Weird smelling stool

[LuSmith]

Hey there.

I figured this might be the best place to ask as I'm fearing the worst.

I'm on my forth day of antibiotics (oxytetracycline) and the last couple of days I have noticed my stool smells really strange, a bit metallic?? I'm not sure I can fully place it but it definitely doesn't smell like normal stool.
The only changes I've made are I started taking a new probiotic a few days ago and the antibiotics of course.

Is this the medication or is it something like blood? Tbh although it's looser than normal (but not watery) I haven't noticed any red and there's defo no black tarriness. It does look a reddish browny colour but that could be bad lighting.

My anal area is really sore lately, not sure if it's acidic or if my hemmorhoids are flaring up.

Any ideas? What does blood in the stool look like normally and would occult blood smell like metal? I'm scared because I've not had this happen before!

 

[PsychoJane]

Hello Lu,

I don't exactly know what to tell you since I don't know that antibiotics, I mean, I never took it. I know that lots of them change my stool smell. Usually it smells more or less like antiseptic and, generally speaking, the stool smell is really not as bad as when I don't take antibios. Like, the only remaining smell is the chemical smell from the antibio kinda? I've looked a little on the internet and haven't found anything particularly conclusive related to the exact antibio you are taking but I would try asking my pharmacist about it.

For what it is of what does blood look like, well, it really depends of where it is coming from. It's usually either black clot if it comes from your upper digestive track and that it has been digest or it can be the brightest red if it comes from colon/rectum. I guess it can take some tint in between. I would not be too sure on that one though.

 

[LuSmith]

So what I could be smelling could be the chemical smell? I can say it definitely doesn't smell like stool at all.

It looks browny mostly, has a reddish tint I guess but nothing standing out. It's definitely not a bright red. It's very mushy but I have no idea how to firm up my stools and haven't had a proper one in 9-10 months.

I guess I could just ask my dr when I see him Wednesday and see how things go after I finish the antibiotics?

Saying that I've noticed some black specks in my stool but figured it could be food related.

 

[skippy111]

The antibiotics are doing their job,

all the bacteria and junk is being cleared away..

hand washing is extremely important when you are done in the bathroom to be sure you dont have any bacteria on your hands or anything like that..

yeah, it is gonna smell, your Dr should have given you a list of things to watch for with the medication...

with the hemeroids sometimes there is bleeding from the hemeroids.. but if you see any black stool, contact your DR IMMEDIATELY

 

[LuSmith]

Ah okay I'll bare this in mind and see if it goes back to normal when they are out of my system. Will probably mention it to the dr anyway as he's meant to be assessing the situation this week!

And no black stool just black specks which looked like big bits of pepper or something but that could be what I'm eating.

Thank you.

 

[skippy111]

yeah, you might want to watch what you eat to give your intestines and colon a chance to heal lol

 

[LuSmith]

Too right I just wish I knew what the right food was lol. Thanks

 

[skippy111]

well,
you want your Iron, Potassium, Calcium, Vitamin D, Protein.

Cream of wheat is good for calcium and iron
grits is good.

apple juice has lot's of potassium as do bananas and apricots,

I like to slice a banana and put it in a bowl of applesauce with blueberries,
im getting my potassium, and the blueberris are good for the heart.

yogart, jello, sherbert, water Ice, etc

multigrain cheerios,
Rice Chexx

scrambled eggs are good for protein

stay away from nuts and seeds,

I find that one serving of motts apple juice has 290mg of potassium

Fish is good

lima beans, beets, cottage cheese..

you want to check the labels in the store too.

those should help ease your stomach and maybe get your diareah under control,

take a look in the diet and nutrition section here,