Iron turns stool black. Question: Can black stool be caused by iron supplements? Black stool in pregnant women

In a healthy person, stool is usually brown in color and this is due to the fact that it contains undigested food debris and bile. Stool may turn a different color for various reasons, and such a sign can signal various pathologies of the human body.

Dark-colored stool may appear when consuming certain foods that contain coloring substances. A serious illness can only be suspected if, along with darkening of the stool, the patient’s general health deteriorates and symptoms characteristic of a disease of the internal organs bother him.

When a person has dark-colored stool, you should know the reasons that provoked this phenomenon:

• Eating foods that turn the stool dark in color over the past few days. If a large amount of beets, red grapes or prunes enters the intestines, the stool darkens and may be black. If you suspect that it is the foods that provoked the change in the color of the stool, you need to exclude them from your diet for several days and carefully monitor the color of the stool. If, 3-4 days after a person stops consuming such foods, the feces remain black, then it is necessary to look for another cause of this pathology.
• Taking certain medications can cause stool to become dark in color. Among their diversity, we can highlight drugs that are prescribed when their content in the human body is insufficient. In addition, bismuth preparations and activated black carbon have a similar effect. Darkening of the stool is not considered a contraindication to continued treatment with such medications, and only a doctor should change the dosage.

You can learn more about the reasons for changes in stool color from the video:

If black feces appear due to any disease, it will persist in a person for a long time. In fact, such stools can periodically appear in children and adults even if there is no reason for this.

Possible pathologies

Liquid dark stool most often occurs with gastrointestinal bleeding

With the sudden appearance of dark stools, it is necessary to look for the causes of such pathology in the functioning.

This symptom may indicate the following diseases:

1. Food poisoning is considered the most common cause of any problems with feces in humans. Various viruses and bacteria that penetrate the gastrointestinal tract with dirty, stale or poorly prepared foods can provoke intoxication of the body. Poisoning can be suspected if accompanying symptoms occur, such as attacks of nausea and vomiting, stool upset, headache and dark green stool. Certain types of poisoning pose a serious threat to the patient's health and can provoke dysbacteriosis and chronic enteritis.
2. Bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract most often appears as a complication of a stomach ulcer or varicose veins. When there is bleeding in the digestive system, the patient complains of an unexpected deterioration in general health, the development of severe vomiting, a change in the consistency of the stool and its dark color. This condition is considered extremely complex and can lead to the death of the patient.
3. Intestinal diverticulitis is a dangerous pathological condition that is accompanied by a rapidly progressing inflammatory process in the intestinal mucosa. Diverticula are small protrusions of the intestinal walls, resembling a hernia. The leading cause of their appearance is considered to be weakness of the intestinal muscles and constant problems with bowel movements. Diverticulum usually manifests itself acutely, and inflammation of the intestines causes changes in the color and composition of stool, as well as a rise in body temperature and increased gas formation. In addition, the patient complains of lack of appetite, attacks of nausea and vomiting, combined with a deterioration in general health.
4. Colitis is a disease that is accompanied by the development of an inflammatory process in. The main reason for its development is considered to be bacterial infection, chemical poisoning and severe stress. In fact, the tendency to inflammatory processes in the intestines is inherited. Signs of colitis include a constant urge to go to the toilet, dark stool, a rise in body temperature, and pain in the abdomen. Most often, with this pathology, the stool becomes liquid and may contain blood. This sign may indicate that the human body cannot sufficiently absorb carbohydrates.

In fact, the dark color of human stool does not always signal any dangerous intestinal diseases.

Various organs of the digestive system, including, are actively involved in the process of digesting food.

A disruption in the proper functioning of these organs can cause changes in stool color and consistency. It is for this reason that when stool turns dark or black, it is recommended to visit a doctor and undergo all the necessary tests.

Dark stools during pregnancy

For normal fetal development, expectant mothers are often prescribed multivitamin complexes that contain iron. It is this component that colors a woman’s stool dark, and this phenomenon is considered completely normal and does not require any treatment. Experts say that in this way the expectant mother’s body removes excess iron, so there is no need to stop taking vitamins.

If dark stool during pregnancy is in no way related to the listed factors, then a general examination should be carried out as soon as possible. If a woman has a history of peptic ulcer of the duodenum or stomach, the doctor may prescribe a stool test for occult blood. If there are dark, loose stools and the presence of bleeding symptoms such as collapse, cold sweat and pallor, a woman should seek medical help as soon as possible.

Black feces during pregnancy can signal the presence of a dangerous disease, and the choice of one or another treatment method is determined by the underlying cause of the disease.

The expectant mother can undergo an endoscopic examination, thanks to which it is possible to identify sources of bleeding and promptly provide her with medical assistance.

Treatment of pathology

Before starting any treatment, it is important to find out the reason that caused the darkening of the stool:

• When the body is poisoned, drug therapy involves taking medications whose action is aimed at reducing the harmful effects of toxins on the body. When the first signs of poisoning appear, the patient must take activated charcoal and Smecta, and be sure to call a doctor.
• If the cause of black stool in a person is a disease such as colitis, treatment is carried out with the help of adsorbents, antibacterial drugs and agents that eliminate spasms. If there is bleeding in the digestive system, treatment with tablets will not bring a positive effect and usually requires the help of a specialist. Self-treatment of pathologies such as diverticulitis and stomach ulcers can be extremely dangerous and additional complications may occur.
• If the change in stool color is caused by taking medications or vitamins, then no special treatment is required. If a child’s stool darkens, it is necessary to analyze his entire diet, that is, remember all the foods he has eaten over the past few days.

Gastroenterologists say that you should not hesitate to visit a doctor. If the appearance of dark stool has nothing to do with eating a certain food, then you should visit a doctor immediately if black streaks or dots appear in the stool. There is no need to wait for clear manifestations of gastric or intestinal bleeding, because at an early stage of the disease it is much easier to cure it.

For many people, a change in the color of stool makes them worry and look for the cause of such changes. To give a detailed answer to this question, it is necessary to consider all the mechanisms that determine the formation of specific, and not so specific, coloring of excrement.

Norm

In addition to being brown in color, normal stools should be firm but not watery, and should not spread or foam. Small pieces of undigested food are also allowed to enter. If a person has any suspicions about the color of his own feces, but he cannot distinguish dark brown from black, then there is one piece of advice for such cases. You need to take some excrement and spread it in a thin layer on a sheet of white paper. If after this the stool remains black in color, then you need to think about the reason for such changes.

Causes

As mentioned above, black feces can be caused by both physiological and pathological reasons. To separate these conditions, it is necessary to consider the mechanisms that contribute to the change in stool to black color.

Nutrition

Why shouldn’t you immediately panic when black stool appears? There are many different products that have specific pigments that change the color of stool. This list includes both vegetables and fruits. The most famous dye from this list is beets. This product has been used since ancient times as a dye in cooking, as well as in textile and cosmetic production. However, few people know that after eating a large amount of beets, the color of feces and urine can change. Among food products this property also has:

To clarify the cause of changes in stool color, you need to exclude these foods from your diet for at least 2 days. If after this the stool remains persistently black, then to exclude a pathological process it is necessary to seek the advice of a specialist.

Medicines

There are a number of pharmacological drugs that promote blackening of stool. The most famous of them are iron supplements. It is necessary to remain calm in this matter, because many patients who have a history of gastric bleeding, seeing black stools, think about a relapse of the disease, which in fact is not the case. To avoid confusion, before taking any medications, you should read the leaflet, especially the “side effects” section. Iron supplements are prescribed for the development of iron deficiency anemia. This condition usually occurs with chronic gastrointestinal bleeding, renal failure, and also with diseases of the hematopoietic organs. Iron supplements are taken long-term under the supervision of blood tests. If the anemia was severe and the patient has no contraindications, then erythropoietin preparations are prescribed in addition.

In addition, stool turns black when taking Bismuth sulfate regularly. This drug is one of the basic drugs in the treatment of gastritis. The side effect is caused by the contact of bismuth salts with hydrogen sulfide produced by intestinal microflora. This reaction leads to the formation of another compound called bismuth sulfide, which gives stool its specific color. Bismuth is a very effective remedy in the fight against stomach and duodenal ulcers. Its action is aimed at creating a film in the stomach that protects damaged areas of the mucous membrane from contact with hydrochloric acid.

Another drug that causes stool to turn black is activated carbon. The medicine belongs to the group of sorbents prescribed for detoxification purposes. The main indication for the use of activated carbon is food poisoning. Indigestion may be due to either infection or the ingestion of non-natural toxins. In any case, charcoal, once in the digestive tract, begins to absorb “harmful” substances and prevent their absorption through the intestinal wall.

Pathological conditions

In some cases, black feces appear due to the development of gastrointestinal bleeding. Such conditions caused by blood loss are divided in surgical practice depending on the parts of the digestive tract. In the classification, it is customary to distinguish between upper and lower gastrointestinal bleeding. For the lower ones, scarlet blood appears in the stool, and for the upper ones, the stool will turn black. This is due to several processes. Firstly, the blood can darken when in contact with hydrochloric acid, and secondly, when metabolized by intestinal bacteria. These reactions contribute to the appearance of foul-smelling black diarrhea, called melena in medical circles.

Bleeding from the upper digestive tract is typical for several diseases:

• Peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum;
• Mallory-Weiss syndrome;
• Varicose veins of the esophagus;
• Hemorrhagic gastritis.

In most cases, the formation of ulcers in the stomach and duodenum is caused by helicobacteriosis. A bacterium called Helicobacter pylori can live in the thickness of the mucous membrane of the upper digestive tract. This microorganism, during its life activity, is capable of removing the protective mucous layer of the stomach and making the epithelium vulnerable to the effects of hydrochloric acid. As a result of the pathological influence of Helicobacter pylori, gastritis, erosions and ulcers develop. When an ulcer forms, the disease can be asymptomatic for a long time. It is not uncommon for people to visit a doctor complaining of pale skin, and when tests are ordered, it turns out that they have suffered from chronic blood loss for several years.

Varicose veins are most common in people suffering from cirrhosis of the liver. During the pathological process, the parenchyma of this organ is gradually replaced by connective tissue, all functions are suppressed and an increase in pressure develops in the portal vein system. This system also includes the veins of the esophagus, which, due to hypertension, expand, become tortuosity, and their wall becomes thinner and becomes easily wounded. Very often, patients with cirrhosis experience esophageal bleeding. As a rule, it is massive and does not go away without a trace, like with an ulcer. With large blood loss in adults, black diarrhea occurs.

Mallory-Weiss syndrome refers to a condition in which a longitudinal rupture of the mucous membrane of the esophagogastric region occurs, accompanied by bleeding. Depending on the severity of the pathological process, the syndrome can be asymptomatic or lead to severe impairment of the general condition. Among the etiological prerequisites, alcoholism, overeating and abdominal trauma have the greatest influence. The initial stages of the disease may manifest only as slight pain in the epigastric region. As it progresses, pale skin, general weakness, increased fatigue and a drop in blood pressure occur. As a rule, conservative tactics are used in treatment using coagulation stimulants, acid-lowering drugs and local hypothermia.

Black feces in a child

Why does black stool occur in children? Immediately after birth, the baby passes meconium - feces accumulated during fetal development. Sometimes they may have a dark color, and this is the norm. A couple of days after the start of feeding, the color of the stool returns to normal. In older children, the stool may darken when cow's milk is added to complementary foods. It is necessary to clarify that the feces in this case will not be black, but dark brown, so it is recommended to use the previously described method.

Pregnancy

Many multivitamin complexes taken by women during pregnancy contain iron. This element is extremely necessary for the expectant mother and the child developing inside her, however, when taking it, a slight side effect may be observed. Taking iron orally helps change the color of stools to black. This condition is completely natural and does not require medical attention.

If the expectant mother does not take iron supplements, and the stool becomes black, then it is necessary to seek the advice of a specialist. Tests may be required to determine hemoglobin and red blood cell levels. If these indicators are reduced against the background of black stool, this indicates bleeding from the upper digestive tract. If the patient has a history of stomach ulcers, duodenal ulcers or hemorrhagic gastritis, it is necessary to undergo stool tests for the presence of occult blood.

When acute bleeding begins, a pregnant woman experiences pallor of the skin, a drop in blood pressure, general weakness, and the stool becomes liquid, black, and foul-smelling. In such situations, emergency medical care and consultation with a surgeon are necessary. To determine the cause of the “acute” condition, fibrogastroduodenoscopy (FGDS) is performed. This procedure refers to endoscopic research methods that allow you to display an image of the upper parts of the digestive tract. In addition to diagnosis, FGDS allows you to perform some manipulations that can help stop bleeding.

But perhaps it would be more correct to treat not the effect, but the cause?

Questions

Question: Can black stool be caused by iron supplements?

Could black stool be from iron supplements?

Yes, any iron supplements and even a number of products that contain this trace element in large quantities can cause stool to turn black. This is due to the fact that iron, during biochemical transformations, is oxidized to hemin or oxide, which has a black color. These iron compounds (oxide or hemin) remain in the intestinal lumen, moving towards the anus along with the feces. As a result, black iron compounds mix well with feces and also color them black.

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Is black stool in a child a cause for concern?

When is Maltofer prescribed for infants?

When the baby is still in the womb, iron deficiency poses a huge danger. Its molecules are a vehicle for nutrients. Therefore, no matter what the diet, the necessary substances will not be absorbed in the child’s body.

Maltofer is prescribed to an infant in the following cases:

• Anemia
• Premature and bottle-fed
• With slow weight gain, dystrophy.

Maltofer in syrup can be used up to 5 ml. The duration of the course is prescribed by the doctor. For premature babies, the average duration of treatment is 5 months.

Reaction in children to taking vitamins

Often, iron-containing medications such as Maltofer, Elevit, Pronatal, Vitrum cause changes in stool color. Why is this happening and is it necessary to take any action?

Any medications containing iron, as well as foods containing this element in large quantities, can cause a change in the color of the stool. Iron that enters the body is oxidized, and the dark coloration of stool is due to the release of undigested iron that enters the intestines. When mixed with feces, the microelement turns it black and also gives it a specific smell.

As you can see, black stool, as a consequence of taking Maltofer, is not a cause for concern, much less for stopping taking the drug. Once the course is completed, after 4-5 days the color of the stool will become the same.

Diarrhea in a child

It is generally accepted that diarrhea is a “disease of dirty hands.” But sometimes conventional medications can cause diarrhea in both children and adults. Vitamins are no exception. Any deficiency or excess of them in the body leads to various diseases.

Black stools, as one of the side effects, are indicated in the instructions for use of Maltofer. The second most common side effect is diarrhea. But a change in the color of stool is not a deviation, but with diarrhea, you shouldn’t think that it will go away on its own.

Diarrhea when consuming iron-containing drugs can occur in the following cases:

• Overdose
• Long-term use
• The presence of elements in the vitamins that are not suitable for the baby.

As you can see, liquid stool in children is not normal, and in this case it is necessary to consult a doctor. It is possible that the pediatrician will stop taking the drug or replace it with another.

Iron supplement and stool color.

Hello. This is the situation: boy, 1.3 years old, weight 11 kg and height 82 cm. Cheerful and active. At the same time, according to the results of the examination, iron deficiency anemia was revealed to all

Two months later, the test was retaken, serum hemoglobin decreased to 96.56, ferrin increased slightly to 8.7, hemoglobin remained almost the same 11.3.

All this time we have been taking the drug Ferrum (Hausman) in drops, 50 mg of iron in 1 ml (it is difficult for me to translate from Turkish). At first we were prescribed to take 7 drops twice a day, after retaking the test, 8 drops. Since our nutrition is not very good, my son eats cottage cheese for breakfast, it remains possible to give medicine only after dinner (we don’t have lunch). I asked the CC doctors if it was possible to give the drug once, Nadezhda Dmitrievna gave the go-ahead http://klubkom.net/posts/32053#comment

And this is what I encountered. I started giving 16 drops, this led to a change in the color of the stool, it became almost black, I began to reduce the number of drops, now we drink 10 drops, Everything was fine. But as soon as you accidentally give 11 drops, the stool immediately becomes dark green, almost black. With what it can be connected? Is the drug absorbed? Is this dose enough for us, because it is almost two times less than what the doctor prescribed? We were offered another syrup, but it is sickly sweet, my son categorically refuses to drink it, and runs after these droplets with his mouth open. This week we are going to the therapist for a routine appointment and vaccination, I would like to ask for a referral for another control test.

De Nol paints the chair black

Most medications cause side effects. Some of them are not dangerous and go away on their own, while others require immediate discontinuation of the drug that caused the unwanted symptoms and subsequent treatment.

In many cases, patients are concerned about changes in the color of urine or stool associated with taking certain medications.

In particular, it is noted that dark color of stool is observed while taking the gastroprotective drug De-nol. Is this normal or should I consult a doctor?

Darkening of stool after De-nol

De-nol is prescribed to patients with chronic forms of gastritis or gastric and duodenal ulcers.

It has the properties of creating protective mucus on the internal gastric walls, preventing hydrochloric acid from reaching the affected areas; reduce pepsin activity; bind bile salts.

The drug envelops the mucous membrane, relieves inflammation, and has an antiseptic and astringent effect.

To prescribe a medicine there must be serious indications; it is not used during an attack of acute gastritis, in case of poisoning and stomach pain of unknown origin.

Diseases for which the use of De-nol is indicated:

1. Chronic erosive and hyperacid (with high acidity) gastritis.
2. Ulcer of the stomach and duodenum.
3. GERD (gastroenterreflux disease), reflux - esophagitis.
4. Irritable bowel syndrome.
5. Diarrhea that does not stop for a long time.
6. Dyspepsia.
7. Zollinger-Elliston syndrome (a combination of a stomach ulcer with a benign tumor in the pancreas).

The drug belongs to a non-toxic group of drugs, is well tolerated, has a minimum of contraindications and side effects, but is therapeutic, requiring indications for prescription.

The active substance of De-nol is bismuth, which is a heavy metal and in large quantities can cause severe poisoning.

In a therapeutic dose it is not dangerous and is included in many products - analogues of De-nol. It is bismuth that is responsible for one of the few side effects of the drug – black feces.

Reasons why stool changes color

Often patients of gastroenterologists come to the doctor with the complaint: “Why, when I take De-nol, the stool turns black?”

This concern is justified, because any deviation from the norm during the treatment process can be dangerous to health. Should I worry if black stool appears?

To answer this question, you need to know the reasons why this happens.

Stool can turn black for a variety of reasons. These can be food products containing coloring pigments (mulberries, blueberries, beets), iron preparations (Ferroplex, Ferrum Lek), activated carbon.

If the stool turns black for these reasons, there is no need to worry.

Darkening from foods is a one-time phenomenon, and immediately after stopping iron-containing medications, it will return to its previous color.

You need to worry if, in addition to darkening, streaks of blood appear in the stool. This may be evidence of internal bleeding or worsening hemorrhoids.

In this case, you should pay attention to other symptoms. Gastric bleeding caused by an ulcer causes nausea with vomit that looks like coffee grounds.

This is a dangerous condition that requires immediate hospitalization. With hemorrhoids, pain in the area of ​​the hemorrhoids and a feeling of incomplete release of the rectum after defecation are disturbing.

If black stool with blood appears for no apparent reason and is not accompanied by other symptoms, you should consult a doctor, as these may be signs of a serious illness, such as:

• anal fissures;
• benign tumors of the rectum;
• nonspecific ulcerative colitis;
• proctitis;
• Crohn's disease;
• severe liver pathologies;
• vascular abnormalities of the gastrointestinal tract;
• cancer of the rectum or other organs of the gastrointestinal tract.

All these conditions require medical intervention, so black stool with blood is dangerous to ignore.

Black feces associated with taking De-nol

In the annotation for any drug there is a section that indicates its side effects, the frequency of their occurrence, as well as cases in which drug withdrawal and therapy aimed at eliminating these reactions are necessary.

In the instructions for use of De-nol, black feces are indicated as a side effect that does not require discontinuation of the medication or adjustment of its dose.

Bismuth, which is part of the drug, enters the body and forms the compound bismuth sulfide, which is the reason why stool turns black.

This is not dangerous, and if your stool is normal and you are not bothered by constipation, you do not need to do anything to get rid of this harmless side effect, which has its own characteristics that you need to know:

1. The stool sometimes turns black even with short-term use of De-nol, but upon completion of treatment the stool returns to normal.
2. If a nursing mother neglects the instructions from the instructions that the drug should not be taken during lactation and self-medicates, the baby’s stool will also become a different color.
3. Feces may acquire a dark brown or dark green color (for example, after taking De-nol together with Pilobact).

Taking De-nol can change not only the stool, the tongue can also change color, becoming black or gray. This is also not scary, nothing needs to be done, the phenomenon is temporary, it goes away when the medication is stopped.

Other side effects from taking De-nol

Darkened tongue and stool are the most harmless side effects of the drug. Infrequently, bismuth-based products provoke other, more dangerous reactions of the body.

If you take the drug for a long time and in large doses, bismuth accumulated in the brain tissue can cause encephalopathy, requiring urgent withdrawal.

A significant increase in the permissible intake rate (more than 10 times) impairs kidney function. For severe disorders, hemodialysis is indicated; milder ones are treated with the use of enterosorbents.

From the gastrointestinal tract, temporary disorders are possible: stool changes (constipation or diarrhea), nausea and vomiting appear.

There are dermatological reactions - urticaria, itching and rash on the skin. Memory and attention disorders are rarely observed.

Any discomfort during treatment should not be ignored, since each body is individual and may react differently to the components of medications.

If you have the slightest doubt about the safety of the prescribed therapy, do not delay visiting a specialist.

The doctor will make the necessary adjustments to the dosage and course of medication or, if necessary, prescribe another drug.

De-nol is one of the newest gastroprotective agents successfully used in the treatment of ulcers and gastritis, and such minor inconveniences as changes in the color of stool should not be a reason to refuse effective help to the body.

The article is not intended for self-diagnosis and self-medication. For any questions related to your health, you should consult a specialist.

Why does iron cause black stool?

We received the following question from a regular reader: “Hello! This is my first pregnancy, and my gynecologist recommended taking prenatal vitamins. I have been drinking the complex for five days now and have noticed that my stool has turned black. I’m very worried, tell me, can black stools be caused by vitamins?”

It is known that the nature and color of a person’s stool largely depends on what enters his digestive tract. This applies to both food and medications. Today we will talk about multivitamin complexes and their effect on the color of feces.

Pregnant women most often pay attention to such changes, since they are the ones most often prescribed vitamin preparations. And also these are mothers of babies who give these medicines to their children for general strengthening purposes.

Do vitamins cause black stools?

Yes, this happens. The thing is that many complexes contain not only vitamins, but also minerals, in particular iron. It is this that gives the feces a dark, sometimes black color. In the stomach, under the influence of hydrochloric acid, iron is oxidized to hemin or iron oxide and in this form passes through the entire intestine, mixing with feces and changing its color. Iron also affects the appearance of a specific odor in stool, and can also cause constipation.

There is also an opinion that when taking vitamin complexes, excess iron stains the stool, which is not absorbed in the digestive tract.

Black stool from vitamins occurs when taking the following vitamin complexes containing iron:

Also, if you take dietary supplements, then black stool from vitamins in this case may appear when taking the following medications:

All of the above medications can affect the color of the stool of an adult or child. But in this case, the change in its color is a physiological reaction and is provided for by the manufacturers of the drug. A corresponding entry has been made about this in the annotations for most of the tools presented.

When black stool appears, there is no reason to worry or stop taking the vitamin complex if you are sure that it is the only reason. As for children, make sure that they do not eat delicious vitamins secretly from you, thereby increasing the daily dose of iron several times. It would also be a good idea to rule out all other possible causes.

Why do black stools still happen?

1. Food. The following foods can turn stool dark: black currants, black licorice, black pudding, blueberries, chokeberries, prunes, beets, coffee, as well as food products containing artificial colors (powdered wine, for example).

2. Other medications. In addition to vitamins, iron and bismuth preparations and activated carbon have the ability to color.

3. Gastrointestinal bleeding. In this case, the condition is accompanied by loss of strength, anemia, drowsiness, and the appearance of black, tarry stools (melena). But such stool appears in case of massive bleeding, but light to moderate touching up can make the stool slightly dark. The cause of this condition can be polyps, erosions, gastric ulcers, ruptures of the esophageal mucosa with severe vomiting. Therefore, if you think that your black stool is from vitamins, but you suspect gastrointestinal bleeding, consult your doctor. A timely analysis will help to accurately determine the cause of the disease.

4. Blood swallowed during tooth extraction or nosebleeds can enter the stomach, oxidize and give the stool a dark color.

We hope that we have answered our reader’s question about whether vitamins cause black stool. And remember that it never hurts to consult a doctor about a question that concerns you. After all, the health of a child, adult or expectant mother is at stake.

Why is stool black and what does it mean? Causes of blackened stool

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A symptom such as black stool always raises health concerns. The reason for this may lie not only in diseases. There are many other factors that are physiological for the human body and lead to changes in the color of feces.

In adults, stool is normally brown in color with a wide variation in shades due to the presence of the pigment stercobilin (a product of the conversion of bilirubin in the liver, which has pigmentary properties).

It enters the intestines along with bile and colors the stool. The more it is, the darker the color of the stool.

Causes of black stool in adults

• In the case where there is black stool in an adult, the possibility of bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract cannot be ruled out. This is the first thing a specialist thinks about. Further diagnostic search is aimed at excluding this condition.
• If there are streaks of blood in the stool of this color, you should think about an intestinal disease such as Crohn's disease.
• Taking iron supplements (for iron deficiency anemia) almost always causes stool to turn black. This condition does not pose any danger.
• The postoperative period is dangerous due to the development of a serious complication - internal bleeding that occurs after surgery on the stomach or any part of the intestine.
• Black-green stool is a characteristic symptom of an intestinal infection. In all cases it is accompanied by high fever. This condition must be treated in an inpatient setting in the infectious diseases department.

