Johnnysmom - I think one thing you'll consistently find on this forum is people responding to the question "Is this normal" with "Is this normal for *you*?" By this I mean, of course it's not "normal" for anyone to have blood in their stool. But for some people on here, that IS their "norm."
So I guess I would ask if this is the "norm" for your son. If it was something he had before he went on Prednisone and it's similar to that or not much worse, I would say your doctor is probably right. If it's a completely new symptom that is a little more unusual but it's... not unheard of with this disease.
If this is a new symptom for him, has he experienced it since your initial post? Is there very much blood or a small amount? Sometimes I have blood in my stool and my doctor has told me it could be anything from a burst blood vessel to bleeding at the site of inflammation.
Usually blood in the stool is associated with disease further down the digestive tract, the higher up the bleeding happens the more likely it is to look "black" when it comes out.
I guess I'm with your doctor on this one. As long as it's not an excessive amount your son should be okay. Many of us deal with bleeding on a regular basis. If this is a one time thing he should be perfectly fine. If it becomes more chronic or if his blood tests start to show anemia then it should definitely be further investigated. I hope the rest of his Prednisone taper goes smoothly and his maintenance drugs start holding his disease at bay. Good luck, and keep us updated.
