Based on your story alone, it's very unlikely that you have C. Diff, nor do you need to worry about getting tested for it, especially because (I presume) that you are fairly young. C. Diff causes really smelly diarrhoea, and usually happens in the hospitalised elderly after a prolonged cause of strong antibiotics. If I were in your shoes, I wouldn’t worry at all about getting tested for C. Diff. However if the cramps and hard stools continue bothering you, do see your GP who can perform a proper examination, and prescribe some symptomatic oral medication.

How old is your brother? Diphenhydramine is an antihistamine, and was unlikely to be given for his burping. Unfortunately, burping type symptoms frequently tend to be very non-specific, meaning that often no clear cause can be found.

Black tarry and unformed stool may represent the passage of altered blood - also known as melena. The most common cause of melena is internal bleeding from peptic ulcers, usually originating from a point higher up in your gastrointestinal (GI) tract like the stomach or duodenum. Risk factors for peptic ulcer disease include presence of Helicobacter pylori (a bacteria found in the stomach) and consumption of certain medications such as aspirin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

How old are you?

Great question. Bleeding from the back passage is actually one of the most common questions that get asked by friends. In short, the answer is you should see a GP. He 'll be able to determine the source of the bleeding by examining your back passage, and if it' s unclear where the blood is coming from, or if your history is to be able to decide on the necessary further investigations. In your shoes, I would not be overly concerned. As you mentioned, pain and bleeding in your 20s is most commonly due to anal fissures, caused by passing hard stools.

Burping and belching are rather non-specific symptoms that are typically due to gas in your stomach, which forms as a byproduct of food getting broken down in your stomach. When doctors say a symptom is non-specific, it usually means it’s one of those pesky symptoms that usually cause absolutely no harm, but can be very hard to find an exact cause for. It’s common to burp 3 – 4 times after eating a meal – this is usually caused by swallowing air. Changing your diet, and what you drink can sometimes cut down on gas, and reduce your burping/belching.

From the sounds of it, you're most worried about cancer (which I can understand, given your father' s colorectal cancer) so let's address that first. Dull pain near tailbone -> anal pain - could it be cancer?

Thank you for your question. From your description, the cause of your symptoms is most likely due to acid reflux that is typical of gastro-esophageal reflux disease or GERD. However, other non-gastric causes of similar symptoms include heart disease - especially if the pain occurs on exertion (eg climbing stairs) and radiates to your jaw or left arm. Epigastric pain that radiates to your back and shoulder tip may also be clues that it originates from your gallbladder (eg gallstones) or pancreas (eg pancreatic inflammation or pancreatitis).

That does not necessarily mean that you have an eating disorder. There is concern of a possible eating disorder when you make yourself feel sick by being too full, or if you lose control over how much you eat, or if you think you're fat when people around you tell you that you're too thin. Another thing that can cause you to feel hungry is low blood sugar. You'll usually have other symptoms such as tremors, feeling your heart beat very quickly, increased sweating, light headedness to name a few. And the symptoms are relieved when you take something sweet.

Cancer of the digestive tract is not very common in your age group (36 years). However, there can at times be exceptions, especially if you have a family history of cancer. Perhaps you may need to consult a doctor with the view to a gastroscopy and colonoscopy if the attending doctor is of the opinion that your symptoms are serious.

Gastric pain is a commonly experienced symptom by people of all ages. For someone of your age-group, benign (non-cancerous) causes are more likely. Examples of such conditions include peptic ulcers, gastritis, gastro-esophgeal reflux disease (GERD) and functional bowel diseases like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Thank you for your questions. GERD stands for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disorder. It refers to the backflow of stomach contents (which is acidic) up to the foodpipe. It is a common problem and can be due to lifestyle (e. g taking certain acid-reflux trigerring food, taking large meals, lying down soon after a meal or drink etc) and physical causes (e. g.

Bleeding from the back passage is actually one of the most common complaints seen by doctors. The good news is that most of the time, the bleeding is caused by something non-worrying. For example, most people who experience bleeding, as well as a bump around their butt crack may have a haemorrhoid (your doctor can easily confirm this during his examination). The appearance, colour and smell of the blood can sometimes help doctors distinguish between causes. As a general rule: 1. Bleeding from the anus – the blood tends to be bright red and fresh.

Seeing blood in the toilet, or with wiping after passing motion is common, especially when you are passing hard stools or constipated. Most of the causes of such bleeding are not life-threatening; common causes include hemorrhoids and anal fissures. However, the only way to be certain of the cause is to be evaluated with a proper history and examination by a doctor. This is especially so in light of your most recent problem of blood clots. You should definitely highlight it as soon as possible to the doctor whom you are seeing.

Thank you chershell for your question. It can be quite frightening to have these uncomfortable sensations. Have there been big events in your life recently? Have there been huge changes in your weight or diet recently? Nausea after food and pain over the lower rib cages can be quite common symptoms. The cause can range from something normal to something dangerous. It can be hard to tell. You should visit a doctor soon. These are seldom terminal though in my limited experience. The common causes are: 1) Gallbladder problems.