The main pathological processes leading to black feces are:

• bleeding within the digestive tract;
• cirrhosis of the liver;
• neoplasms;
• typhoid fever;
• injury, etc.

Let's consider each point in detail.

Bleeding within the digestive tract

When it comes to obvious bleeding (blood loss that can change color to black should be more than ml) from the gastrointestinal tract, then in addition to black stool (melena), other symptoms will appear, such as vomiting coffee grounds.

Its dark color is given by the contact of hemoglobin in the blood flowing from the vessels of the gastric wall with hydrochloric acid. Bleeding is a strong irritant of the nerve endings of the mucous membrane, so in all cases it is accompanied by vomiting (almost always also black in color, and changes in the stool appear later than in the vomit).

General symptoms are characteristic in the form of pale skin, weakness, and in severe stages tachycardia, confusion, and even loss of consciousness are determined.

When pain was a concomitant symptom, black stool explains its disappearance when a perforation occurs. Moreover, this sign indicates massive bleeding, which can “wash away” irritating substances that provoke pain from the formed ulcer.

Another disease manifested by black-colored stool is cirrhosis of the liver, accompanied by varicose veins in the esophagus.

The condition is associated with increased pressure in the portal vein of the liver, leading to dilation of the vessels rising above the mucous membrane of the esophagus. The vascular wall becomes very thin, often susceptible to inflammation and easily vulnerable.

Varicose veins of the esophagus do not lead to black stool at the onset of the disease. This sign becomes characteristic much later. At the same time, specific symptoms appear that allow one to suspect a causative disease.

Neoplasms in the organs of the digestive tract (stomach or duodenum) in the later stages are manifested by black feces.

Initially, patients do not feel any abnormalities in their health, but over time their appetite worsens, the condition is accompanied by constant weakness, nausea, and rapid weight loss. It is not uncommon for patients to feel their enlarged lymph nodes themselves, which are usually painless.

The listed symptoms are considered additional evidence that black feces and cancer are interrelated. But to finally verify the diagnosis, a series of additional studies are carried out.

Typhoid fever in the 2-3rd week of illness is manifested by black (tarry) feces. The symptom is associated with the appearance of erosions in the walls of the digestive tract and bleeding from them, but not massive. Therefore, the blood has time to mix with the feces, giving it a characteristic color.

Trauma accompanied by fractures of the facial bones is manifested by external bleeding. Many patients in such a situation throw their heads back or simply swallow blood due to the massiveness of its outflow. As a result, it mixes with hydrochloric acid of the stomach and passes into the intestines. This gives the stool the same specific black color.

It is necessary to distinguish between situations when the stool is uniformly dark in color and conditions when there are combinations - black feces with blood.

The reasons for the latter are:

• long-term process of inflammation in the large intestine, incl. dysentery;
• helminths;
• haemorrhoids;
• intestinal flu.

In all cases, ulceration of the vessels of the gastrointestinal tract occurs. The blood from them does not completely mix with the feces, so it is released in the form of streaks.

When food and medications are the culprits of black stool

If black stool occurs, you should make a list of foods and medications that have been taken over the past 3 days. We should not forget about vitamin complexes or food additives, which can often color human biological secretions.

Eating foods such as black currants, prunes, and dark grapes changes the color of stool. Eating raw fish, undercooked animal meat, and liver will manifest itself not only as dark-colored stool, but also as an admixture of blood streaks.

This condition should be distinguished from diseases that have identical symptoms. If you feel discomfort due to the unusual color of the feces, you should change the menu.

Medicines contain the necessary substances to achieve a therapeutic effect. However, they can also lead to black stool, which is considered a side effect. Before taking any medication, you should first read the section in the instructions about adverse reactions and interactions of substances.

Dyes of chemical origin are considered to be activated carbon (an adsorbent that binds toxins in case of poisoning), iron-containing drugs (Sorbifer Durules, Ferretab or Fenyuls), drugs with bismuth - De-nol (necessary for gastric and duodenal ulcers) and vitamin complexes ( Vitrum).

Many nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Ibuprofen, Diclofenac), when taken for a long time, can have a damaging effect on the gastric mucosa. Over time, the stool will begin to take on a darker shade, and if you continue to take it, it will turn black. This condition is not caused by the drugs themselves staining the stool.

It is associated with inhibition of the synthesis of protective prostaglandins in the gastric wall. They protect it from the destruction of hydrochloric acid. In conditions of their deficiency, acid has a damaging effect on the mucous membrane and blood vessels, causing bleeding. This is considered a symptomatic ulcer.

Liquid dark stool (black diarrhea) - is it dangerous?

Liquid black feces photo

The appearance of diarrhea with a black tint most often occurs with colitis (inflammation of the large intestine) and is always accompanied by ulcerative damage.

Loose stools can also be non-inflammatory in nature. There are certain foods that color stool black (beets, prunes, chokeberries, red wine with excess dyes) and help soften the consistency, i.e. they have a laxative effect. Consuming them in large quantities over a long period of time leads to diarrhea.

Undercooked meat or liver also gives black color to feces. Some people have difficulty digesting them, resulting in symptoms that often resemble food poisoning with the appearance of loose, dark stool.

A variant of the norm is considered to be black dots in the stool, indicating the presence of undigested food debris. They are stained in the intestine with the pigment stercobilin when they remain in its lumen for a long time.

Black stool during pregnancy - features

Pregnancy is a physiological period in a woman’s life and should not be accompanied by a change in the color and consistency of stool. Often, eating certain foods changes color and makes them harder or more liquid.

Since many women develop a deficiency of iron levels in the blood, black feces in a pregnant woman are the result of taking medications to replenish its deficiency. In addition, vitamins and dietary supplements can cause the same thing.

In order not to miss pathology, you need to strictly monitor your health. Gastrointestinal bleeding may also occur, causing the same staining.

Black feces in a child - what does it mean?

When black stool appears in a child, this is the first reason for concern for parents. This is especially true for children 2-3 days after birth. The stool is called meconium and consists of amniotic fluid that the baby swallowed, mucus and epithelial cells.

• After some time, changing the diet, the stool will take on a state similar to adult feces.

Certain foods cause black stool in babies. Iron contained in infant formula often gives feces a charcoal color. Addiction to bananas, black currants, and cherries causes oxidation of microelements under the influence of gastric juice, which also gives a characteristic color to stool.

In addition to a certain diet, such changes are possible after taking medications. As you know, in the first year of life, babies have poorly formed intestines and spasms predominate due to maternal hormones.

Parents believe that this is low-quality food and give the child activated charcoal dissolved in a bottle of warm water or with a mixture. The drug turns stool black and makes it less liquid.

What to do if black feces are found?

Before you begin diagnosing and treating diseases that cause such a symptom, you should first find out the possible cause. Most likely, the developed condition is associated with the nature of the diet and the predominance of certain foods.

If there is a need to take medications or dietary supplements, you should read the instructions and possible consequences.

Stool color associated with physiological reasons does not have a negative effect on the body, so treatment cannot be canceled. Observing the color of the stool, if there is no change in health, requires no more than 2 days with a simultaneous change in diet.

When there is a suspicion of gastrointestinal bleeding, you should immediately consult a doctor for laboratory tests and instrumental studies.

A condition accompanied by nausea, vomiting mixed with blood (“coffee grounds”), high body temperature, abdominal pain, a drop in blood pressure, and a poorly perceptible and accelerated pulse should alert you. A certain danger is caused by diseases of the liver (cirrhosis), stomach (ulcers), intestines (colitis) and chronic anemia.

You should not delay contacting a doctor if you vomited the day before, and especially if it followed after drinking alcoholic beverages. In this case, there is a high probability of Mallory-Weiss syndrome. It occurs when the lining of the esophagus and the inlet of the stomach ruptures, followed by bleeding.

It's a pity that there are no statistics on how many women have black stool during pregnancy. This statistic would certainly comfort you right away, even without explaining the probable reasons for this phenomenon. Because in reality, dark stools are observed in very, very many expectant mothers already in the very early stages of pregnancy. And in almost one hundred percent of cases, its darkening is due to taking medications containing iron.

Black stool during pregnancy when taking iron

Very few women manage to carry a baby without taking iron supplements in the first trimester. This is because iron deficiency anemia has become a life companion for many of us due to a variety of reasons. With the onset of pregnancy, the risk of anemia increases significantly, and if there is insufficiency of iron in the woman’s body even before conception, anemia progresses after it. It is fraught with many dangers, and always with the onset of pregnancy, doctors will either treat it or prevent it.

If necessary, the expectant mother is prescribed separately iron supplements in the dosage required for her. In other cases - only multivitamin complexes, which usually contain a certain amount of iron as one of the most essential substances during pregnancy.

In the annotations to the drugs, as a rule, it is indicated that taking them can cause the stool to become dark in color, but, naturally, not everyone reads the instructions. Therefore, taking into account the increased suspiciousness and anxiety of pregnant women, doctors who prescribe them such drugs are obliged to warn about possible “special effects”.

When taking iron-containing medications, stool can not only darken, but also acquire a specific odor and even slightly change consistency.

Black stool from vitamins: what does it mean and what to do?

It is quite natural and normal that while taking iron-containing vitamin complexes, black stool is formed. Moreover, there is evidence that such a phenomenon may indirectly indicate the quality of vitamins: the stool turns black - which means it still contains the drug. Meanwhile, it is undigested iron that is excreted from the body that gives stool its characteristic dark shade. Sometimes women describe such stools not only as black, but also as sallow, gray, greenish, or marsh-colored stools during pregnancy.

It happens that a woman, for example, took some pharmacy vitamins, but did not notice the stool-coloring effect. Then, after some period, the doctor prescribed her the same drug again - and lo and behold, surprise, the stool darkened! It should be understood that, most likely, when taking the drug for the first time, the body experienced too great a need for iron, which was absorbed entirely by it, and therefore was not excreted along with feces. Later, when there was no longer a large iron deficiency, but the need for additional iron intake arose, the body took for itself exactly as much as it needed and got rid of the rest.

However, if you are taking drugs of synthetic origin, then in any case you should not hope for their high digestibility: at best, you can “squeeze” a little more than 50% out of such tablets. But more often less than half is absorbed.

So what should you do, you ask, if the black color of stool during pregnancy turned out to be a consequence of taking vitamins? Never mind! Continue the course prescribed by your doctor and do not pay attention to the color - it is not dangerous.

But if vitamins have nothing to do with it, then pathological causes cannot be ruled out, although first... What did you eat the day before?

What else could cause dark stool: reasons

You can determine whether your vitamins are to blame for the darkening of your stools very simply and reliably: stop taking them for a few days and monitor the changes. If after this the stool became lighter, and with the resumption of vitamin therapy began to darken back, then the whole truth is evident.

Otherwise, the causes of black stool during pregnancy are different. And most likely, it is taking medications or eating foods that color the stool dark. Among pharmaceutical drugs, in addition to those already mentioned, Activated carbon or Carbolene, bismuth preparations (such as, for example, De-Nol, Novobismol) have such properties.

Quite a large list of foods that can affect the color of stool in the dark direction:

• liver;
• products containing animal blood (for example, blood sausage);
• blueberry;
• prunes;
• dark grapes;
• black currant;
• chokeberry;
• leafy greens in large quantities;
• beet;
• tomatoes;
• pomegranate;
• coffee;
• Foods and drinks containing artificial color (for example, powdered red wine).

On a note. Soluble coloring substances that enter the human body are excreted from it in two ways: along with urine - water-soluble products, together with feces - fat-soluble products. Moreover, the color of stool is sometimes completely unexpected and even frightening. Feces may not be completely colored, but only contain colored undigested food particles - for example, the peel of berries or seeds.

It is noteworthy that often when eating bananas, dark fragments can be visible in the feces - black threads, dots, grains, veins, inclusions (banana fiber is not completely digested by our stomach). But it is also not at all excluded that black worms in the stool during pregnancy are worms.

Eating any of the stool-coloring products (if you feel generally good) should no longer cause any suspicion in you. But when a woman feels weak, unwell, she breaks into a sweat or pain appears against the background of black stools, and even more so if dark-colored diarrhea occurs during pregnancy, then you should consult a doctor immediately!

Why does black diarrhea occur during pregnancy?

The most likely cause of black loose stool is poisoning with a product that can turn the stool dark. If you also take Activated Carbon, then even more so.

Even a condition such as diarrhea during pregnancy is unsafe and requires medical attention. Therefore, self-medication in this situation is, at the very least, irresponsible. Moreover, the causes of black liquid stool can be even more serious.

