Forums >Health and Nutrition>Poop.... ya it happens.. help?
This is crazy embarrassing but I really need some advice from a running community.
This will probably be WAY more details than anyone needs / wants to know. So If you'd rather just answer the question without all the detail: I am wondering if anyone has experienced blood in their stool for multiple days and then had it go away?
Now the backstory in all it's glory. I have been training for my first half marathon for the past 16 weeks. After my last long run before the race (12 miles) I started to notice blood in my stool. Every day. This continued during my 2 week taper period where I didn't run for more than 6 miles, usually only 3 - 4 miles.
Trusty google told me to go see a doc so I did. I wasn't experiencing any other pain or issues. She wants me to get a colonoscopy. I asked if it could be connected to my training and she said "running shouldn't cause any GI issues".
Of course immediately after I saw her (2 days ago) I stopped having issues. My race was today. No issues, no blood in stools. Do I still go through all the hassle of the colonoscopy? I am 36. I don't want to ignore warning signs. But I feel like it was probably inflammation from running and I just need to give my body some rest.
Has anyone else experienced this?
If it was me I would take it seriously and get it checked out by a specialist. Better safe than sorry and all that.
Blood in your stool >> GET THAT COLONOSCOPY. The sooner, the better.
A friend was about your age when he was diagnosed with bowel cancer. That was about 25 years ago, and he fully recovered.
Most definitely follow through. I see no way at all that those symptoms are related to training.
Ye I had the same issue last week and it cleared up but went and seen Doc. getting both ends checked next week, better safe than sorry
Turning back the clock one mile at a time
RIP Milkman
A few days is usually not a big deal. 2 weeks sounds like you really should get it checked out. I highly doubt it was from running though. Trust your doctor.
5K: 16:37 (11/20) | 10K: 34:49 (10/19) | HM: 1:14:57 (5/22) | FM: 2:36:31 (12/19)
It's Tuesday every day
+1 on getting it checked out. Could be as simple as an internal hemorrhoid, and if it's anything worse, you want it out of there yesterday. A lot of stuff they can just snip off while you're knocked out.
I went for my first routine colonoscopy last year expecting a completely clean bill of health (my younger sister had already had hers; nothing there). Woke up to discover they'd removed two polyps and also that I have an internal hemorrhoid. One polyp was a big nothing; the other, while nothing, was also the kind of nothing that can change its mind.
Good luck (and congrats on the race)!
--Christine
rectumdamnnearkilledem
Check my signature. I am recovering from stage 3 colorectal cancer treatment, diagnosed 5 days after my 44th birthday. I still only have a 50/50 chance of 5 year survival. I wrote off my issues as hemorrhoids...it was a big damned tumor. When I first started having symptoms I was probably stage 2. The fastest growing group receiving this diagnoses is <40. The #s >50 are shrinking because of more people being screened. Recently the standard screening age lowered to 45. I believe it won’t be long before 40 is standard. But there are still a horrifying number of people in their teens and 20s being diagnosed. This is no longer an old person’s disease or a lifestyle disease. It’s affecting an increasing number of people in their healthy prime.
Get your ass checked ASAP. I didn’t. My 2017 was fuck-awful. I lost most of my rectum, part of my sigmoid colon and had an ileostomy for 4 months. Hopefully it is just hemorrhoids or a fissure, but it’s not something to gamble on self-diagnosis.
Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to
remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.
~ Sarah Kay
runktrun
blood in their stool Do I still go through all the hassle of the colonoscopy?
blood in their stool
Do I still go through all the hassle of the colonoscopy?
YES.
I've pissed blood after running but never had it in my poop.
I had a colonoscopy at 32 because of family history of polyps and my IBS; my insurance covered all of it, but I still scrutinized the bills and it wasn't that bad (<$1,000). If you're concerned about cost, ask about an estimate for services and who else might be in the room during the procedure who could bill you.
Not running for my health, but in spite of it.
not bad for mile 25
And if you're reluctant due to the prospect of the colonoscopy, this article by Dave Barry should help.
One day at a time
I DO NOT UNDERSTAND PEOPLE. At all.
"Hassle of the colonoscopy" versus colon cancer that's too advanced to treat. Why is there any question?
I had my colonoscopy a few weeks after I turned 50. No symptoms, no family history, I just knew I should have it.
They found a LARGE polyp. It was the kind that while not cancerous, very likely would have turned cancerous at some point. I really think this inconvenient procedure saved my life.
Now I have to go in every three years for another inconvenient procedure. Boo hoo. I would go in every week if they told me to.
Well crap (see what I did there??)....
I was very (naively) hoping that people would say "oh ya that just happens sometimes with intense training".
Also since the problem seems to have gone away (it's only been 4 days) I was hopeful it was a temporary thing.
But of course I would rather be safe then sorry. Thanks everyone for chiming in!!!
Mother of Cats
Well crap (see what I did there??).... I was very (naively) hoping that people would say "oh ya that just happens sometimes with intense training".
It does sometimes. "Exercise-Induced Ischemic Colitis"
But you can only get that DX by ruling out other more sinister stuff. Add me to the list of those saying to get a colonoscopy. I've had one myself - it's not THAT bad.
Everyone's gotta running blog; I'm the only one with a POOL-RUNNING blog.
And...if you want a running Instagram where all the pictures are of cats, I've got you covered.
It does sometimes. "Exercise-Induced Ischemic Colitis" But you can only get that DX by ruling out other more sinister stuff. Add me to the list of those saying to get a colonoscopy. I've had one myself - it's not THAT bad.
Yeah, the procedure isn't that bad. The prep for it IS NOT much fun though...
And you can quote me as saying I was mis-quoted. Groucho Marx
Rob
Agreed, though I was lumping procedure and prep together. I swear by Cliff brand margarita flavored shot bloks. They taste so much better than lemon lime jello; replace your electrolytes; and rid your mouth of the prep taste.