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What causes black diarrhea ? I'm often asked asked this question. These dark, liquid stools, that doctors call melaena, are due to blood in stool from gastrointestinal bleeding. It is never a symptom of IBS or the Irritable Bowel Syndrome. The blackness of the stool is due to the change in the type of iron that is contained within the bloody stool, as it passes from the upper to the lower gut. The stools are changed anywhere from the mouth to the large bowel, so whilst most doctors look for a cause in the stomach, it can occur further down too. You can read more on this and ask a doctor too if you have any questions.
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When you visit your doctor they will take a history and try to work out where the bleeding is likely to be coming from. You will need blood tests and an endoscopy test usually (camera test to look into the esophagus, stomach and duodenum). Other tests may include a faecal occult blood test (looking for blood in the stool), special x-rays including CT and maybe a more extensive test called an enteroscopy that looks further into the small bowel. If no cause is found then a
colonoscopy
maybe needed to determine the cause of these bloody stools.If you have any questions or concerns about this, you might like to use the free online doctor advice service or online doctor for more information.
What causes black diarrhea or melaena?
The diarrhea is normally caused because of bleeding in the upper gut. There are lots of causes for this. It can be due to bleeding in the proximal colon (1st bit of your large bowel) or from the small bowel too. Causes include:
Pseudo (i.e Bleeding not from the gut) causes:
Epistaxis (nose bleeds)
Oral bleeding if excessive
Iron rich containing foods (but have to be in large quantities!)
Swallowing blood from the lung (haemoptysis)
Esophagus (oesophagus)
Esophagitis (oesophagitis)
Esophageal (oesophageal)Varices
Esophageal (oesophageal) Ulcer
Mallory-Weiss tear (cut in the lower esophagus/oesophagus caused caused by excessive retching)
Esophageal (oesophageal)angiodysplasia
Osler-weber-Rendu syndrome
Stomach
Gastric benign ulcer
Gastric cancer
Gastric varices
Gastritis (rarely)
Gastric angiodysplasia
Dieulafoy
Duodenum
Duodenal Ulcer
Duodenal cancer
Duodenal angiodysplasia
Crohns disease
Dieulafoy <<>> Small bowel
Crohns disease
Malignancy/lymphoma
Meckel's diverticulum
Colon
Colon cancer (particularly if in the cecum or proximal colon)
Angiodysplasia
Treatment of diarrhea
<<>> Treatment of black diarrhea depends on cause. Commonly it is due to gastroesophageal reflux and ulcers so the treatment will commonly involve ulcer treatment such as PPI's (Omeprazole, Lansoprazole and many others), reflux treatment such as antacids and H2 antagonists.
There are many sites that discuss reflux diet or GERD diet, stomach diet and other reflux remedies, but these should always be discussed in conjunction with a doctor. You can leave comments in the black diarrhea forum at the bottom of this page.
Ask A Doctor Online
If you have any questions or concerns about this, you might like to just ask a doctor through the online doctor service for all your questions. To ask a doctor a question, fill in the online doctor form .
Other Web Pages Linked To Black Diarrhea That May Interest You
Indigestion, ulcers and their management
Investigation with colonoscopy
Investigation with CT scanning
Causes of bloody diarrhea
Black diarrhoea?Ask Questions And Share your experience by leaving a comment for others
Ask questions about black diarrhoea here. Have you had a problem with black diarrhoea? Do you currently have a problem with black diarrhoea stool? Are you a doctor who deals with black diarrhoea? Are you a trainee doctor learning about this? Do you have comments to make on black diarrhoea? Share it with other sufferers here, its so easy to do and may help others!
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