What would cause a 24 year old female to have blood in her stool?
Thursday, April 28th, 2011The last few year or so I have had intermittent abdominal discomfort, usually after eating. I tracked what I was eating to see if I noticed any patterns based on what I ate, but couldn’t find any- it varied from consistently to randomly. Things were okay for a few weeks, but the last couple weeks it has been flaring up again. I will have cramping and then need to have a bowel movement, and the stools are normally soft, if not diarrhea, and frequent (2-3 times a day) bowel movements.
Today, after another uncomfortable stomach ache and soft bowel movement, I noticed there was dark red blood in my stool- it looked worked in with it, not like it was just bleeding from the bowel movement process. When I wiped, there was also some dark red blood.
I’m concerned because dark blood in my stool along with the abdominal problems I have from time to time doesn’t seem like a good sign of anything.
I have a history of ovarian tumors/cyts and I see a gynecological oncologist every couple months for follow ups, and have an ovarian cyst that is currently being monitored, which I thought was part of the reason behind my abdominal pain, but now that I have bloody stools I am not so sure.
I am a 24 years old, and female (obviously).
What could this be and should I make a doctor’s appointment ASAP and who with? My gyn onc? My university health center?
Also, there is a history of colo-rectal cancer in my mom’s side of the family. She actually saw a geneticist at the Mayo Clinic and my family has a specific gene that carries colorectal, pancreatic and prostate cancer, though the only ones who have had cancer have been in their 70s


