Extreme Stress Followed by Rectal Bleeding

It sounds like Colitis or Crohns - she should definitely see a doctor. It is very treatable but if it goes untreated it is very serious - leading to possible loss of her colon or death - as I said it is very treatable so she should see a doctor asap and get treated.

Definitely see a doctor for a diagnosis. My friend's 15 year old daughter lost her colon and needs to have a bag now because her Crohns was not caught in time. Better to find out what it is so she can deal with it.

This is typical for successful business people. Sounds like a wake up call to slow down and look after herself. Hopefully it's just stress but stress is really the underlying cause of most illness.

If she really refuses to go to a doctor then a change in diet is crucial since certain foods can cause bleeding especially if she's become celiac: dairy, gluten, processed foods, sugar and processed oils, etc. Aloe juice taken internally is very healing but again, this is no substitute for going and getting a diagnosis but some people die before they will do that so these tips are helpful for people like that.

Keep us posted on this!

It could be a severe case of hemorrhoids, although I'm not so sure they'd cause that much bleeding and dizziness. Definitely push her to get it checked out! Does she have any children? If she has kids, tell her she should want to be healthy for her children. This could be a serious matter.
Good luck!!
Lynsey

Your friend needs help, she might have a severe stomach ulcer or worse, if she is feeling that weak after these episodes it is probly because she is losing too much blood and may need transfusion. She is probly anemic(not enough iron) and then she would have a hard time building her blood back up. If you happen to be with her during one of these episodes I suggest you tell her if she is going to refuse treament that she has to refuse it to the paramedics and then call 911. They would be more than happy to explain to her face the risks of not getting treatment, sometimes it is harder for people to say no when they are actually faced with the people who can help them. If that is not possible please forward your responses to this to her, maybe if she hears what could happen to her from someone other than you---she might change her mind about getting treatment. PLEASE know that the symptoms she is having afterward are very dangerous and mean low blood pressure, too much blood loss, anemia and could cause DEATH if left untreated. I am a nurse and I hope you seek help! I wish you the best of luck!

could be severe ulcerative colitis. The onset is often caused by stress, and the most major symptoms include diarrhea and bloody stool. She needs to see a gastroenterologist right away.

Internal hemorrhoids? I positively agree with you that your friend really needs to see a doctor, soon! I understand her being scared and embarressed but doctors have seen it all...and they are the ones who can help her!

My partner had this recently and even went to see a Dr who said no big deal. Once it got worse (massive bleeding), we went to the ER and after a night of testing for everything (diavaticulitis, ulcer, etc.), it turns out it was a very large polyp that was removed immediately. Apaprently, it was "unusually large" for his age and had it not been detected, would have turned into cancer. Please have your friend see a Dr immediately.

Hello Meridith,
I am not a doctor in any way, but my mother died of colon cancer, and what your friend has is more than what my mother ever experienced as a symptom.
You need to tell her that if she does not go to a doctor, IT MAY BE A MATTER OF LIFE OR DEATH FOR HER. Tell her whatever you need to in order to get her to a doctor or hospital!!
Having a large stressful business, it may be a bleeding ulcer, or maybe something worse.
Good luck.

Sounds like Chrohn's Disease. The doctor who wrote "The Maker's Diet" cured himself of it (permanent remission). Your friend might want to check out the dietary principles that helped him.

There are so many things it could be she should get to the ER immediately. My cousin had Chrones Disease and the same thing would happen to her. She had to have a portion of her intestines removed and is living a completely healthy life now. Loosing that much blood could lead to needing a transfusion. I think you need to insist I am sure she is afraid and probably doesn't want to deal with what it is but I don't think it will just go away. The more stressed she gets the worse it will get.

Your friend needs to stop putting her head in the sand and get herself into the Dr's office for some serious tests. It could e Crohn's disease (which is pretty bad) or it could be colon cancer or irritable bowel or many other things that are more or less serious. She can't know what's wrong until she goes for some tests. Please talk seriously to your friend, her life may depend upon facing her fears of being tested. Maybe if you offer to go with her and hold her hand? Good luck and I hope it all works out well.

I don't think it's ever good to bleed from there like that. tell her to see a doctor incase anything that's happening goes from bad to worse. i know stress can be bad on your body but something else must be causing this.

Yep, my guess is either Chron's or Ulcerative Colitis, but she NEEDS to see a gastroenterologist to 1) rule out other things, and 2) learn how to treat this b/c if it is either of these things, she will have it FOREVER and she needs to change her lifestyle completely to get into remission and avoid flare-ups.

If she ignores it she will be in even bigger trouble...

she needs a colonoscopy...she needs to go to a gastroenterologist

Doctor, IMMEDIATELY. These kinds of things, but it ulcer or worse, only get progressively worse, not better. Best of luck to your friend. She's already lucky to have a friend like you : )

Please take her to the ER immediately. I have the same exact symptoms and was diagnosed by a specialist in Manhattan (Dr. Blair Lewis). I have Crohns Disease in the small intestine. I had 4 hospital stays in 2006. Noone knew what was wrong with me. I also had 15 blood transfusions. She needs to seek medical help. Please make sure that she does not neglect herself. She can go into shock if not treated.

My best friend has this as well. It is called colitis and stress is one of the leading causes. She must go see a gastroenterologist. They can give her medication to control it as well as run further tests to rule out anything more serious. She has to get this taken care of. My friend ended up in the hospital because of it, she became so weak from it. Her doctor now has it under control and she us slowly weaning off the meds for it. You will have to try to convince your friend to see a gastro doctor.

Hi M.,
Bleeding from the rectum is something that needs to be evaluated by a doctor. There are any number of things that it could be, some of them serious, and your friend is not going to get better by not going to a doctor. No one here can diagnose your friend - it COULD be any of a number of things, and even if we knew what it was, we can't treat her. Her only option is to see a doctor. She does not need to wait for the next episode, she should see her regular family doctor/internist now, who may run tests, refer her to a gastroenterologist, etc. She should not wait. It sounds like she is hemorrhaging, that is why she is weak, dizzy and cold - it's extremely foolish not to seek medical attention when she's hemmorhaging, and she may not survive one of these next times.

Any time there is blood in the stool or urin, you need to see a Dr. Don't ever wait for it to just go away. It is usually a sign that something is wrong, and the only way to find out how serious is to see a Dr. Guaranteed, though, if you wait, then it will become more serious than when it first began. She has GOT to go TODAY!

She has to see a doctor its more then stress any blood other then period could be very serious. Run to the dr.

Offer to go with her to the doctor but get her to go. A bleeding ulcer could be a cause. A.