Anonymous wrote:I work on a GI floor and see GI bleeds weekly. Most of the time it turns out to be a GI disorder and not cancer. Some are treated with bowel rest, some with antibiotics, and some with surgery. At least for me, it has been far more common it's not cancer.
That said, go to the ED. You should probably not be eating or drinking and be on strict bowel rest. Which means IV fluids. It's also very easy to become anemic with a GI bleed. If there is as much blood as you say, you'll likely be heading to the hospital from your doctor's office anyways for testing, etc. I've had quite a few patients admitted directly from their PCPs/GI doctors office due to a GI bleed. Cut the middle man out.
Just want to add, being admitted to the hospital also increases the speed of which you'll have a colonoscopy and endoscopy (to figure out where the bleeding is stemming from). Normally I advocate PCP/urgent care as the first step. A GI bleed is one of the few instances where I say ER first.