Question: I have recently seen one of four gastros in my area. Over the past 4 weeks my stools have been like sludge and the toilet paper has had what looks like are coffee grounds on it. I made an appt w my doctor and also showed her my food journal as well. She advised me to cut out brown rice and that has helped w the bloating. She also scheduled an appt to see the gastro. My diet consists of no gluten, no dairy, no wheat, no sugars, no green vegetables. I should mention I also have sever IBS. 3 days ago and for four bowels straight it was black as can be! Then 2 days ago, 2 times, I had a bowel movement that appeared to have a blood clot on the toilet paper after I wiped. Since then my poop has not been black. Yesterday I had my gastro appt. He performed an exam and said my hemoglobin count was good, 13.?, but said my stool was very dark and prescribed me librax and said all my issues are due to stress. I came home last night and had a bowel and the toilet was filled w blood; I hadn't taken a pill yet. About an 1.5hrs later I took a librax and passed out. Haven't had a bowel yet. I told my mother all of this and she thinks it's more than just stress. She also just informed me that her grandmother died of colon cancer. I'm just wondering if what I've told you can all be due to stress? I am super stressed, but wanted to make sure you thought the doctor was on the right path?

The only test he ran was the quick exam and the HG. He told me an endoscopy was not necessary. I had a colonoscopy 2 years ago and they found a polyp that they removed. My regular provided ran several blood tests to rule out several things, that was weeks prior to my gastro appt and all results came back good. The gastro asked if I was taking pepto bismol and I told him I was not and he asked if I was sure about that. After reading up on PB I see it can cause black stools, but I have never taken PB in my life. The gastro told me to come back in 6 weeks.