Uncle Has Blood In Stools

[simon43]

My partner's uncle is about 50 years old and has been complaining of blood in his stools for the past 2 weeks. He says that there is no pain when passing the stool, (so don't think it is piles or anal fissure), and the blood is bright red. He says that he has a pain in the lower abdomen area. His local Issan hospital seemed rather uninterested and gave him some unknown pills to take and not to come back... The translation of what they said he was suffering from is 'chronic medcial problem'

From the symptoms, my complete lack of medical knowledge suggests to me that this could be a serious problem.

Are there are other symptoms that we could ask him about, which may help to eliminate certain ailments, or point to others?

Thanks

Simon

[chiang mai]

I would guess Simon that the only way to be really sure is via an endoscopy, it's a problem that really shouldn't be ignored, as I'm sure you realise.

[jdinasia]

Fresh blood is less symptomatic than tarry/sticky (old blood) bowel movements. Find a local hospital with a Gastroenterologist (GI) and get him checked out. The Dr probably gave your uncle a mild laxative. If the pain is from crampin/spasms there are some meds that can help relieve the symptoms a bit but masking symptoms is far from an ideal situation.

There is an excellent GI specialist here in Chiang Mai.

[zaphodbeeblebrox]

Agree with the above, have him see a GI specialist. Could be a bleeding ulcer as blood in stools is a symptom.

[pluto_manibo]

Blood in stools can also be a symptom of polyps in the Colon which might or might not be malignant. Either way, he should seek a doctor!

[FBN]

Fresh blood usually means bleeding from the lower part of the colon. Bleeding from internal haemorrhoids is the most common and can be painless but at 50yo malignancy has to be ruled out.

Find another doctor! He does need a procto- or colonoscopy at least.

[phetaroi]

I once had bright red blood in my stool...a lot! The diagnosis was very specific -- good poisoning by e coli, resulting in diarrhea that was so violent that it ruptured blood vessels in the colon.

[Hairy]

Simon,

Disclaimer: I am not a physician; the below is from my experience with the specific problem I am writing about in this post, it should not be construed as a diagnosis of your friend's uncle since he may have something else entirely, and this post describes how I was treated (at Bumrungrad, incidentally) for the specific problem I mention.

While it could be a serious problem, and he should definitely get it checked out, the "chronic medical problem" bit made me think that the Isaan doc may have diagnosed the problem as diverticulosis or diverticulitis. Your friend's uncle is the right age -- anything over about 40 is when this problem starts to crop up.

Diverticuli are small pockets or "blowouts" in the colon, usually the lower descending side (on the left), often caused by straining too much (constipation) on the pot. These sometimes bleed, and also sometimes get infected. Just having them present is called diverticulosis. When they get infected, it's called diverticulitis.

Are the pills either antibiotics or a laxative (fiber supplement, perhaps)? Diverticulitis gets treated by nuking it from orbit. Once the infection is gone, it's a good idea to keep things moving, so fiber supplements, or a mild laxative like milk-of-magnesia (magnesium hydroxide) to ease things along when the person gets constipated.

Again, disclaimer: this is just one possibility, and some of the other possibilities are much more dangerous.

Best wishes to him, and I hope it's this annoying little "nothing" condition.

[Sheryl]

As FBN said -- this is an absolute indication for endoscopy

from what you describe I suspect he went to a district level hospital, these are absolutely to be avoided.

The nearest provincial hospital should be able to do better.

[PMNL]

My partner's uncle is about 50 years old and has been complaining of blood in his stools for the past 2 weeks. He says that there is no pain when passing the stool, (so don't think it is piles or anal fissure), and the blood is bright red. He says that he has a pain in the lower abdomen area. His local Issan hospital seemed rather uninterested and gave him some unknown pills to take and not to come back... The translation of what they said he was suffering from is 'chronic medcial problem'

From the symptoms, my complete lack of medical knowledge suggests to me that this could be a serious problem.

Are there are other symptoms that we could ask him about, which may help to eliminate certain ailments, or point to others?

RE : Did he loose weight? Fever/sweting at night?

