Suggest Remedies For Black Stool While On Bactrim And Flomax

Posted on Fri, 23 Dec 2016

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Fri, 23 Dec 2016 Answered on

Fri, 20 Jan 2017 Last reviewed on

Question : I do not have a black stool, but when I clean up from a bowel movement, there is some black in the clean-up. should I be concerned?

Answered by Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis (39 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
no concern normally...

Detailed Answer:
Hello,

if there's digested blood in the stool (that's how red blood turns to black) then the stool is homogeneously black. If you want to be sure you can try testing the stool for blood (for hemoglobin actually).

Kind Regards!

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis (3 hours later)

there was no blood in the stool, I am taking Bactrim and Flomax for a urinary tract infection. could that be the problem?

Answered by Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis (5 hours later)

Brief Answer:
no...

Detailed Answer:
I don't believe it's the drugs. It's probably due to food particles. There is no other cause of black stool besides digested blood, iron supplements and food particles. Impaired stool color may occur with other drugs too but black is not common.

Black tarry (shiny and smelly) stool is almost always caused by blood. Black that's not shiny is not usually caused by blood. Iron supplements turn the stool into dark green but it's so dark that it looks like black (never shiny). Other food may cause various dark shades. Beetroots for example may be dark red (sometimes confused with black bloody stool).

Finally clotted blood from hemorrhoids (not a 'fresh' bleeding that is) may be dark.

I hope it helps!
Kind Regards!

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar