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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 5/9/2018 8:06 AM (GMT 0)
Hi everyone, I need some advice on a recent development I had, for the past 2 days I've had red poop, not like blood covered, or streaks of blood on it, it's an actual colour of the poop dull light red like red bricks you know, I'm a little bit constipated, pooping out hard, fat, short pieces (sorry for TMI)with so many red specks in it that the poop looks red. I didn't eat anything even remotely red or orange for the past 4 days, not on any medication apart from boswellia, astaxanthin and probiotics. did anyone had something like that?
Posted 5/9/2018 1:27 PM (GMT 0)
Are you having any UC symptoms at the moment? Any history of anal-fissures, hemorrhoids, diverticulitis?

You can have your doctor order a fecal occult blood (FOBT) test to see if it is blood in your stool.

Here's a good read on possible causes
/www.verywell.com/causes-of-red-stool-or-maroon-stool-1941727
Posted 5/10/2018 11:33 AM (GMT 0)
thanks Ipoop, apart from gas and moderate abdominal pain at night time I am ok, so I think should make an appointment and check for the blood
Posted 5/10/2018 4:23 PM (GMT 0)
astaxanthin is most probably the cause if it's all throughout. It's red and can even cause skin to become red. Stop it for at least a week and see if things change.

Anything on tp?

Still have it checked, tho....stool changes such as you're having could mean mild flare. Hope your doc can do a look-see.

q
Posted 5/11/2018 12:29 AM (GMT 0)
I was about to say it was probably astaxanthin, but wouldn't hurt to check it out anywho
Posted 5/11/2018 4:44 AM (GMT 0)
Let us know how you're doing.

q
Posted 7/6/2018 8:59 AM (GMT 0)
Hello everyone, I know I've started this post a while back but wanted to give an update, the red colour was indeed astaxanthin, cause the poop returned to normal colour as soon as I stopped it.
I wanted to ask another question if that's ok - I have this dull pain for a few years in the upper left quadrant sometimes a few sharp cramps but mostly just heavy, dull ache that doesn't go away for weeks, no matter if I eat or not, then it goes away for a few days and comes back again (I can point with my finger the particular spot), I've asked avery doctor I've seen, CT is clear, blood only shows mild 112 amylase and eGER 84 out of the ordinary, noone seem to know or try to find out what it is. does anyone has an idea what other tests I should ask for because doctors not that interested
Posted 7/6/2018 1:09 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for updating, glad it was nothing.

Abdominal pains are tricky, so many potential pain causers in a very small area. We can get pains from a UC flare (I've had sharp knife-stabbing pains, and more dull aching sensations). We can get pains unrelated to UC flares: from trapped/impacted stool or trapped gas within the intestinal tract, from a pancreatitis, from gallstones, from kidney stones, and from various blood clots.

We're at higher odds of pancreatitis (often a severe pain but can be persistent and aching over long time frames) and clotting (Pulmonary Embolism in the lung is possible for chest pains) as UC patients, I'd always get those eliminated as possibilities. Both can be serious.

We can get inflammation of various parts of the heart (a Myocarditis) as a rare side effect of mesalamine usage.

GERD can cause discomfort on either end of the stomach.

Have you ever had any prior abdominal surgeries? I ask as we can get pains from adhesions from prior surgeries.

Women can get various OBGYN complications that can cause pain in the lower abdomen.
Posted 7/8/2018 4:50 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks for response, John, I am kind of ticking them one by one and looks like it's either my pancreas or stomach playing up, the problem is it didn't show on CT and blood showing only mild abnormalities, I need to ask the doctor for some specific tests since they not that interested to find out the problem
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