Hello,
Thanks for posting your query at DoctorSpring.com
I am Dr.R.K and I am pleased to assist you.
Since you have history of constipation and the sigmoid colon is inflamed the most likely cause for your lower abdominal pain is diverticulitis. It looks like a milder form of diverticulitis which is why your doctor treated you with oral medications.
Diverticulitis is a complication of diverticulosis which in turn is a complication of long standing constipation. Diverticulosis is outpouchings in the colon which usually remain without symptoms unless they develop complications like diverticulitis.
This is not a one time thing. You can get repeated attacks if your bowel movements are not good.
So continue taking metamucil, high fiber diet and drink lot of fluids to ease your bowel movements.
I hope that answers your question.
Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr.R.K.
Patient replied :
Thank you so much, doctor. I would like to add that I have never smoked and do not drink alcohol, and rarely eat red meat. I am concerned about my ESR reading of 33 and the trace blood the doctor found when he did the rectal exam. Can you give any opinion on this? Do you think I need to worry about colonoscpy? I am so confused about what I read regarding IBD. Can this hit a person suddenly, without warning? I do not feel pain when I have a bowel movement. Thank you in advance. My CT scan showed normal vascular flow and no blockages. All other major organs were fine.
Hello,
Thanks for getting back to me with more questions.
Yes ESR is slightly on the higher side. It indicates that there is some inflammatory process going on somewhere in your body (provided you are not anemic).
Some of the causes for rectal bleeding are hemorrhoids, fissures, IBD, diverticulosis, polyps and malignancy.
You could be having any one of these.
A colonoscopy has to be done to find which of these is the reason for your rectal bleed.
You can have IBD symptoms without warning.
But as I said , there are other causes as well which are to be ruled out by getting a colonoscopy done.
I hope that answers your query.
Regards.