question on stool color - Bowel Disorders Message Board

Tallman · 04-08-2004, 11:33 AM

Can drinking tea make your stools look darker? What about taking certain medication like clonazepam(used for anxiety)? Fasting?

Harry · 04-09-2004, 10:18 PM

I think stool color is determine alot by what you eat, drink and there are medications that slow the intestines down and your stool gets drarker.

Dairy products make it light color!! I don't know about fasting but I think the longer the stool stays in your intestines it would become darker. Just a guess??

quincy · 04-10-2004, 01:18 AM

I would agree Harry.

Tea doesn't seem to stimulate the bowel as coffee does, actually it does the opposite.

Protein, iron supplements and my favourite...chocolate... would all cause the stool to be a darker colour.

If they're black..could be bleeding high in the bowel.

quincy

Marimac · 04-10-2004, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tallman

Can drinking tea make your stools look darker? What about taking certain medication like clonazepam(used for anxiety)? Fasting?

Beyond food colorings, Bismuth which is found in Peptibismol, will make your stool black. It can not be distinguished from digested blood unless you know that you took the bismuth. The other thing that influences stool color is the bile that is excreted from the liver. If the stool is pale tan colored there may be a blockage occuring in the liver bile ducts.

Tallman · 04-10-2004, 04:48 PM

If there is any type of internal bleeding is it possible for it to be going on for 2-4 months without anything bad happening(death, passing out, etc.)? Would certain blood tests(CBC's) be able to detect anything going on? What is the likelyhood of somebody that is 25 years old having these type of problems? I actually had a stool test done back in January that came up normal. Wouldn't that have shown anything? I have had problems with dizziness/lightheadedness for a few months now. Would any internal type of internal bleeding contribute to this?