Dark/black stool - Bowel Disorders Message Board

Greenoctopus18 · 12-28-2003, 12:55 AM

Hello. I had exams about 6 weeks ago and during that time i started having painful burning in my stomach whenever I hadn't eaten for more than an hour or so. whenever i ate something hot it would feel like it was burning my stomach and also coke, pepsi, etc would make it burn also. I also had weird 'poking' feelings in my stomach which led me to make an appointment with a GP. She guessed that it was stress causing bowel problems which then caused the poking feelings on my stomach (either side of my belly button).
Now, the past week I have been having more frequent bowel movements. It is once per day rather than the normal once every 2-4 days. I also remember not having a bowel movement for 6 days about one week after my exams finished.
They have been geting darker too... and 'harder'. I'm not sure if it is quite black.. but it looks very dark/weird. The 'poking' feelings in my stomach have been worse and more constant as well.
I guess I woudl just like to know what I shoudl do.
I am at home with my parents now and woudl need to tell them when I need to see a doctor and they would like to know why, etc so I woudl rather not have to tell unless very urgent.

Harry · 12-28-2003, 08:34 AM

If your stool is black not dark brown it is usually causes by blood. Taking Iron and Pepto Bismol will also cause a dark almost black stool.
You need to be checked out by a Doctor if your Bowel movements have really changed in frequency or color.

It is not considered constipation unless you go 3 days without a BM. Once or twice daily is normal.

butterflytrans · 12-28-2003, 12:45 PM

I agree with harry...the dark stools are normally caused by blood or pepto/iron pills.....but the thing is, normally if you have blood in your stool, it won't be hard.....blood is very "cathartic"...i.e. it's an irritant to the bowel and it'll cause you to have soft stools because the stuff in your gut moves through faster. What you have might be as simple as having constipation, though the pains in your stomach MIGHT suggest that you have an ulcer (though, if you're 18, it's kinda young to have one).

Have you been on any pain-killer drugs in the recent past?

Did your doctor do a rectal exam and then test to see if there was any blood in the stool?