Can internal hemorrhoids cause a LOT of bright red blood?

39/M.

So I've had a bleedy butt for many years now - to the point that seeing a bit of pink on the toilet paper doesn't faze me at all and happens pretty often. About twice a year, for a few days each time, it goes from a 'a bit of pink on the first wipe' to 'about half and half, red blood and the other stuff' plus a pink tinge to the water. It comes, it hangs around a few days, and then it goes.

For about four days now, though, I've been having the most intense one of these episodes so far. For a couple days I was absolutely terrified because the water was like a dark maroon color - I'm gonna die! But then I realized it was because I have one of those toilet bowl fresheners that turn the water blue. I removed it and now the water becomes a less startling (but still worrisome) shade of light red. Nothing odd floating around in there, and the stuff that should be brown remains a normal looking brown. But yeah, the first three or four wipes - pretty much all red. And droplets of bright red blood kinda of scattered all over the inside wall of the bowl above the waterline.

And also, this is new - a dull ache around my butthole region that comes and goes randomly. Except for after I use the bathroom - then it definitely comes, and feels the most sore during those moments. It even kind of radiates a bit to my lower back and hips. It also feels a bit weird, like that feeling you get when there's a...train waiting at the end of your tunnel wanting to come out soon. Except I don't actually need to go.

No other symptoms aside from the blood and the ache. No lack of appetite, no nausea, no vomiting, no fatigue, no weight loss. It does sting a tiny bit when I poop but I've had much stingier poops come out with nary a single hint of blood. It certainly doesn't feel like razor blades, as I've seen some describe their hemorrhoid pain as.

Nevertheless, after a while on Google, I became convinced that I am facing imminent doom.

I gazed intently at my butthole area for the first time in several years last night and was surprised at how normal it looks. My butthole is actually aging much better than the rest of me. So I'm wondering if maybe what I have is some internal hemorrhoids.

I made a doctor's appointment today but it's about a month away. So I thought I'd ask here about my concerns and whether what I'm experiencing is possible for hemorrhoids (or maybe fissures) or if it sounds like it might be something more serious.

Thanks!