Scared of Black Stools

[jimlfc6]

i know this is pretty disgusting but need to talk about it.

I am 25 years old and have had health anxiety for a good while and have recently upped my tablets to 40mg of fluoxetine.

My freind who is the same age as me has recently been diagnosed with colon cancer, as i stated in another thread. since then i feel that i have been checking my bowel movements, and some of them seem quite dark, like mostly dark brown, or today really dark brown.

I went to the doctors last week to discuss this problem as it was affecting my anxiety to a point where it is constantly on my mind. I have the odd lower stomach pain with it, but this but that could be down to my anxiety too. The doctor basically said tarry black stools are very obvious, and its only a problem with weight loss, which i wouldnt say has happened.

I have been feeling like i need the toilet more because of this anxiety, like 3 or 4 times a day.

now there is part of me that thinks what if this is something serious, and most people would say, just go and get yourself some tests done, but i have always had a massive phobia of having any tests done on my body, be that, blood test, urine test or a stool test.

I couldnt even bring myself to do a routine urine test when i moved doctors, something that everybody has to do.

I really dont know what to do about this. Im scared though

[nomorepanic]

Dark brown is fine - that is a normal healthy colour.

Anxiety does wonderful things to the digestive system - have a read of the symptoms page on the left.

[jimlfc6]

i check everytime i have a movement, they go from dark brown/light black to light brown

dont know what to think

[nomorepanic]

Mine go orangey yellow as well lol.

It depends on what I eat I think.

[jimlfc6]

does this sound like my health anxiety/ocd is taking over me?

[nomorepanic]

It could be IBS as well - but you don't seem to have any more symptoms.

Anxiety does cause stomach problems however.

[Stressed32]

I check mine too and they vary in color each morning. I have even had green from vitamins. Red is what you want to worry about and black that smells of death. My friend had a bleeding ulcer and she knew because hers were black and smelled SO bad...that was she said anyway I did not smell them...LOL.
Good luck and try to see that your fear of cancer is stemming from your tramatic experience with your friend.

[jimlfc6]

okay, as far as i know mine dont smell that bad lol.

most of the time they are normal colour, but every now and again they seem dark, i don't know if its just me seeing a little bit of darker brown and thinking thats a black stool.

i mean how obvious is it if you have a problem with your stomach?

it could be the ocd making me check everytime i go to the toilet, and the pure fear of having something seriously wrong.

[girlrock]

Mine are always pretty dark. They will be dark especially if you use antacids such as Pepto-Bismol. I've had black, brown, red, green, blue...LOL I think at your age, if you had a stomach problem you would definitely know it! If you are going too much or not going at all, have blood when you wipe(which could even be hemorrhoids), have a lot of stomach pain...then you'd want to check with the doctor. No worries, I think you are in good shape :)

[Meewah]

Sounds like too much iron to me. Are you taking supplements?


Mee

[jimlfc6]

not on any supplements of iron, only medication i take is fluoxetine 40mg

[Meewah]

Hi

I am sure it is nothing to worry about but I would mention it to your doctor as Black stools can be a side effect of this drug.

Mee

[moore]

vitamin C "overdose" causes black stools also.
That said, I have every colour under the sun (except blue perhaps!), all a part of the fun of IBS..

[jimlfc6]

suppose i have been drinking alot of vimto

[xfilme]

if you have eaten red meat or green leafy veg, or taken vitamins, the iron can cause the stools to become very dark.

[LisaLisa]

Hi

Im sorry to hear about your friend. For me, when something happens like that that really grabs my attention and is something that i find particularly disturbing that invokes a strong emotional reaction in me, i find it hard to not personalise and get very frightened. When i do this, it causes me to misinterpret body functions and signs and when it is happening I am too frightned to see or even allow the idea at all that i am wrong and that i am misinterpreting things. Its only when time passes and i stop being quite as afraid of that particular ilness/ situation/ event blah blah that i seem to get more confidence that its okay and then everyday gets better - well for that particiuar thing anyway until the next thing to upset me !

I come across as being a drama queen for that reason to those that dont understand :wacko:

It seems to be thenature of generalised anxiety disorder and being a little compulsive and obsessive.

Maybe you are the same, it does sound awfully like it sweetie

Lisa
xxx:hugs:

[jimlfc6]

im definatly the same Lisa.

had a chat with someone about ocd, as i have been weighing myself about 20 times a day to make sure im not losing weight, and got some good advice. feeling quite a bit better to be honest, trying to cut of the checks, and to be fair i feel better for it.

I have also played very intense football alot this week, and have played really well, scoring a few goals :yesyes:, so got confidence in the fact that if anyhting was seriously wrong, I couldnt play football as intense as I have done this week.

Lets see how long this positive thinking lasts anyway!