Black Stools

There are a number of reasons for black stools, with
the most important one being bleeding from the
GI tract.  Blood from the upper GI tract breaks down
into a black and tarry consistency as it goes through
the digestive track.

Bismuth is another material that causes jet black stools.
Bismuth is a major ingredient in Peptobismal.

If one has had a nose bleed and swallowed a lot of blood,
it is not uncommon to have black stools in a day or two
after.

If one has had surgery or endoscopy on their stomach or
intestines, there can be associated bleeding from these
procedures resulting in black stools a day or two later.

With black stools, the physician will usually do an
occult blood test, by examining the rectal area with
the physicians finger and then taking a sample of
and testing if blood is within the sample.

If this is positive, then it is important to discover
where the blood is coming from.  If the person has
a stable hemoglobin value, the value is obtained by
a blood test, then there is no hurry to discover the
source, and the patient can be scheduled for another
visit or procedure until the source becomes clearly
defined.