My cousin reckons that when he passes `stools` they are tarry-black?

Question

He read in a health manual that it could mean that a liver problem was excreting too much bile and causing that dark colour.
Is that correct?

Answer 1

I ate a pizza from one of those late night pizza shops in barnsly (called fat mammas or something) and it was that coulour the next day... maybe just a bad pizza

Answer 2

Black, tarry stools can come from ingestion of iron,
black licorice, blueberries, Pepto Bismol and other medications. There are a number of things that can
cause this: certain food, supplements, medications or
minerals.

If it is not associated with any of the above, then it is
best to consult a doctor as soon as possible, It could be
bleeding somewhere in the digestive tract....like ulcers
gastritis, esophagal varies, etc. It also could be coming from
any place in the digestive tract.

IF the stool looks black then it may be blood from the upper
digestive track as mentioned above...the more red it
looks, it is possible it is coming from the lower digestive
track...like people who have hemorroids, bowel
disease or infections, etc.

What your cousin is thinking about is bilirubin coloring of
the stools. Bilirubin is made from the heme on the
dead red blood cells by the spleen. When it is first made
it is non soluble and is carried to the liver through the
blood. The liver changes it to a soluble form, which is
when it combines with the bile and flows from the
liver to the intestines through tube like structures known
as bile ducts. However, The bile is stored in the
gallbladder, which is under the liver, and is concentrated
there. When we eat something fatty, the gallbladder will
release a certain amount to flow to the intestines to
help digest these fats. Bilirubin is a greenish yellow color
and is what give our stools the brownish coloring they
have. Without it, the stools will be whitish gray clay colored...
which is often seen in patients who bile ducts become
blocked, twisted, or mal formed. Bilirubin can become
a very dark brown....but black isn't normal for this unless blood is there.

If your friend has black stools and he knows it is not from
other things like foods, etc...he should not take aspirin or
other blood thinning medications unless the doctor
informs him to do so, as he could bleed more easily.
He should see a specialist doctor right away to determine
the cause.

I hope this information has been of some help.

Answer 3

Usually a sign of bleeding somewhere in the GI tract, farther up. Needs to be checked out by a gastroenterologist and will probably need an endoscopy, colonoscopy to check for a bleeding site or even a tumor. Nothing to speculate about or play with. Doubt that the liver would do that.

Answer 4

If it is "tarry-black" that is usually a sign of old blood somewhere in the gastrointestinal tract. Obviously, blood is not a good thing. It usually means there has been some kind of bleeding going on somewhere between the stomach and colon. He should get it checked out soon!

Answer 5

Unlikely. Black, tarry stools are an indication of bleeding higher up in the intestines which can be a symptom of cancer. He should get checked as soon as possible.

Answer 6

im not sure about the whole liver thing but black tarry stools could also mean that he has a GI bleen. its internal bleeding that has passed through the digestive system. he should see a doctor

Answer 7

I'm not sure who gave Lucky Man a thumbs down, but apart from gastrointestinal bleeding, it can also indicate bowel cancer. This was something that I recommended my father seek a doctor's opinion over when he told me about it. Unfortunately, his did turn out to be bowel cancer, but he's all clear now.

Tell your cousin to see a doctor. It always pays to be safe, rather than sorry.

Answer 8

your stools are a tell tale sign to quite few health issues, really dark stools are also a sign of just too much iron in the diet, he should definately go see a doctor though, self diagnosis can often go wrong, hope this helps hun xXx

Answer 9

could be a gastrointestinal bleed. See a doctor for some blood work and a stool test.

Answer 10

How old is he? I think he should take a sample to his doctor and get it checked out. )In a clean sealed container that he will not need again. - only a small sample by the way.)

Answer 11

It could mean internal bleeding your friend sound go to the doctor!