Comments on: My Bloody Poopentine

Question: My Bloody Poopentine

rbs — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 09:28:42 -0800

I always have bloody poop after a night out drinking.

Does that mean there's something wrong with me?

By: mikeh

mikeh — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 09:31:30 -0800

It means you need to drink more water and eat more fiber and fruits because all your waste is too dried up and it's ripping you up. Other than that, you're probably fine. Water!

By: Pastabagel

Pastabagel — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 09:34:56 -0800

I'm not a doctor. But I think it means you should go to a doctor. There really should never be any blood in poop. There are issues with infections, etc.

If it is somehow connected to drinking, there may be a bigger problem then hemmorhoids which are the most common cause of a tiny amount of blood in stool. Please go see a doctor.

By: agregoli

agregoli — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 09:36:49 -0800

How bloody are we talking about here? Because Pastabagel is right - the only blood in stool you should ever see should be so small as to not freak you out.

By: Pastabagel

Pastabagel — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 09:41:26 -0800

Let me clarify, the problem is not so much blood in your poop (though that is a problem), the real problem is bleeding caused by drinking.

You may only be seeing a symptom of something else, and you may be seeing a mid or late stage symptom of something else that could get a lot worse.

Rule of thumb: if blood is coming out an orifice, get thee to a doctor.

By: Pastabagel

Pastabagel — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 09:48:13 -0800

WebMD is pointing to maybe gastritis or maybe cirrhosis.

But google is not a medical degree. Go to a doctor. Now.

By: utsutsu

utsutsu — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 09:50:58 -0800

Are you the one who always passes out first?

Seriously though, have you checked for any surface fissures that may be the source of the blood, rather than your insides?

Regardless, I nth the advice to get to a doctor.

By: Bookhouse

Bookhouse — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 09:53:13 -0800

To answer the question: yes.

By: TedW

TedW — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 10:05:49 -0800

Anal fissures are a likely cause if you are seeing bright red blood in small amounts (although a small amount of blood can look like a lot to the untrained eye); blood coming from much higher in the GI tract will be dark and tarry, to use the classic medical description. Of course, the best way to find out if it is something more serious is to see a doctor and of course you might want to examine your drinikg habits.

By: gramcracker

gramcracker — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 10:08:13 -0800

You need to seek medical attention.

By: mylittlehipster

mylittlehipster — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 10:10:27 -0800

I second TedW; if the blood is bright red, it's probably just an anal fissure that is worse when your stool is harder (i.e. when you're dehydrated after a night of drinking).

By: cahlers

cahlers — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 10:22:14 -0800

But bright red blood can also be a sign of a serious problem. I am a doctor, and any rectal bleeding should prompt a visit to your doctor.

By: Oddly

Oddly — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 10:47:45 -0800

By now, you are probably at your doctor's office. That's good. Also know that if you've been taking analgesics to pre-empt hangovers... stop.

By: ikkyu2

ikkyu2 — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 10:48:37 -0800

Yes.

By: rbs

rbs — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 12:43:01 -0800

Hmm, ok. I'll go talk to the doc when I get some time. To answer others' questions: it's pretty bright in color, which lends some credence to the dehydrated poop scraping my insides theory. I seriously doubt it's caused by drinking too much. I'd say I have maybe 5 drinks/week on average.

By: Caviar

Caviar — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 16:00:50 -0800

If your question on Ask Metafilter is "should I see a doctor", the answer is always "yes".

By: jimfl

jimfl — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 16:34:27 -0800

Do you take ibuprofin after heavy drinking to stave off headache? This can cause stomach bleeding.

By: jdfan

jdfan — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 18:51:07 -0800

Blood from the stomach doesn't come out red... it's usually black and tarry (one of the signs of an ulcer).

By: hot soup girl

hot soup girl — Sun, 29 Oct 2006 10:51:37 -0800

Yes. Go see a doctor.