Painful BMs, bright red blood, diarrhea

tired25

I hope this is the right place to post this.

I've been having painful bowel movements with varying amounts of blood. When it first started a couple of months ago, it was small amounts. Kind of like streaks or small spots on the stool (not mixed with it). I thought it might be hemorrhoids because I've had hypothyroidism for 5 years now and constipation has been a symptom I've had to deal with because of that disorder. I've also been on prescription OTC NSAIDs for the past 3 years and for the past 8 months I've been on Plaquinel for undifferentiated inflammatory arthritis. I take both the Plaquinel and NSAID with a meal, as instructed by my doctor.

I started drinking more water and making a conscious effort to eat more fiber, even though I already eat plenty of vegetables and whole grains. I also cut back on my prescription NSAID because I noticed that the painful BMs just seem to increase whenever I take it, even with food. I've been avoiding the NSAID for the past two weeks or so.

Even with those changes, I had painful BMs with a small amount of bright red blood mixed in the stool. I have noticed that they usually occur at night time, about 2-4 hours after I take my Plaquinel with a meal.

Tonight I had a painful BM with a moderate amount of bright red blood. There was bright red blood mixed in the stool, as well as some blood in the toilet. I also noticed what looked like a small piece of round bloody tissue (or maybe it was clotted blood) when I wiped.

I also have several bouts of diarrhea in one day every 1-2 weeks. My NP thought it was IBS but I have modified my diet many times in an attempt to ease the symptoms. I'm realizing that it doesn't really matter what I eat. When my stomach gets upset, there's nothing I can do but wait it out.

I plan to see my doctor about this soon. Just wondering if anybody has any ideas about what might be going on?

ETA: I've been having other symptoms, like sleeping all of the time, muscle weakness and feeling cold. I'm pretty sure it's related to my thyroid disease though and that my Synthroid needs to be increased. I see my endo soon, so I'm just kind of waiting until the appointment.