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What Causes Persistent Shortness Of Breath And Black Stool?
Question: I have shortness of breath and black stool for About a week now.
Brief Answer:
Please go to urgent care clinic or ER.
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome,
Unless you have taken a medication that can color the stool black, such as Pepto Bismol, black stool, especially if it looks black and tarry, is a sign that there is bleeding in the upper digestive tract (stomach or esophagus - usually stomach). The stomach acid acts on the blood to make it appear black and tar-like.
You should go in to your doctor ASAP, and if you can't get an appointment tomorrow, please go to the urgent care or ER. There they can check your stool for blood using a Hemacult test, and get a CBC.
Shortness of breath can be due to many things. If you have been having bleeding, it may be due to anemia. In the urgent care or ER, they can check your heart for arrhythmias by listening, and with an EKG. And can get a chest Xray to make sure there is no lung involvement.
If you take any non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen, you should stop this now. You can replace it with Tylenol.
I invite you to let me know how you are doing after you've been evaluated as described above.
I hope this information helps.
Please go to urgent care clinic or ER.
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome,
Unless you have taken a medication that can color the stool black, such as Pepto Bismol, black stool, especially if it looks black and tarry, is a sign that there is bleeding in the upper digestive tract (stomach or esophagus - usually stomach). The stomach acid acts on the blood to make it appear black and tar-like.
You should go in to your doctor ASAP, and if you can't get an appointment tomorrow, please go to the urgent care or ER. There they can check your stool for blood using a Hemacult test, and get a CBC.
Shortness of breath can be due to many things. If you have been having bleeding, it may be due to anemia. In the urgent care or ER, they can check your heart for arrhythmias by listening, and with an EKG. And can get a chest Xray to make sure there is no lung involvement.
If you take any non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen, you should stop this now. You can replace it with Tylenol.
I invite you to let me know how you are doing after you've been evaluated as described above.
I hope this information helps.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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