Ask a doctor on the topic of Internal medicine

Blood in the stool

July 2, 2016 | 25,00 EUR | answered by Dr. med Ralf von Seckendorff

Hello, sorry if I'm writing this in a weird way. But I'm a bit concerned. This morning after going to the bathroom, I noticed blood on the toilet paper. We were grilling with friends earlier and for about an hour now I've been feeling cramps in my stomach, rumbling in my intestines with strong pain, but after going to the bathroom the pain went away.
At first, my stool was normal but then it became mushy/liquid (brownish). There was fresh blood as well, again on the toilet paper. But I did push quite hard. Could the blood be something serious? About 16 months ago I had a colonoscopy and they only found a small polyp which was removed. Should I be worried now about cancer or something similar?

Dr. med Ralf von Seckendorff

Good evening,

if you had a colonoscopy 16 months ago, there is usually little to worry about in terms of cancer in this relatively short period of time. The most likely cause is a hemorrhoid (or possibly a stomach/intestinal infection/upset). It can be waited out initially, but if it recurs, a proctological examination for hemorrhoids would be advisable.

Kind regards