The black color of stool is formed when it contains blood, the source of which is certainly located in the upper parts of the gastrointestinal tract. This may be bleeding in the stomach or duodenum due to an aggravated ulcer; polyps and other formations in the gastrointestinal tract; varicose veins in the esophagus. Black blood indicates its oxidation by digestive enzymes. If the bleeding is lower, closer to the rectum and its opening, then the stool will contain impurities of fresh scarlet blood.

So, with the development of internal bleeding, turning the stool black, other painful symptoms are also noted:

• chills, trembling, increased body temperature;
• decreased blood pressure;
• weakness, dizziness, loss of consciousness;
• increased sweating (cold, sticky sweat);
• pale skin;
• lack of appetite.

It is important to note that the stool loosens slightly. Intense gastrointestinal bleeding is manifested by the appearance of coffee grounds-like, tarry black feces, medically called melena.

In addition to exacerbation of diseases, some drugs from the group of NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) can also cause gastric bleeding, especially when taken for a long time: Acetylsalicylic acid, Ibuprofen, Diclofenac, Indomethacin, Nimesulide, Loxidol, Nise, etc.

This condition is very dangerous and requires urgent medical attention. Swallowing a large amount of blood during a nosebleed can also turn the stool dark.

Black feces during pregnancy: forum

And yet, the forum and reviews indicate that it is usually not even food products, but “pharmacy iron” that causes dark stools during pregnancy. Most often, these are the vitamin complexes Elevit and Vitrum (the latter is recommended less frequently by gynecologists, because it has been noticed that it causes nausea in many pregnant women). Also, the appearance of black stool, judging by messages on forums, is caused by the drugs Sorbifer, Ferrum-Lek, Tardiferon, etc.

Women say that they contacted their gynecologist with complaints about dark stools and received confirmation of their guesses: all this is due to iron and does not pose a danger. The main thing is that your health is normal and that no other painful symptoms (constant bloating, stomach pain, diarrhea or constipation, vomiting, high fever, etc.) appear.

Especially for - Ekaterina Vlasenko

Preparation, the process of defecation itself and the final result are a delicate topic, but relevant for discussion. Feces of suspicious consistency, color, shape can make a completely healthy person run to the hospital in panic, while others are not bothered by the question of what it means.

If you see black feces at the bottom of the toilet, analyze why it is black and what it might be connected with. There are many reasons for this phenomenon; sometimes they are harmless and natural, but sometimes they can become an alarming sign of a disease.

Norms of color, shape, consistency of stool

In a healthy person who does not have digestive problems, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, leading a healthy lifestyle - the following standards related to the process of defecation are established:

• Quantity and quality. The excretion of feces should occur 1-2 times a day, every day, but at least 3 times a week, provided that you are in good health. Discharge occurs easily and painlessly, the daily amount ranges from 200-400 grams. No stool for more than 72 hours - constipation, bowel movements more than 3-4 times a day - diarrhea.
• Form. According to the “Bristol scale”, feces having a cylindrical, rounded shape are the norm; inclusions of undigested food and cracks on the surface are observed.
• Consistency - dense, but soft, shaped.
• The smell is unpleasant, but not pungent; normally it should not be putrid or sour.
• Color. In an adult, healthy person who is on a balanced diet, the color of stool varies from light to dark shades of brown.

Factors affecting the color of feces

There are many reasons for the change in color of stool and it depends on what you eat, drink or take as a medicine, unless associated symptoms are observed.

One of the main causes of constipation and diarrhea is use of various medications. To improve bowel function after taking medications, you need to do it every day. drink a simple remedy ...

Causes of black stools that do not require treatment

Before you start worrying about the color of your stool, think about what could be causing this phenomenon, consider the food you drank and ate the day before. Eating large amounts of certain fruits, vegetables, and drinks significantly affects the black color of feces.

These dye products include:

Children's surprise black

Do not worry if you see black-green liquid feces on the diaper of a newborn baby; this is nothing more than meconium - original feces.

The baby's first feces, consisting of digested in the womb:

• amniotic fluid;
• epithelial cells;
• bile;
• prenatal hair;
• leaves the intestines within two to three days of birth.

In older children, the appearance of a black “surprise” in the pot may be associated with the popular dietary supplement Hematogen, used to prevent anemia.

Modern milk formulas, cereals and their vitamin complexes, including iron, may well give the stool a dark tint.

If the child feels great, jumps, runs, eats and sleeps well, then an attack in the form of black feces should not bother you. If the baby’s general condition worsens, body temperature rises, nausea and vomiting occur - Seek medical help immediately!

Black stool in pregnant women

The “interesting position” does not affect the color changes in the stool of the woman who is in it.

The culprits are vitamins, namely their excessive amounts contained in the above-mentioned berries and fruits, which expectant mothers now eat “for two.”

Anemia in pregnant women is a common occurrence, so an iron supplement prescribed at a doctor’s appointment indicates a change in stool from the usual brown to unexpected black.

How does taking medication affect the color of stool?

When taking this or that medicine, it is advisable to carefully read the instructions for the drug, side symptoms, what can happen in case of overdose, and more.

The most well-known medications that affect the appearance of black stool include:

• - enterosorbent, which has an antidiarrheal, cleansing effect on the intestines, removing toxins and poisons from the body, coloring feces black.
• Iron preparations (Maltofer, Orferon, Ektofer, Monofer, etc.) - prescribed for iron deficiency anemia.
• Multivitamin complexes containing iron (Vitrum, Elevit, Multi-Tabs).
• Medicines for gastrointestinal diseases, antiulcer drugs containing bismuth oxide (,).

What diseases cause black feces?

You should start sounding the alarm when black stool occurs in a combination of the following symptoms:

• Nausea, vomiting, vomit with;
• Fever, high or low blood pressure;
• Dizziness and numbness of the limbs;
• Intoxication of the body after alcohol.

The combination of these signs may indicate serious illness and means immediate medical attention.

Video:

From the stomach, food masses enter the duodenum, where they are mixed with bile produced by the liver and digestive enzymes of the pancreas. During the digestion of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, a suspension is formed that moves through the small intestine. The small intestine absorbs nutrients into the blood, and the remaining liquid waste enters the large intestine. In the large intestine, the remaining water is absorbed and feces are formed, which are excreted into the environment through the distal part of the digestive tract - the rectum.

Normal stool consists of water, remains of animal food, undigested plant fibers, bacteria (up to 1/3 of the dry weight of stool), bile, and dead cells of the mucous membrane lining the digestive tract. The composition, consistency, quantity and color of feces depend on many factors and are one of the indicators of the health of the body in general and the gastrointestinal tract in particular.

