Which one of these could cause blood in stool ?

Options
Which one of these could cause blood in stool ?

Comments

  • trigeek
    trigeek Member Posts: 916
    edited March 2008

    I am not seeing my oncologist until next week(will run it by him then and he'll most probably scuff at the stuff I am taking/consuming and will tell me to stop so want to stop it before I see him) and am currently going through rads.

    For the last couple of days I have had some blood in my stool ( not the dangerous kind, it is red and not that much) I had some problems while doing Taxol( did DD AC+Taxol last one january 11) with an irritated GI tract and I am thinking that some of the juicing, nutrition might be contributing to it although I do not have any pain suspecting small hemorroids.  I am very regular and do not get constipated or diarrhea.

    So can you please tell me which one of the following might be guilty for causing the bleeding ( I probably have small hemorroids) or maybe messed with my platelets ( which were perfectly fine in my last blood work which was on february 20)

    3 Tbsp ground flaxseed.

    juicing with ( beet, kale, broccoli, celery, carrots, ginger, radishes)

    Curcumin total 2 gr.

    CoQ10 60 mg X 2

    I know that beet is a platelet inhibitor so will give that one a break but any other veggies I should stay away from ?

    Thanks !

    Aylin

  • snowyday
    snowyday Member Posts: 1,478
    edited March 2008

    Are you sure that the beet juice isn't looking like blood in the stool, are the stool black in colour.  The only other thing is the flaxseed if it's not ground up well enough.  Are you taking any antinflamitories that can cause blood in the stool as well.  I hope it's nothing serious. Pearl

  • trigeek
    trigeek Member Posts: 916
    edited March 2008

    Pearl I thought  exactly like you did and I did not juice or take flaxseed  yesterday thinking that beets were the culprit, but this morning I still had the problem. And no the stool is not black( that would be bad )

    I have a food processor with a grinder and I thought I did grind my flaxseed pretty good ( grind it on high for about 1 minute, it does look like powder afterwards)

    I do not take any other meds.. oh wait I do take Melatonin sometimes 3 sometimes 6 mg.

    Hmm..

  • lisametoo
    lisametoo Member Posts: 187
    edited March 2008

    Dear Tri,

    The beets will cause the stool to look red.  It will take over 24 hrs. of abstaining from the beets for the stool to look "normal" again.  Have done this experiment myself and my mother also.

    Hugs,

  • Calico
    Calico Member Posts: 1,108
    edited March 2008

    Tri,

    my first guess would be beets, the second guess (based on my "constipation" experience - cuts around the anus from straining resulting in cuts that bled - TMI...I know).

    Hope you find out it is nothing to worry about.

    God Bless

  • snowyday
    snowyday Member Posts: 1,478
    edited March 2008

    trigeek, have you heard of Tucks they are wonderful for hemoroids you can buy them at a drugstore. Very soothing for those nastys.

    Let me know what your doc thinks. I have never heard of Melatonin causing this so it couldn't be that. But if your constipated and straining that could be causing it but if it hasn't gone away in a few days and you've crossed off any possible culprit, then get it checked. I really hope its going to go away. Pearl  Oh yeah I'm having a colonoscopy and endoscopy on the 19th and I'm terrified. The last time I had one done the scope got stuck so then they did a barium and told me that my bowels were deformed BUT normal, I fought with the Dr over that but he wouldn't refer me to specialist. Now my poor sister has to basically keep me as calm as possible before the scopes and warn the Drs. over and over if it gets stuck stop.  I wish I was normal so badly. Pearl   (what next) huh.  I really should have put this on the new thread Traci started.

  • AnneW
    AnneW Member Posts: 4,050
    edited March 2008

    Is there actually blood when you wipe?

    Red mixed in with the stool after eating beets notoriously points to the beets as culprits, especially if it's the juice. I would think that if it's a platelet issue, you'd have bruising and/or gum bleeding after brushing or flossing.

    Small internal hemorrhoids can cause true blood.

    Cut the beets. If it persists, your doc can either do a rectal exam to test for blood, or give you a home kit for it.

    Anne

  • Rosemary44
    Rosemary44 Member Posts: 2,660
    edited March 2008

    Having to go too much even though your not constipated will cause hemmoroids also.  Stop the juicing for awhile.  Another thing which I didn't do and regret now, is not to change up the ingredients of my vegetables.   I've read not to keep juicing the same veggies which I scoffed at.  It turned out to be good advice.  If it's a little red blood, then most likely it's a hemmoroid.

  • Little-G
    Little-G Member Posts: 647
    edited March 2008

    I am going to agree with Anne on the internal hemorrhoids.  I was having a similar experience, but it lasted months before I asked about it. They sent me off to do a colonoscopy, and it was an internal hemorrhoid.  I have/had no pain or anything other than blood once in a while.  I don't think the red from the beet will look like actual blood?  Keep an eye out, if it dosn't clear up, get it checked. 

    g

  • trigeek
    trigeek Member Posts: 916
    edited March 2008

    Rosemary you have an excellent point I do have to change the vegetables(but I just started juicing 10 days ago and was having a blast cramming everything down, guess have to rotate)

    G I am not sure that it is Beets either.

    Anne I had been having some bleeding gums ( which started 1 month after chemo ended) but I thought it was because I was not flossing when I was on chemo and started up again, however those have subsided lately and although I am a bruiser I do not see much bruising nowadays.

