Should you call your doctor if you suspect you have blood in stool

[Cat-a-Tonic]

This morning, I had some d as usual, but today it looked different. There were small bits in it, they almost looked like raisins - they were black, and didn't look like poo (I have not eaten raisins recently, nor anything that was dark or black in color, so it's not undigested food). The unknown bits were much darker than the rest of my d, which was quite pale in comparison. I'm wondering if it was blood? I've never had blood in my stool before so I'm not sure what to think or even if it was for sure blood. I am in a flare, but it's been relatively mild as far as flares go, so I did not expect to see blood or whatever it was.

So the question is, should I call my GI about it? I'm having the pill cam in a little over 2 weeks from now, so I'm not sure if I should just wait and let the pill cam see if A. it was indeed blood, and B. the source of the bleeding. I don't think there's much my GI could do at this point besides tell me to wait for the pill cam - is there?

 

[Jennifer]

I'm not aware of blood collecting like that into small bits. There could be overall dark stool or streaks of dark stool or streaks of red or a bowl full of red etc but I've never heard of what you're talking about unless I ate some beans or another item I don't digest well. What else did you eat recently and the day before?

 

[Cat-a-Tonic]

I only had tea this morning, and yesterday I had fried rice for dinner and a tuna sandwich for lunch - nothing that I ate had little dark bits or anything dark colored in it. The day before yesterday, I didn't eat much of anything - mostly tea, Ensure, and a few potato chips - again, nothing dark-colored in any of that. So I just don't know what to think. I haven't eaten beans or veggies or anything like that.

 

[Dexky]

Cat, if you are 100% sure you didn't eat anything that could cause this, I'd say yes call the GI and see what he says!!! Maybe you should try to get a sample (if it happens again) to show him as well.

 

[Cat-a-Tonic]

It didn't happen again today so I'm really not sure what's going on. I think I'll wait and see what the pill cam finds, assuming this doesn't happen again. If it does happen again I'll call my GI and ask about it.