Normal stool color

Stools are usually brown in color, and significant changes in color may be a cause for health concern. The color of stool is determined by the presence of bilirubin (a breakdown product of hemoglobin) and other bile pigments. Changes in the amount of bilirubin in the bile can change the color of the stool from light yellow to dark brown.

In most cases, changes in the color of stool are associated with dietary habits and are not a symptom of any health abnormalities. However, in some cases, for example, if the color of the stool has changed radically, and these changes persist for a long time, this can be an important diagnostic sign of dangerous diseases and serious life-threatening conditions.

When should a change in color alert you?

A cause for concern should be those cases when a change in stool color is accompanied by other symptoms:

• Green and foul-smelling stools are accompanied by diarrhea, abdominal pain, high fever, nausea and vomiting - possible symptoms of some infectious diseases, such as salmonellosis.
• Discolored feces are accompanied by pain in the abdomen, back, yellowness of the sclera and skin, darkening of the urine - signs of problems with the liver and biliary tract.
• Stool staining black is accompanied by abdominal pain, weakness, pale skin, increased heart rate, cold sweat - symptoms of bleeding in the stomach or duodenum.
• Red stool is accompanied by abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting - these may be signs of intestinal bleeding.

Green stool is a sign of what?

As already mentioned, the brown color of stool is due to the presence of bilirubin in it. Bilirubin enters the lumen of the duodenum with bile, the color of which, depending on the concentration of this substance, can vary from greenish-yellow to dark brown. As it passes through the intestines, the chemical composition of bile changes and it darkens. If the movement of feces through the intestinal lumen becomes too fast, the bile retains its original color and the stool becomes green. This can happen with diarrhea caused by food poisoning, salmonellosis, rotavirus infection, giardiasis, Crohn's disease, autoimmune and endocrine diseases.

Green stool may occur if you eat a lot of green vegetables.

Green feces in an adult may be due to intestinal dysbiosis. In this case, a detailed scatological examination for dysbiosis will help establish the diagnosis.

Green stools, accompanied by cutting pain in the abdomen, diarrhea, and an admixture of mucus and pus in the stool are signs of acute infectious enterocolitis. Treatment in this case is prescribed by an infectious disease doctor based on the results of a bacteriological examination of stool and establishing the sensitivity of pathogenic microflora to a particular group of antibacterial drugs. In addition to antibacterial treatment, enterocolitis requires replenishment of fluid losses, including parenteral administration of electrolyte solutions.

Green stool may also have a completely normal explanation that is not related to illness, for example, after eating a large amount of green leafy vegetables (especially spinach), foods with appropriate food colorings, or some dietary supplements. Sometimes a change in color is provoked by taking iron supplements, but most often the stool in this case does not turn green, but turns black.

Green stool in children can be caused by the same diseases as in adults. In newborns in the first days of life, green stool is a normal variant called meconium.

What does black stool mean?

Feces can turn black in a completely healthy person in the following cases:

• When eating blueberries, prunes, pomegranates, black currants, bird cherry, red wine, red beets.
• After eating dishes and products based on or containing blood, for example, rare meat, blood sausage, etc.
• While taking iron supplements for the treatment of iron deficiency anemia, bismuth supplements, multivitamins, activated carbon.

In these cases, the help of doctors is not required, and the color of the stool returns to normal within a few days after changing the menu and stopping treatment.

Black stool is a symptom of dangerous bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal tract

The sudden and inexplicable appearance of black stool (melena) is one of the serious symptoms of internal bleeding into the cavity of the stomach or duodenum. The black color is due to the interaction of hemoglobin in the blood with hydrochloric acid in the gastric juice, resulting in the formation of black hemin. can be caused by peptic ulcer, tumor, injury, bleeding disorder, varicose veins of the esophagus due to liver diseases, infectious process and other reasons.

If the appearance of melena is accompanied by weakness, cold sweat, increased breathing and pulse, and pale skin, then you should immediately call an ambulance, since massive blood loss poses a serious threat to life.

Stool may turn black when blood is ingested during severe nosebleeds, after tooth extraction, or after oral trauma.

Black feces during pregnancy can be a consequence of all of the above conditions, but most often it is caused by a woman taking multivitamins and supplements containing iron.

Red stool – is it a reason to worry?

Red stool appears when there is bleeding into the intestinal cavity.

There is no reason to worry if the day before you ate beetroot dishes or consumed drinks and confectionery products colored with red food coloring.

Among pathological conditions, the most common cause of red stool is bleeding from hemorrhoids. More dangerous causes of bleeding into the intestinal cavity and redness of the stool are Crohn's disease, nonspecific, intestinal diverticulosis, malignant tumors, arteriovenous malformations.

Severe bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal tract can also cause red stool. In this case, hemoglobin does not have time to react with hydrochloric acid, so the blood in the stool does not turn black, but remains red.

Is it dangerous when stool is white?

White feces are one of the characteristic symptoms of liver and biliary tract diseases. Discoloration of the stool is explained by the lack of bilirubin in it, which ceases to be supplied with bile as a result of impaired liver function or obstruction of the bile ducts. But there is a lot of it in the blood, and this can be seen with the naked eye, since it turns the skin and eyes yellow - this condition is called jaundice. In addition, bilirubin begins to be excreted intensively by the kidneys, as a result the urine becomes dark, as doctors say, the color of beer. Undoubtedly, this is a dangerous condition that requires immediate specialist intervention and proper treatment.

Yellow or white stool is a sign of liver and pancreas disease

Light and loose stools with an unpleasant odor are a sign of impaired pancreatic function. The deficiency or absence of a number of enzymes makes it impossible to digest fats, resulting in light-colored stools. Lightening of the stool after eating fatty foods may indicate chronic celiac disease, cystic fibrosis, pancreatic cancer, gallbladder cancer, compression of the bile ducts or blockage due to gallstone disease. The consequences of these diseases can be very serious, so you should not delay visiting a doctor.

White feces can also appear normally, for example, with errors in nutrition, in particular, with the abuse of fatty foods: lard, butter, fatty sour cream, etc.

Another variant of the norm is stool discoloration while taking certain medications: antibiotics, antifungals, gout medications, anti-inflammatory drugs, oral contraceptives. A few days after completing the course of treatment with such drugs, the color of the stool returns to normal. To avoid unnecessary worries, before taking medications, you should carefully read the instructions for the drug, especially the section on side effects and symptoms of overdose.

What if the stool turns yellow?

Yellow stool is one of the variants of light-colored stool, so the reasons for its appearance may be the same: biliary tract, pancreatic disease, conditions accompanied by blockage or compression of the bile ducts, excessive consumption of fatty foods, treatment with certain medications.

What should you do if your stool color changes?

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