Loss of appetite? feeling of going to toilet and nothing come out? (Tinismus)

Any mucus came out with blood?

all these are alarm sign for malignancy.

As the other poster mention, you should take him to see the specialist at proviacial hospital.

Good Luck for the uncle.

[simon43]

My partner spoke with his wife who says that he is feeling 'okay', (which is not helpful information either way...).

She will try to speak again to see if the symptoms are persisting. We know that he has not consulted any other doctor or hospital since he was sent home from the local hospital last week. (I understand from speaking with his wife that he was given some suppositories by the local hospital)

Simon

[geriatrickid]

If he is over 50 and hasn't had a colonoscopy, then it's time. Thailand has a growing problem with colorectal cancer because the diagnosis comes too late for most Thais. People are either afraid of the procedure or cannot afford it. If this person has a family history of colorectal cancer, or a personal history of inflammatory bowel disease please consult a qualified physician without further delay. I would anticipate at some point someone should offer a fecal occult blood test.

I would find it hard to believe that the bleeding would be due to constipation alone. Excluding the very elderly and the young, how many adult Thais have we ever met that suffer from constipation? The diet here will cause the runs, but not usually constipation.

[Sheryl]

Simon, it would be worth your while to if necessary pay for him to have a colonoscopy at a private hospital if, as it sounds, he isn't likely to pursue this through the gpublic health systems on his own (which, to be fair, does take a fair degree of assertiveness).

You risk having to shell out an awful lot more money if the cause is serious and was nto dteected early enough.

[bkkmick]

Has to be taken seriously. A friend of mine (60) got admitted to BNH, Bangkok last week. He had blood in his stool/urine. He died last night. Don't think that the docs really knew what was going on. He was on dialysis yesterday evening and, from what I'm told, started to bleed into his lungs. He died shortly after.

[jas007]

The blood, being bright red, is likely from the lower colon or rectum and could be the result of a number of problems: internal hemorrhoids, diverticulosis, polyps, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, cancer....

I'm sure a gastroenterologist would be able to sort the matter out. Some problems can be easily fixed, others can be managed. Cancer can be cured if caught early enough.

[mjpaneza]

..,your uncle should really see a doctor because we doesn't know what would really be the problem, and i recommend you to search of those illness that may be the possible cause...

..,he should also have to take colonoscopy it might not be the solution but i guess it would help....

www.colonnews.com

this web page may help you...

God Bless!

[Robby nz]

I'm going to recomend Phramongkutklao hospital in BKK they have al arge colorectal unit with several specialists who do nothing but work with the lower digestive system.

I see Mor sahapohn he is good.

Get there pronto if it is malignant it can develope very quickly to an untreatable stage

[nellyp]

I'm going to recomend Phramongkutklao hospital in BKK they have al arge colorectal unit with several specialists who do nothing but work with the lower digestive system.

I see Mor sahapohn he is good.

Get there pronto if it is malignant it can develope very quickly to an untreatable stage

My father had blood in his stool and ignored it. When we eventually got him to see somebody they gave him a month to live (he had bowel cancer). he died confused and unready to go. It was unbelieveably tragic and could have been avoided. get him to see a specialist asap

[LuckyLew]

My suggestion is that you follow up with a GI very fast

and I also recommend the endoscope route.

The reason for the blood in the stool could be 1 of many things,

Collitis, crones, bacteria build or hemmorroids. Just taking unknown

pills will in all likely hood not solve the issue. I suffer from Colitis and

it is currently flaring up and am currently being treated in Bangkok.

I was told by my doctor that colitis and crones is very rare in Thailand,

and that very few doctors here are even aware of what it is. My doctor

only heard of it because he did most of his studies outside Thailand.

Even if it is just bacteria build up, your uncle will need proper antibiotics

to clear the trouble.

Wither way, the longer he waits for proper treatment, the worse it is going

to get and the longer and more expensive the treatment will be

[Heng]

Yeah, go to a real hospital, not one where they make you wait in line just to get a hospital ID number.

[hhgz]

Since it has been 14 weeks since the problem was reported, I wonder if the OP could give us an update.