There is bright red blood in the toilet water when I have a bowel
movement.  What should I do?

I suggest that you make an appointment with your family doctor. While
the passage of bright red blood with bowel movements is often a sign
of hemorrhoids, the only way you can obtain a definitive diagnosis is
to be examined. Even the most astute Google Answers Researcher cannot
diagnose you over the Internet. The most we can do is give you a list
of possibilities, which can sometimes be unnecessarily alarming rather
than genuinely informative.

Hello, alan63,
What you are describing is bright red blood per rectum (BRBPR) or a
lower GI bleed.  This is an indication for seeing your primary care
physician, or depending on the severity, to the emergency room.

Most common causes of lower GI bleed include hemorrhoids, polyps,
colorectal cancer, gastroenteritis, imflammatory bowel disease, and
diverticulosis.  For these potentially serious causes, the next step
would likely be an endoscopic procedure (i.e. colonoscopy or flexible
sigmoidoscopy).

If you are interested in a full diagnostic workup of lower GI bleed
(i.e. "bright red blood in the toilet water"), let me know and I'll be
happy to research this.

However, your next step should be a visit to your primary care
physician.

Thanks,
Kevin, M.D.