Hi I have had my J-pouch for close to 5years with no problems but the occasional pouchitis. Recently I have discovers blood in my stool (no it is not red dyes it is definitely blood). But the blood is not present in every bowel movement. I have had extreme fatigue and recently been getting ulcers in my mouth. Any ideas of what this may be? I made an appointment with my GI for next week but would like to be prepared with some info before then.
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Many pouchers will experience bleeding. It's often transient and bright red blood which usually shows up just on the toilet paper and not in the stool. This is usually either from fissures, hemorrhoids, irritation, etc, and mostly isn't a cause for concern unless there is a lot of blood.
When the blood is in the stool, cuffitis and less frequently pouchitis are often the culprits. With the pouch, often one of these two is the cause. The fatigue and ulcers you mention could represent a very severe case of pouchitis.
Other causes can be ulcers in the pouch or lesions higher up in the ileum. The concern is generally where the blood is coming from. In general, unless there is a lot of blood, bright red blood is less concerning than dark red or black stool, which suggests a problem higher up.
One more thing to consider, even if you haven't eaten anything red coloured, keep in mind that some things can cause a darkening or reddening of the stool, including iron supplements and Pepto Bismol.
I hope you can get it sorted out! Keep us posted.
When the blood is in the stool, cuffitis and less frequently pouchitis are often the culprits. With the pouch, often one of these two is the cause. The fatigue and ulcers you mention could represent a very severe case of pouchitis.
Other causes can be ulcers in the pouch or lesions higher up in the ileum. The concern is generally where the blood is coming from. In general, unless there is a lot of blood, bright red blood is less concerning than dark red or black stool, which suggests a problem higher up.
One more thing to consider, even if you haven't eaten anything red coloured, keep in mind that some things can cause a darkening or reddening of the stool, including iron supplements and Pepto Bismol.
I hope you can get it sorted out! Keep us posted.
Have you been seeing blood for a while? Your fatigue may indicate that you are anemic. Hope you get some answers at your appt.
To clarify the blood is a deep red tint and I don't have any stomached pains just in my joints thanks for the info
If you have UC I'd suspect cuffitis and a GI or surgeon could diagnose this with a physical exam. I also have stinging inside when it's active. I'm sorry about your joint pain. Take Care