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Black stool should I be worried

Hi my son has most recently been experiencing severe fatigue which theGI feels is not due to Crohns or the infliximab he is taking along with azathioprine. So he had load of blood tests done couple of weeks ago. His ferritin is low but haemoglobin is ok. He has been experiencing Crohns cramps and what he describes as other stomach cramps as well. He has been suffering constipation as well. So the GI was happy for me to give him sodium picosulphate to help him move. He described a bm on Sunday as being black I never seen it. He is 13. So he never had another bm until this evening. It was black as he called me into bathroom to see it. I mean completely black looked like coal in the toilet. He said it hurts a lot when he does go. The GI feels his Crohns is in remission and only bloods that are off are ferritin and thyroid underactive. He had open surgery in June and the bloods disguised things a lot as they couldn't believe what the found when they went in. His appendix had turned black he had an absess and a striture. He had right side hemicolectomy and appendectomy and part of terminal ileum removed. He had a narrowing of scar tissue at the resection site but the GI is happy with the MRI. I don't know what to do but I definitely was scared when I seen what was in the toilet. He isn't on any iron tablets or hasn't eaten anything that would cause this colour. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank u in advance
 
That's my fear. I'm just wondering would that not have shown in the last bloods. Or can things change that quickly with Crohns. I'm still on a learning curve with all this even though it has been a year and a half.
 
I was diagnosed in 1990 and still have questions. When were the last tests done? I wonder if you might want a second opinion?
 

Maya142

Moderator
Staff member
You need to tell his doctor ASAP about the black stool. Black stool is not something to mess around with - it does sound like bleeding, unfortunately. We were told the stool that looks like tar warrants an immediate call to the doctor.
 
Thank so everyone that's what I thought. He said it was sore to pass it and I thought it might have been because he was constipated coz fur days. I am going to ring GI and if no joy there I will take him to a&e
 
When I had black stool I was diagnosed with an Ulcer. Please take him in asap. Don't want him to start throwing up blood if it is an ulcer. I had to have many blood transfusions.
 
When I had black stool I was diagnosed with an Ulcer. Please take him in asap. Don't want him to start throwing up blood if it is an ulcer. I had to have many blood transfusions.
Oh tinytina that is awful for you. Thank u for your advice I appreciate it very much
 
When I had black stool I was diagnosed with an Ulcer. Please take him in asap. Don't want him to start throwing up blood if it is an ulcer. I had to have many blood transfusions.
What way did they treat your ulcer ? How was I'm diagnosed. L? Sorry for all the questions
 
I was taken off perdisone and put on panporaozole (think I spelled that right). They had to go down my throat and coclonscopy to diagnose it. I had about 4 bags of blood. Thats what they
told me. Don't remember much. I waited too long to go in and thats why I was so bad. Don't mean to scare you. Just when I read Black stool I began scared for your son.
Hope hell be okay. Keep us posted .;)
 
I was taken off perdisone and put on panporaozole (think I spelled that right). They had to go down my throat and coclonscopy to diagnose it. I had about 4 bags of blood. Thats what they
told me. Don't remember much. I waited too long to go in and thats why I was so bad. Don't mean to scare you. Just when I read Black stool I began scared for your son.
Hope hell be okay. Keep us posted .;)
Thank u for getting back to me. I am still waiting for out of hours and GI nurse to ring me back. I know it's the weekend so they are busy. I think I am going to take him to a&e because all my research online is suggesting upper GI bleed. He isn't in bad form just getting pains on and off. He has an amazing pain threshold though so his 4 pain level would probably be a 10 for anyone else. Did you symptoms appear suddenly or go on for days ? If you don't mind me asking
 
Hi everyone just an update. Went to a&e got blood tested. They said haemoglobin was better than last time and happy with urea level. So sent home and asked to ring GI this morning. He was up few times during the night and said felt really sick with nausea and has a few cramps that are slightly different than Crohns ones describes them as sore to move. Pain level a 4 so not too bad. So just going to see how he gets on today.
 
sorry it took me awhile to get back to you. just to let you know my systems went on for about 2 weeks befoire i was taken in. hope this helps. take care
 
sorry it took me awhile to get back to you. just to let you know my systems went on for about 2 weeks befoire i was taken in. hope this helps. take care
Thank u for getting back to me. I going to monitor himself closely. Still haven't got call back from GI nurse but I know Monday would be hectic as just back after weekend and catching up on calls. I did leave s voicemail again this morning just to let her know his form has changed slightly. So I would feel better if further investigated as it really wasn't normal.
 
Your welocome. Hope she gets back to you soon. I know what its like to play the waiting game. Its very fustrating. keep us posted.
 
Your welocome. Hope she gets back to you soon. I know what its like to play the waiting game. Its very fustrating. keep us posted.
I know this waiting game is frustrating and nerve wrecking. He had a temperature on and off last night and bad nausea. This morning has a burning stomach pain. The GI nurse rang back and said to give him more sodium picosulphate as constipation is very bad for him. She wants me to ring on Thursday morning and let her know how he is getting on. I have a bad feeling about it all so still monitoringhim closely. He is with my mum while I go to work and I have told her if pain gets any worse or any vomitting to ring me.
 
So his first black motion was last Sunday though I didn't see it. The next one wasn't until Saturday which I did see and was like coal. It has now been 3 days and no movement. I have given him the sodium picosulphate as advised to try to encourage this but still nothing.
 
just another update my son did have a bm on Tuesday night that was normal just with bright red this time. He was then complaining of ffeling very warm and had a temperature on and off for a few days. Nausea and cramps continuing as well. The GI nurse rang back to say the black could be from him not going in over a week and the red could be from straining then when he did have a movement. she said the bloods for his crohns makes them feel this is not crohns. She told me to continue with 10ml per day of sodium pico and the should take him to GP about the temperature. Last night he was up most of the night with pain at a level 8. He described it as starting at a 4 and building to the 8 and took quite some time to go away. He then described pain this morning as quick sharp pains. I had to go to work so he has slept most of the morning at my mums and now says he just feels nauseous and his stomach hurts when he moves but no pains at the moment. I really don't know what to think. I rang nurse again and left message and mentioned about the meckels diverticulum that they noticed during his surgery but did not remove. He has also scar tissue at the resection site although gi was happy with mri. I fell like I am torturing the GI Nurse but this is not normal and has to be crohns related. I don't believe his blood work truly reflects what's going on if that is possible. also I wonder is it possible that azathioprine and infliximab can mask things ?? probably a really stupid question I know but just thought I would ask.
 
You are paying them. Keep pursuing until you get answers. Let us know what happens.
Thank u I will be keeping pursuing this I need answered for him. He can't love life like this. I will keep you all updated as I know it has helped me in the past reading posts in here and like to hear how the question was finally answered for people
 
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