[CatUK]

I have been in pain for months everyday with my stomach which I've put down to IBS. I don't usually look at my poop as I'm squeamish like that. But I've just been this morning (I keep getting gripes after breakfast most days and have to go to the loo). Just what I saw scared me though because my poop was black and also quite a lot of mucus came out with it (nothing new as I always have mucus). I'm just scared that the poo was black because I've felt of colour for months now with nausea (quite severe), fatigue, bowel pains and actual stomach pains, lower back pains etc. Now worried something is very very wrong. I do have IBS and I do drink apple and blackcurrent cordial everyday but never noticed my poop so dark before. Last night was a bad night for the nausea as well and I was up till gone midnight feeling sick, only went to sleep after taking an anti nausea tablet.I have the Dr's on the 16th Feb but I'm going for the nausea and stomach pains because I'm thinking I may have H Pylori and want testing. Don't have time for anything else as appointment times are 10 mins and then you are told to make another (waited 3 weeks for this one).

 

[Kathleen M.]

Dark/black doesn't always mean upper GI bleeding (did it look tarry, or normal stool consistency, and sometimes when stools are a bit on the constipated side they will be darker than usual and often take more mucus to keep moving).http://ibdcrohns.about.com/cs/otherdisease...stoolcolors.htm has a bunch of causes of all the stool colors.I would tell the doctor about this, but don't panic until they get a chance to check it out.

 

[CatUK]

Thanks Kathleen, I'm just a natural worrier so saw this and worried.The stool was normal but came out very easy as if mucus was coating it. I'm not constipated at the moment. I do drink blackcurrent concentrate diluted daily so maybe that could have effected it. All else I ate yesterday was 2 slices of toast for breakfast with raspberry jam, weight watchers chill for dinner and a jacket potato for tea so don't think it's anything I've eaten.I had full blood tests about 6 months ago and all came back normal apart from a raised ESR level which could be a sign of inflammation somewhere but never looked into any further.I'm worried it is H Pylori because dark stools can be a sign if it's causing a mild ulcer. I was already looking into H Pylori for a while and that is why I am going to the Dr. I seem to have all the symptoms, stomach pain, nausea (sometimes feel like I will be sick), acid reflux, stomach pain like a red raw pain etc.Just worreied incase she recommends an endoscopy because I won't have one of those at all beause of my fear of vomiting. I'd rather die than have one

 

[Kathleen M.]

Well they could do a barium swallow test with an X-ray, but I don't know if you will do that either.I've had and endoscopy and it really isn't bad. But they do put people under where I am to do it.

 

[CatUK]

I know for H Pylori they do a blood test, breath test or stool test.I know I can't have an endoscopy because here in the UK they don't put you under, just either spray something on the back of your throat to numb it or sometimes a mild sedation. I saw one on tv a couple of years ago and it terrified the life out of me. The man was gagging the whole time and it sounded horrendous, just can't do it because of my emetophobia.I'm not on any supplements apart from B Complex which I started taking about 10 days ago and they don't have any iron added to them (just choline, inositol and paba). The B vitamins are b1, b2. b3. b6. b12 and folic acid.

 

[CatUK]

Just thought, I took a couple of charcoal capsules yesterday as the gas pains were bad, could that have coloured my stools black?

 

[Kathleen M.]

black stools are a listed side effect of charcoal tabletshttp://www.gicare.com/Medications/Medicati...CID=3&ID=32

 

[Guest]

I don't know anything about British healthcare, but are all doctors required to do things the same way? In the US, I know that some GI's use mild sedation and some use IV sedation and others put you completely under- it's just a matter of finding the right doc for you. I had an endoscope for the first time a couple of weeks ago and I don't remember anything after they sprayed my throat until I was waking up in recovery. I had IV sedation with Fentanyl and Versed. That's the same thing my dad uses for plastic surgery in his office and I've observed those. The patient appears to be feeling pain and may even cry out or struggle (mainly during liposuction), but they are really under and have no memory of the procedure. It may have been the same way with the procedure you saw a video of. From what i understand a scope is really the definitive test for H. Pylori. and ulcers. I started with an Upper GI barium swallow but my dr told me that it really only shows major ulcers not minor ulcers or gastritis. Fortunately my scope came back negative for H. Pylori although he did diagnose gastritis and said I produce a lot of acid. Of course after that was treated some symptoms remained so after a negative CT scan, he called it IBS and sent me home with some new probiotics. Your symptoms sound a lot like what I was experiencing. The OTC acid blockers didn't do much but the prescription proton-pump inhibitor seems to have eliminated the indigestion and acid reflux (you can also raise the head of your bed with about 6" blocks of wood- it really helped the reflux while I waited for the meds to kick in.)Anyway- if possible try to find a GI who uses a more substantial sedation especially in cases where there is a solid reason for the increased sedation, like your phobia.

 

[riddick]

I'm afraid the NHS is completely money driven. There is no way they will anaesthetise a person completely for upper endoscopy unless there are very, very good reasons to do so.Normally they will anaesthetise children and people with learning disabilities.As for anxiety reasons you will have to really fight for it.When i had upper endoscopy they refused to knock me out for it so i went to a private GI consultant.He was excellent and arranged for me to have it done with a general anaesthetic on the NHS but he really had a battle getting it for me because of my anxiety.After all that it came back completely normal! But there was no way i could have it done with numbing spray or mild sedation (they tried and i just could not tolerate it for even a few seconds.Anxiety is a terrible thing and very belittled by many doctors which is such a shame as it severely impacts on peoples lives.....they should be more understanding really.

 

[CatUK]

Thanks for the replies. My Dr did mention an endoscopy to me over a year ago but I told her noway because of my phobia and anxiety. I just cannot have it done unless I could be put under with a mild anaesthetic and they don't do that over here and I can't afford to go private. At least with H Pylori over here they do diagnose it with a breath test, the endoscopy is just to see if there are any ulcers but they will treat the H Pylori without that.Riddick, I remember reading about your horrible experience with the endoscopy. Some Dr's just don't realise people have real fear do they? And they are supposed to be caring people.