses will develop a fistula, whether they are detected and drained early, or late. This is the case if the abscess arises from an infected anal gland, or Crohn's inflammation of the anus and rectum.

Ask an Expert: Janice Rafferty MD, Colorectal Diseases

Fibrin Glue and anal fistula recovery

Janice Rafferty MD — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 15:12:00 EST

Question: About a month ago I underwent a procedure to have fibrin glue injected into an lower or superficial anal fistula. Everything seemed fine until a day ago when I noticed a slight bloody discharge or spotting coming from the external opening of the fistula. Is this common for this type of procedure or . . .

Answer: This is fairly common. Your doctor gave you correct information- it can take 6-8 weeks, or even longer, to know if this procedure worked or not.

Ask an Expert: Janice Rafferty MD, Colorectal Diseases

Recovery from sphincterotomy/fissurectomy

Janice Rafferty MD — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 09:12:00 EST

Question: Hello. I am 23 years old and I suffered from an anal fissure for 10 months. I tried many forms of treatment and finally decided on surgery to relieve the intense pain (the pain was a 10 on a scale from 1-10). I had my surgery 5 days ago. I have had 4 bowel movements since the surgery and I am still . . .

Answer: I tell patients they will be in pain from the surgery for about 2 weeks, and the fissure will take several weeks to heal as well. In my experience pain relief is not immediate. Best to keep your bowel movements VERY soft at this time- use an over the counter laxative like polyethylene glycol, and po . . .

Ask an Expert: Janice Rafferty MD, Colorectal Diseases

Occasional bleeding

Janice Rafferty MD — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 11:12:00 EST

Question: I have been experiencing some constipation lately, and I noticed that occasionally, when I do have a bowel movement, I occasionally will have some blood on the tissue paper after I wipe. As far as I can see, there is none in the toilet. The blood is not always bright red, but it`s really a dark red, . . .

Answer: Blood on the TP after difficult BM is most likely due to an anal fissure, or possibly even hemorrhoidal swelling and irritation. It would be reasonable to visit your doctor for an exam, and a period of treatment with stool softeners, fiber therapy, and possibly medicated suppositories. If after awhi . . .

Ask an Expert: Janice Rafferty MD, Colorectal Diseases

Could my metal allergy cause diarrhea?

Janice Rafferty MD — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 00:12:00 EST

Question: I have allergic reactions to any oxidizing metal, including zinc. I have learned to be careful about my pants buttons, eyeglasses, jewelry, and the host of other metal objects that I encounter on a day-to-day basis. For the past few years, I have been experiencing diarrhea regularly. I was wondering . . .

Answer: Any allergy can cause diarrhea, due to a release of histamine. Not sure if there is anything to do except avoid exposure. Ask your allergist to be sure.

Ask an Expert: Janice Rafferty MD, Colorectal Diseases

GI probs

Janice Rafferty MD — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:11:00 EST

Question: Been constipated for months, seems to be getting slowly worse over last year or two.

Last week had VERY hard time with bowel movements, needed to use mag. citrate to get anything going at all. Lots of pain and straining to accomplish BM. Since that time I`ve been using stool softener, more fibe . . .

Answer: Any change in bowel habits that persists deserves an evaluation. A colonoscopy to evaluate your symptoms would certainly be reasonable- as would a check of your thyroid function, calcium level, kidney function....many things can cause constipation.

Ask an Expert: Janice Rafferty MD, Colorectal Diseases

Colonoscopy repeat schedule

Janice Rafferty MD — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 21:11:00 EST

Question: Had a colonoscopy 10 years ago, where one small polyp (size of little fingernail) was removed.

The interval for repeat colonoscopy under this scenario used to be 10 years, now it is 5-10, I think?

My question is this... I dislike the procedure so much that I obviously avoid it at all costs . . .

Answer: The 10 year interval has been calculated by review of many studies, and examination of the natural history of the average polyp. Most polyps grow slowly, and take years to degenerate into cancer. Therefore a 10 year interval for colonoscopy should be acceptable in a person with no symptoms of a prob . . .

Ask an Expert: Janice Rafferty MD, Colorectal Diseases

Internal hemorrhoid

Janice Rafferty MD — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:11:00 EST

Question: I had prolapse internal hemorrhoid band three times the last was 2 weeks ago. I wonder when is the hemorrhois shrink completely because my is still pop out every time I went to the restroom and also. I having very irriate after passed stool feel like burning and urge to want to go the restroom secon . . .

Answer: The rubber band should pinch off the hemorrhoidal tissue included in it after 7-10 days. If you are still prolapsing tissue after 2 weeks, have the doctor that banded your hemorrhoid take a look and see what the exact issue is.

Ask an Expert: Janice Rafferty MD, Colorectal Diseases

Rectal bleeding

Janice Rafferty MD — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:11:00 EST

Question: I am 45 yrs old with a family history of colon cancer. My father had stage 3B colon cancer. I had an episode of bright red bleeding with small clots,It was not painful but have had none since ( at least that I can tell). With only seeing this once- should I be concerned or just wait and see if it ha . . .

Answer: You need a colonoscopy, both for diagnosis of the cause of the bleeding, and because of the increased risk for colorectal cancer in your family. There are different substances to take for the prep, but all cause large volume loose stool, which is necessary to clean out the colon for good visualizati . . .

Ask an Expert: Janice Rafferty MD, Colorectal Diseases