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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 5/6/2013 7:16 PM (GMT 0)
What does/doesn't the absence of blood (during a flare) suggest? My son has been in a flare for about a month now, but its very different from previous flares (no blood). He only has pain right before he has to empty his bowels, and then the pain is gone. I know the blood comes from the ulcers, but if he is not having any bleeding, does this mean that he doesn't have any ulcers?
Posted 5/6/2013 7:28 PM (GMT 0)
What does it mean not to have blood in a flare? I don't know, maybe your son was just lucky and caught the uc flare before it got to bad. Certainly, there is active uc inflammation to some level in his rectum/sigmoid colon if pain, more frequent bms, and/or urgency is present. Each flare can be different.

Blood in stool can come from a variety of things; not just from ulcers. Blood can come from:
-UC ulceration
-Moderate to severely active uc inflammation (I've had this without ulceration before)
-Hemorrhoids
-Polyps
-Straining too hard while pooping (I've had this before)
-From irritation resulting from the tip of an enema bottle (I've had this before)
-Strictures/fissures/perforation of the colon/diverticulitis
-Cancer
Posted 5/6/2013 8:11 PM (GMT 0)
What blood type does he have? I think type O lends itself to more bleeding during flares-might be because it's thinner blood.

Interesting sidenote, blood type O's also live the longest, comparatively.
Posted 5/6/2013 9:02 PM (GMT 0)
I should know his blood type, but I don't. In the past, his flares were always accompanied by blood and mucous. This time it is just Diarrhea. I'm glad he doesn't have the blood, but it just has me curious if the blood signifies that the UC is more damaging than a flare without blood.
Posted 5/6/2013 9:42 PM (GMT 0)
I have been in a continuous flare for close to three years. I haven't had much blood in most of the last two years.
Posted 5/6/2013 10:29 PM (GMT 0)
"Interesting sidenote, blood type O's also live the longest, comparatively."

oh, i'm so exceedingly happy knowing that my diarrhea, mucous, urgency, and overall ill-health will be with me longer than everyone else !
Posted 5/7/2013 12:33 AM (GMT 0)
My son had d for along time before being diagnosed with UC. He never had any visible blood. Only when his iron levels were low his primary did an occult blood stool sample. From that they could tell he was loosing blood. Finally when he got to see the GI and had a colonoscopy they found ulcers which was the cause of the blood loss even though it was not visible. The result being UC.
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