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What Causes Dark And Loose Stool?
Question: What could be the cause of a very dark runny stool?
Brief Answer:
Dark runny stool could be due to variety of causes.
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Welcome to health care magic,
Runny stool could be because of gut infection and dark stool can come due to variety of causes.
Certain foods like chocolate fried oily foods or beet and some other medications can also turn stool dark or black, including iron, bismuth (Pepto Bismol, loperamide). You may check yourself of taking any of above food or medications.
If black colored stool persists longer, it might be indicative of bleeding in upper gastrointestinal tract (like in peptic ulcer,gastritis,esophageal varices etc).
So, dark loose stools can be a worrisome symptom because it may be due to bleeding into the gastrointestinal tract, most often the esophagus, stomach or duodenum.
It requires some urgent medical attention and it should be ruled out if it persists longer.
So,there is need to evaluate it further by doing routine blood works and stool examination.
For that, I will suggest you to see gastroenterologist for further evaluation by taking complete medical history,clinical examination and appropriate gets.
Hope this will help you.
Regards,
Dr.Sandip Kabra
Dark runny stool could be due to variety of causes.
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Welcome to health care magic,
Runny stool could be because of gut infection and dark stool can come due to variety of causes.
Certain foods like chocolate fried oily foods or beet and some other medications can also turn stool dark or black, including iron, bismuth (Pepto Bismol, loperamide). You may check yourself of taking any of above food or medications.
If black colored stool persists longer, it might be indicative of bleeding in upper gastrointestinal tract (like in peptic ulcer,gastritis,esophageal varices etc).
So, dark loose stools can be a worrisome symptom because it may be due to bleeding into the gastrointestinal tract, most often the esophagus, stomach or duodenum.
It requires some urgent medical attention and it should be ruled out if it persists longer.
So,there is need to evaluate it further by doing routine blood works and stool examination.
For that, I will suggest you to see gastroenterologist for further evaluation by taking complete medical history,clinical examination and appropriate gets.
Hope this will help you.
Regards,
Dr.Sandip Kabra
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Priyanka G Raj
Answered by
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