[fonzi]

Hi GuysToday my stool was redish brown and it turned the water around it red, there were little bits of red in it like blood but could also be food. I did eat tomatoes yesterday but I am obviously worried. Has anyone else has this? I don't really have pain except my usual bloating and stomach cramps and I have recently recovered from a bout of gastritis. Can anyone give me any advice? I am obviously worried about cancer but maybe it could be something else?Thanks in advance

 

[Kathleen M.]

http://ibdcrohns.about.com/cs/otherdiseases/a/stoolcolors.htmTomatoes can effect stool color.There are lots of reasons for blood in the GI tract (cancer is not the one and only thing, and most of the time cancer causes what is called "occult blood" that you can't see, but they can find in a lab test).My thoughts, if it is a one off it likely is food (although you can get some bleeding from an acute infection but you aren't making those sorts of complaints).If it happens on any sort of regular basis (even if infrequent but regular and tomatoes or beets don't track with it) make an appointment with the doctor to get checked out.Chronic Inflammatory bowel issues cause blood in the stools (like an acute infection can all of it is from inflammation and the damage your immune system does as a side effect of doing it's job of killing other things off, with IBDs it turns on your body directly, can cause bleeding).