Diarrhea and Mucus

  Lately I've been bothered with experiencing alot of gas, and very loose stools. However, today I had mucus in my stools, the mucus was black. Could have been something I ate or am I bleeding internally. This has really scarred me. Can you offer some help.
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Dear Lori,
Mucus passed with stools is not black,  Also, patients with gastrointestinal bleeding pass black STOOL.  Other signs of gastrointestinal bleeding include more liquid and frequent stooling (blood serves as a laxative) and a funny "fish-like" smell to the stool. People who are bleeding will often note that their stool smells differently.
The determination whether the change in color is due to something ingested or bleeding can not be made without a physicial examination.  If the black material persists or you develop symptoms of weakness, fatigue, or vomit blood, then you should go to your nearest emergency room for evaluation.
This information is presented for educational purposes only.  Always ask specific questions to your personal physician.
HFHSM.D.-rf
*keywords: bleeding
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