Unexplained Bloody Stool

[pleasehelpus]

I would LOVE if somebody out there could help us. My husband has been having unexplained rectal bleeding for over 5 years. He is 35 years old and we lead very healthy lifestyles. No smoking/drinking, he plays hockey & exercises & our diets are very healthy, (except for the occasional Friday night pizza attack). Anyway, he has been to 6 different internal medicine/gastro doctors in the Detroit Metro area and nobody has come to any conclusion!! It's crazy! He has been told by all 6 doctors that he does not have hemorrhoids, chron's or colitis. He has had two in-depth colonoscopies, an upper GI, a sigmoidoscopy, he has even done the test where he swallowed a capsule with a camera in it. All of the tests were negative and could find no reason for his bleeding. His symptoms are as follows:
He has regular bowel movements, two to three times a day with bright red blood wrapped in the stool. He sometimes complains of cramping and fatigue. Occassionally the stool is loose. Doctors have put him on the following medications: colozal, dicyclomide and mesalomine rectal suspension. The mesalomine is the only thing that seemed to help, but he says it still happens occassionally, especially when he has lack of sleep or excessive stress. We are very concerned for his health, as we have two children and lots of healthy life to live. He has lost members of his family to cancer and heart disease, and his father and uncle both have diabetes. Also of note, last year he was put on tricor to lower his astronomically high triglyceride level (700+). They are now below 200. We are frustrated with the doctors appointments, and are very aware that it is not natural to bleed for 5 years. Please help us! Thank you so very much!

[Dr_Brody_DC]

I would LOVE if somebody out there could help us. My husband has been having unexplained rectal bleeding for over 5 years. He is 35 years old and we lead very healthy lifestyles. No smoking/drinking, he plays hockey & exercises & our diets are very healthy, (except for the occasional Friday night pizza attack). Anyway, he has been to 6 different internal medicine/gastro doctors in the Detroit Metro area and nobody has come to any conclusion!! It's crazy! He has been told by all 6 doctors that he does not have hemorrhoids, chron's or colitis. He has had two in-depth colonoscopies, an upper GI, a sigmoidoscopy, he has even done the test where he swallowed a capsule with a camera in it. All of the tests were negative and could find no reason for his bleeding. His symptoms are as follows:
He has regular bowel movements, two to three times a day with bright red blood wrapped in the stool. He sometimes complains of cramping and fatigue. Occassionally the stool is loose. Doctors have put him on the following medications: colozal, dicyclomide and mesalomine rectal suspension. The mesalomine is the only thing that seemed to help, but he says it still happens occassionally, especially when he has lack of sleep or excessive stress. We are very concerned for his health, as we have two children and lots of healthy life to live. He has lost members of his family to cancer and heart disease, and his father and uncle both have diabetes. Also of note, last year he was put on tricor to lower his astronomically high triglyceride level (700+). They are now below 200. We are frustrated with the doctors appointments, and are very aware that it is not natural to bleed for 5 years. Please help us! Thank you so very much!

According to the medications that you've tried, your husband is being treated for inflammatory bowel disease, which could mean ulcerative colitis, Crohn's, etc. Has a gluten sensitivity been ruled out? You may try avoiding gluten and see if the symptoms improve.

Another (albeit rare) possibility is pancreatic disease. A very high triglyceride level suggests looking in this direction at any rate.

Age 35 is very young to develop such high blood fats unless there is a hereditary component, in which case you have to be very strict with your diet -- eating generally healthy is not good enough. You might enjoy reading the earlier works of Dr. Barry Sears such as "Enter the Zone," or "Mastering the Zone." You've probably heard of the Zone Diet, which has become popular for weight loss, but it was really developed with hyperlipidemias in mind. They have a website as well ( www.zonediet.com ), but I found that unless you have a basic idea of the underlying principles, it sounds like just another trendy diet plan.

You posted a long time ago, so I'd be interested in hearing any updates since your initial inquiry . . .

[pleasehelpus]

He is still having symptoms and is trying yet another doctors office. Thanks for the reply - I will have him ask the new dr. about the pancreatitis possibility. Is it possible for there to be blood in his stool if he's just having an allergic reaction to glutin?

[Dr_Brody_DC]

He is still having symptoms and is trying yet another doctors office. Thanks for the reply - I will have him ask the new dr. about the pancreatitis possibility. Is it possible for there to be blood in his stool if he's just having an allergic reaction to glutin?

Dear PHU,

In a word, yes! Other food allergens could cause bleeding as well, although it is not the usual reaction. If all else fails, you might try an elimination diet and/or keep a strict log of what was eaten prior to when the bloody stools occur.