blood with BM

[poohh]

I am a 50 year old female.  I have been having problems with constipation and bloating after taking strong antibotics and Prednisone, I've also had a lot difficulty breathing.  My doctor thought reflux, but I do not reflux or have heartburn, I only bloat.  After talking to my drugist I decided the anticotics and Prednisone had killed my good bacteria, so I startd taking probiotics once daily at bedtime.  Last night I noticed bright red blood after a BM.  It was not in or on the stool, it was just like a small clot to itself.  I have had constipation as I said and I strain more than I probably should.  This is the only time I've seen this. Do you think it's from the constipation??
(I had already had a BM earlier in the day and it was fine.)

[katey]

You really should go to your doctor.  The fact that you were on strong antibiotics and now are experiencing blood and constipation makes it sounds kind of suspicious.  There is a colitis thats common for people to get after they've been taking medication.  If you go to your doctors, they can arrange for you to have a sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy and diagnose it if thats what you have.  There is treatment for it.  Other symptoms can include mucus or pus, gas, bloating, and diarreah.  A lady from my work had it, she got it after taking medication for a sinus infection.  Her's continued for a month until she decided to go to her doctors.  I hope you feel better!!

[Street]

Hi there. If you noticed blood in your stool you need to see your doctor for evaluation of what is causing it. Visible blood in the stool can be a variety of things such as hemorroids, fissures, colon polyps. If this persists then you need to get some tests done. A sigmoidoscopy, colonoscopy, barium enema are all tests that would get to the bottom of the bleeding. It could be that teh antibiotics killed your good bacteria and they could've have affected the normal balance between the good and bad bacteria. Your constipation could cause hemorroids, fissures and make you bleed. I wouldn't worry too much but bleeding should be looked into and the fact that your over 50 puts you at a higher risk for colon cancer. The most likely scenerio is that this is only hemorroids or fissures....