    My worst ever se from chemo( did DD 4 X AC, 4 Taxol ) was the gi discomfort after the taxol, I felt as if someone was pushing up a knife up my ..ss it was so bad. I cannot help but think that the track is really irritated and hemorroids are lingering ( never had this problem even though I gave birth natural way to both my daughters)

    Pearl HUGSSS !! never had a colonoscopy heard that the prep was worst than the actual thing

    Lisa it had been about 40 hours since my last beet juice consumption.

    Calico my gi schedule is very regular no conspitation issue, even during chemo.

    Will do a beet fast for a couple of days and see whether it goes away if not will bring it up at the oncologist appointment next week.

    Thanks gals !

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited March 2008

    My husband had hemorrhoid surgery.  However, he bled a lot.  His hemoglobin went down to 9.  They had a blood transfusion ready just in case.  He was then put on Iron.  The man is NEVER constipated.  He goes regularly twice a day.  The GI doctor told him to use fiber.  He did for a while and it stopped the bleeding.  I don't know if he's still using it.  Will have to ask.  And, he had no pain..until the surgery...and that was more of a discomfort.

    I do agree with everyone else.  Rule out the beets.

    Shirley

  • saluki
    saluki Member Posts: 2,287
    edited March 2008

    I did have some bleeding issues when I was eating gobs of ginger candies.

    The bleeding and burning stopped when I gave up the habit.

    I do have diverticulosis so maybe I was more sensitive.

    Juicing beets never bothered me although stools were always red with the beets.

  • JoanofArdmore
    JoanofArdmore Member Posts: 1,012
    edited March 2008

    When I was on Taxotere, it gave me mucusitis.My mucus membranes from head to toe were inflamed and would bleed.

    Taxane, Taxotere, sister drugs.

    I would bet this is your problem.

    My nose would bleed for no reason.I'd be standing on line at Whole Foods (with my black fingernails from Adriemycin) and feel my nose running.And be afraid to wipe it lest it be bleeding.(And afraid NOT to for same reason!)

    And I often had blood in my stools, or on the paper.

    My onc insisted I have a colonoscopy when I was through chemo (bc can go to the colon).My gastroenterologist pronounced me fine!Hemmorhoids, he said, but I knew it was the Taxotere thing, even though I was done Tax for a few weeks by then.

    It doesnt heal up the moment you stop the drug!

    I say do what you want to.The blood will clear up by itself, eventually.

    (Has your onc ordered a colonoscopy?)

  • NativeMainer
    NativeMainer Member Posts: 10,462
    edited March 2008

    Have you stopped the ginger?  This is one item that I remember being told not to take for 2 weeks before my lumpectomy because it interferes with blood clotting. 

  • trigeek
    trigeek Member Posts: 916
    edited March 2008

    Hey Gals,

    I think it is the beets ( the color appeared for 2 days after including it in my juice and stopped when I did not include it in my juice for a couple of days)

    Also got my blood panel the platelets seem fine.

    Thanks !

  • Rosemary44
    Rosemary44 Member Posts: 2,660
    edited March 2008

    Tri,

    How many beets do you use to juice?  I only use half a beet if it's large, it's strong stuff.  Don't forget white button mushrooms.  Those we should be doing daily from what I've read.  Glad you found the culprit.

  • paige-allyson
    paige-allyson Member Posts: 781
    edited March 2008

    Glad it was the beets- I suspected it was based on my own experience.

  • kiki56235
    kiki56235 Member Posts: 94
    edited March 2008

    Glad to hear you figured it out!  I have a totally unrelated question about the flaxseed.  For some reason I thought that I heard those of us who are ER+ aren't supposed to have flaxseed.  Am I wrong?  Looking for advice from one of you nutritionally smart women.  Thanks

  • trigeek
    trigeek Member Posts: 916
    edited March 2008

    Rosemary I was doing 1 beet/day, now I dropped the juicing to mon-wed-friday so I guess once per juice should be fine.

    On an interesting note my red blood cell count has been the highest even am better compared before chemo and surgery isnt' that weird ??

    WBC's are still trying to get up there, hmm.. I wonder if I can help them too like I helped the rbc with beets.

    Mushroom, the white cheap ones right ? I totally forgot about them again !!!

    Kiki flaxseed seems to be controversial for us ER/PR+ gals but I chose to consume freshly ground 2.5 TBSP every morning with cottage cheese ( kind of bastardized version of the Johanna Budwig treatment). My oncologist who is against supplements and any plants that have phytoestrogens does not seem to mind if I eat it like this.

    I read some research about it sometime but do not recall where it was.

  • Rosemary44
    Rosemary44 Member Posts: 2,660
    edited March 2008

    Tri,

    I don't know of anything that helps wbc.  I think it naturally finds it's own level.  Yep, those cheap little button mushrooms are the ones.  Supposedly beets help the liver detoxify, so drink some water after having a beet.  Detoxing can make us woozy for awhile.   Collard greens are high in B vitamins, and K, just a great green for juicing.

    Oh, I'm not surprised your getting good results on your blood test.  One of my blood tests came up a little anemic.  I knew it had to be wrong.  When my Dr. told me, I said, it can't be, I juice my spinach!

    The lab was wrong.   Enjoy the juicer.

Categories