Partially black stools

[TheScotsman315]

Since March of 2010( as far as i can remember) my bowel habits havn't been completely normal. sometimes there's usually a darker shade of brown streak or patches on them and usually loose after ive been drinking the night before. im 5'10" 230lbs (very overweight). Appetite is fine, diet could be a bit better( dont fruit or veg), no nausea, no blood, no bloating sensation, not feeling gassy either, not lethargic. Just feel fine usually. could it just be a poor diet or something else that should be investigated further?
thanks for reading.

[TheScotsman315]

There's hardly any black parts to the stools now, still mucus present and sometimes loose and there's always constipation in the morning. There was small red part in the mucus on 2 occasions in the past 2 weeks and what looked like tomato skins. Yeah, il ask to get it investigated futher.

[ggreg]

I agree with Furballs for sure!  The doctor you saw is not good enough.  I'm glad you'll be seeing that other doc, especially since it will be in the hospital.  He could put you through their scanner the same day, to see if anything wrong is going on in there.  Politely ask him if he could order a scan while you're in the hospital.  If he won't do it, ask him for a referral to a gastroenterologist, or even ask him if one could come in right then, since you'll be in the hospital.

It occured to me those sachets and tablets might be making your stool strange... but then you said you had this problem before you started taking those medicines.  And then I remembered how a medicine I was taking caused six months of daily diarrhea, so I quit taking it, and thus ended my diarrhea.  So, if there's ANY drug you're taking BEFORE all this started, have the prescribing doc review side effects and adjust as needed.

It just seems to me that black stool for more than six months means SOMEthing, and I've tried to go over many possibilities in my posts.  But I think the most telling is your low blood cell count, combined with black stool, that suggests internal bleeding.  I mean, it could be something as simple as an ulcer, or a benign growth that has gotten too large, or an abscess in your intestines.  And yes, it could be cancer.  But I'm more concerned about the almost certain bleeding in your abdomen somewhere, and that is NOT okay.  Also, you have a tender spot in the middle of your abdomen, so could be that's the place where the problem is.

I can't believe that doc said IBS.  Gee whiz.  He should have at least referred you to a gastro to make sure.  I hope the doc at the hospital will sympathize with you and perhaps assist you in getting a scan and a visit with a gastro doc.  Keep us posted.    

[FurballsMom]

Wait, didn't the doctor even order a colonoscopy?  A manual rectal exam is insufficient for something internal.

[TheScotsman315]

Well I went to a doctor about it. Told him all of my symptoms and immediately  went to IBS. Had a rectal exam there and he didn't feel anything  unusual. Said the folic acid tablets were due to a nutritional problem, i think. I'm still not sure so i have an appointment with a maxillofacial doctor for a different check-up at my local hospital so il mention it to him.

[ggreg]

Garuness, PLEASE have a scan done of your abdomen, just to make sure you do not have a source of bleeding in your gut, like a benign growth, a malfunctioning digestive gland or duct, a twisting of bowel making it necrotic, just all sorts of things will be revealed by that one simple scan.  You MUST get a scan, period, and ASAP.  If you have a growth, benign or cancerous, it will only get larger and make you very very sick.  It's the low blood cell count combined with black stool (indicates bleeding in small intestine) that tells me this.  You come here for advice, so now take it, PLEASE.  GG

[TheScotsman315]

Being a bit of a hypo, i tend to jump to cancer. However, it says that one of the symptoms is unexplained weight loss. If anything ive put on weight, and dpnt get shortness of breath either. Maybe it could be something like a peptic ulcer or something. I've still got a months worth of sachets left, 2 weeks worth of mebeverine tablets( twice daily) and nearly 3 months of folic acid tablets left(once daily). Il see them out and get another blood test. Wish me luck :)

[ggreg]

Ooooops, your low blood cell count can suggest anemia, and on top of that, some anemias are caused by blood loss.  With your waste still looking black, I am a little worried about you, as black can suggest bleeding in the intestines, both small and large bowels, and so could be something in there is abnormal.  There is no question in my mind that you need a scan and ultrasound of your small bowel, and a colonoscopy of your large bowel.  Something may be bleeding in there, making you anemic too, and you can no longer ignore the symptom of black stool all this time you've had it.  If you have already been to a gastroenterologist, then visit an internal medicine doc and politely ask if an ultrasound and CAT scan would help see what in the world is going on inside you to cause black stools and low blood count.  Keep us posted.

[TheScotsman315]

Even when i've not been drinking it still seems black. There's also mucus on occasions. And like i said, they can be two-toned: Normal brown and very dark/tarry/black and sometimes the black parts are more solid-looking. Ive been on fybogel sachetss, mebeverine tablets and then iwas put on folic acid tablets because blood tests showed a low blood cell count? (not too sure again) But yeah, im still worried if its a mass in digestive tract because black stools have started before medication.

[TheScotsman315]

I'l try on the more veg and fruit option and go easy on the fatty foods. Usually when i take a deep breath there is usually a spot just a bit to the right of the naval there's more of a pressure than in other places. I think it's been there for a while though, not exactly sure. I'l consider a GP visit, just to make sure.

[ggreg]

Could be several things.  My first thought is when you drink and then you get that partly black stool, it's probably becuz of something bleeding as a result of the caustic alcohol, it may have caused an ulcerated place somewhere in your digestive tract.  Your regular doc could order an ultrasound or scan, perhaps, to see if there's a place like that, and could be it might need to be repaired.  Or sometimes they'll prescribe some sort of liquid antacid.  If it is alcohol doing this, then may I suggest you always eat something before you drink or even guzzle down a milkshake, it will tame the acidity of the alcohol to some degree.  Also, if you drink beer, switch to the dark beers, they are more pure and thus somewhat less acidic.

There's also a chance digestive enzymes aren't getting into your intestines as well as it might, which they come from glands located next to the stomach, which are the liver, gallbladder, and pancreas.  They empty out into the common bile duct, and then that all empties into the small intestine via the duodenum, a smaller type of small intestine.  Anyhow, a change in enzyme release can change the color of waste.  Again, if an ultrasound or scan is done, they will pick up on anything unusual going on in those glands or that duct.  There's also a chance you have a stomach ulcer, but that is normally rather painful, but ultrasound or scan will see that, too.

I can give you a few easy tips on how to get more vegies and fruit in your diet, if you like.  Get the big noodles (large macaroni) at the grocery store, and buy some frozen vegies like brocholi, and cook them together in a big pot so it will last a couple days, put butter, carton of sour cream, and couple spoons of straight cream of mushroom soup, tastes good.  Baked potatoes are very easy to fix and keep around, wash, wrap in aluminum foil, keep in oven 375 for an hour, put butter and sour cream on top.  Heating up a can of stew will give you carrots and potatoes.  Subway sandwich is another idea, ask them to put lettuce and tomato on top, onions too.  

As for fruit, there's nothing like Cool Whip on top of the sweeter ones, like strawberries, blueberries.  Cut up bananas on your oat cereal with Acidophilus milk (good for digestion).  Keep a bowl of fruit handy for snacks, whatever you like to gnaw on, you can even cut slices of apple if you don't like chewing on them, some people eat the whole apple that way, cut and put the slice via the knife into your mouth, on around until you've eaten the whole apple.  Canned fruit, like peaches, with a dab of mayo, tastes good.  In general, the more colorful your food is, the more vits and minerals you'll get.