Someone please help me figure out what is wrong.
My husband and son have been sick with some sort of stomach bug for 4 days now.
They ache all over like the flu, have been running fever, headache and bad stomach cramps with diarreah.
My husband however has severe stomach cramps and then the sudden urge to go the the bathroom to poo but when he does only a tiny bit comes out and it is black in color since last night.
He took Milk of Magnesia last night thinking it would help him go ahead and use the bathroom, later last night when he was running to the bathroom every few minutes he took Pepto Bismol to stop the diarreah and that didn't help at all.
I thought maybe the Pepto caused the black bm but I am worried.
This morning he has no fever, no headache, hopefully it doesn't come back but he has went to the bathroom and passed very small amounts of diarreah probably 50 times in the last 2 days, even before he took the Milk of Magnesia and the Pepto.
Can any one give me advice what to do? No medical insurance so we can't afford to go to the doctor.
My son went because he is on the state Medicaid insurance for children and the doctor told him he picked up a bug from somewhere and to drink lots of fluids and bland foods. He asked if we had been overseas or Mexico where we could have picked up something. Of course I told him no we hadn't but why would he ask this? I am worried.
Please help!
Take him to the doctor. Black stools often mean there is bleeding in the stomach, and not just a little either. This could be a medical emergency. Is there a walk-in clinic you can go to?
This could be serious, even if it is just flu. I know it's hard to get good medical care in the US with the whole insurance thing, but money shouldn't stand in the way of your family's health. I really wish America had an NHS then people with problems like yours could be helped. I wish you all the best.
Hi, I 100% agree with debm412,pepto will cause black stools, had it happen on several occasions.It is best sometimes to let the Diarrhea take its course because your body is trying to rid itself of a toxin or something that has disagreed with the digestive tract,why keep it in??Be sure they both stay well hydrated, plenty of water and soups if they can handle it,doctors always ask if you have traveled outside the US and where so they can pinpoint areas with high epidemic levels through the cdc ect..., in other words they have a better hint of what you have by where you have been,almost every ER ask in virus/flu cases
