Resolved question:
I'm 25 now, ever since I can remember I have had perfect bowel movements, but when I was 17 this all changed, I went to the bathroom one day to make a bowel movement and I felt like there was a big mass blockage in my rectum that was stopping me from feeling like I had fully evacuated my rectum, literally this mass or blockage popped up overnight, ever since then the mass/blockage has not gone away, I have been living with this for 8 years without telling anybody at all, I have done some research and I'm terrified it might be colorectal cancer /tumor, but I have never had blood in my stool or weight loss or any of the other symptoms? But occasionally over the last few years I have been getting jolts of intense stabbing pain in my rectum that only lasts a few seconds, I don't get this everyday, just every few weeks, I'm scared to get checked out because I don't want a colostomy bag
Submitted:
4 Days
Category:
Gastroenterologist, Medical
Hi,
Thanks for posting your query.
I am Dr.R.K. and I am pleased to assist you.
Colorectal cancer is UNLIKELY. You have mentioned that you have this symptom for more than 8 years now and no one with colorectal cancer would survive for 8 years without any treatment.
You probably have the symptom of incomplete evacuation which you have been perceiving as a block.
Take high fiber diet, fiber supplements like metamucil and drink lot of water. This will relieve your symptoms.
Since you are very much apprehensive, you can get a sigmoidoscopy test done to look in to your colon.
And do not worry. You will not be requiring a colostomy bag.
Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr.R.K.
Thanks for that reply, I have tried taking metamucil for the last 2 days and it has worked very well, my stools are coming out complete and intact instead of broken and segmented like they were before because of the mass/blockage, but my bowel still feels full/tight like theres a mass in there, and i get mucus discharge sometimes and i have recently had spots of bright red blood on my toilet paper, what else could it be and can it be cured because i cannot keep living like this, i havent felt completely empty in 8 years.
Hi,
Thanks for getting back to me with the follow up question. Good to hear that you are showing signs of relief within two days of taking metamucil.
Continue taking metamucil. Take high fiber diet and drink of lot of water as mentioned in my previous post. Over a period of time your bowel movements will improve still further.
The bright red blood on the toilet paper could be due to hemorrhoids. Hemorrhoids can occur after long term constipation.
Sigmoidscopy may be done as mentioned earlier. It will not only confirm the presence of hemorrhoids, but will also help to assess the grade of hemorrhoids which will help to plan the treatment and also rule out blockage which you have been suspecting.
If sigmoidscopy shows grade I or II hemorrhoids, then metamucil alone is enough. If it shows grade III or IV hemorrhoids, then you may require surgery.
Please let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr.R.K.
Hi there, Im still feeling completely blocked, random sharp stabbing spazzing pain in rectum and still cannot have a proper bowel movement without using an enema, so if its not hemroids could it be Colitis? I did some research and maybe it could be that? do u know any other reasons besides a tumor that might cause the flesh inside the rectum to swell and block the passage?
Hi,
Thanks for getting back to me again.
Hemorrhoids do not result in constipation. It is the other way round. Constipation leads to development of hemorrhoids.
Continue taking metamucil. You may require other laxatives like lactulose.
Other than hemorrhoids and tumor, the causes of bleeding per rectum include polyps, inflammatory bowel disease like ulcerative colitis, fissure in ano.
As suggested earlier, you can have a sigmoidoscopy done to find the cause.
Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr.R.K