Okay, this sounds a little weird, but this is probably the best place to talk about it. Occasionally, about once a month, when I'm going to the bathroom, I notice that there's a little blood in my stool. It's only after I strain it though, like I have an upset stomach and think that it would be better to just go to the bathroom. Is this normal, or is there something wrong?

You may have a hemorrhoid. But,you probably need to start taking a water soluble fiber supplement like Metamucil on a daily basis. It will make your BMs gentle without straining. It's safe to take daily. Equate from Wal Mart is cheaper and works just as well !!!

You are suppose to intake 20 to 30 grams of fiber daily for your GI system to work like it's suppose to but most of us don't keep tract so the taking of a fiber supplement is a good healthy solution.

God Bless---Harry

[This message has been edited by Harry (edited 07-23-2003).]

There are many reasons why you can see blood on your stool. It can be something as simple as a hemorroid or a tear while you were straining. On the other hand, blood can be a sign of something more serious. Regardless, the best and safest thing you can do for yourself is go to a doctor and tell him/her about your problem. If you are over 30 chances are he'll send you to a specialist who in turn will recommend you have a colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy done.

I have sporadic bleeding too, and I had a colonoscopy done at 23 and sig just recently at 33. Both came in negative, so I sleep well at night.

It's the only way to know what's going on inside of you. Talk to your doctor.

Best of luck my friend.

hey there...I notice you're from NY...well, in the states, they tend to be more aggressive with their treatments and investigations. In Canada, you would likely not have any investigations done. Why? Because if you have blood in your stool maybe once a month and it comes after straining, it's most likely nothing big. You WOULD have a colonoscopy done if you had a family history of colon cancer, if you were losing weight, or you had some other hypermetabolic symptoms.