Black diarrhea, why is diarrhea dark in color in an adult?

The color of stool directly depends on the state of the digestive system. The presence of inflammatory processes in the intestines, an increased or insufficient amount of enzymes and bile secreted to break down the food eaten, an imbalanced microflora balance, refined food change the usual color of stool into an atypical consistency and shade. Black diarrhea is a reason to be wary and visit a doctor.

What are the dangers of diarrhea?

After drinking alcohol, diarrhea can begin almost immediately or appear in the morning, aggravating an already severe hangover.

The main danger of this condition is gradual and steady dehydration of the body. Not only liquid comes out with stool, but also various nutrients, beneficial compounds, and vitamins. Thus, dehydration is accompanied by exhaustion.

If diarrhea lasts for several days, then the lack of fluid and nutrients becomes more and more noticeable, more and more global disruptions in the functioning of internal organs begin, which means the performance of the body as a whole is disrupted.

What treatment is prescribed

You can self-medicate only if black diarrhea lasts no more than two days and is not accompanied by certain clinical signs.

The choice of therapeutic tactics depends on the cause that provoked such a pathological condition.

Medication

Among the most effective medicines, experts identify the following:

Polysorb is a drug that is used to diagnose hepatitis, intestinal infection or poisoning; it cannot be used when the disease is accompanied by internal bleeding;
Regidron helps restore the balance of fluid and salt;
Enterol (it contains bifidobacteria that regulate intestinal function);
Smecta eliminates symptoms associated with intoxication and loose stools.

In the case when black feces are observed for more than 2 days, the patient submits feces for examination. Only after a final diagnosis does the doctor prescribe medication.

These may be the following groups of drugs:

antimicrobial - Intetrix, Stopdiar;
for infectious processes - sulfonamides (Fthalazol);
enterosorbents (activated carbon);
antibiotics - Tetracycline or Levomycetin;
antispasmodics (No-Shpa, Papaverine), if diarrhea is accompanied by bloating and abdominal pain;
antiviral (Regidron).

If the cause of black stool is gastrointestinal pathology, complex treatment is prescribed.

Traditional medicine recipes

Non-traditional methods can only be used as a complement to primary therapy.

There are many recipes that will help get rid of the disease and speed up the process of restoring the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract:

Oak bark. It is used when diarrhea does not stop for a long time. To prepare a decoction, you need to mix a pinch of bark with 300 ml of water, bring to a boil and cook for another 10 minutes. Use the resulting medicine 1 tbsp. morning, afternoon and evening.
Black peppercorns. An adult can take about 13 pieces per day. Children are given 5-6 peas. If the intestinal upset is severe, eat pepper before bed and drink plenty of water.
Potato starch. 1 tbsp. The product must be mixed with water and drunk in one gulp. But this remedy does not help everyone.
Bird cherry. The fruits and bark of the plant are taken in equal proportions. 1 tbsp. Pour the resulting mixture with boiled water in an amount of 200 ml and cook in a water bath for about 20 minutes. Drink 1⁄2 glasses in the morning and evening.
Rowan juice. Only natural products are allowed to be used. Take 50 g 2 times a day. After drinking the juice, do not eat for 30 minutes.

Nutrition correction and diet

If a person is diagnosed with black water diarrhea, then to achieve a positive result more quickly, you need to follow a special diet.

Fatty, spicy, fried and salty foods, spices, canned foods, pickles and marinades are excluded from the diet.

The menu should include healthy foods rich in nutrients and vitamins. Lean meat and rice are allowed. To prevent dehydration, you need to drink plenty of fluids (about 2 liters of clean water per day).

When should you see a doctor?

Sometimes diarrhea is just a symptom of a much more serious illness. It is necessary to urgently seek medical help in cases where, in addition to loose stools after alcohol, one or more of the following signs are present:

heat;
severe nausea, vomiting;
there is blood, bile or black inclusions in the vomit and/or feces;
clouding of consciousness, hallucinations;
the skin acquired a yellowish tint.

Diarrhea lasting more than 3 days may also indicate the presence of internal pathology. It must be remembered that in these cases, delay or self-administration of medications can lead to a deterioration in the general condition.

Complications caused by black diarrhea

Without proper attention to your body, you can “earn” a lot of unpleasant consequences:

Very often, black diarrhea is caused by peptic ulcers. Its complication may be inflammation of the peritoneum. This cannot be done without surgical intervention.
The most terrible complication in which internal bleeding occurs is stomach cancer, which in most cases occurs in adult patients. Such tumor formations found in the stomach cannot be cured with conventional medications. Chemotherapy or surgery may help.

The cause of bleeding may be stomach polyps. They require immediate removal through surgery. There is simply no other way of treatment. The resulting polyps can cause a malignant tumor.

Patients who have had stomach polyps removed must regularly visit a gastroenterologist. They must follow a special diet.

It is forbidden to eat fatty and spicy foods; it is necessary to exclude everything sour from the diet. In addition, you will need to forget about alcohol and quit smoking.

However, such rules apply to everyone who has gastrointestinal pathologies.

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Causes of diarrhea after alcohol

In the process of drinking alcohol, toxic substances enter all systems and organs, disrupting their normal functioning. The liver and organs of the gastrointestinal tract are primarily affected. Diarrhea (as well as nausea) from a hangover is due to the fact that the body strives to get rid of toxins as quickly as possible.

The main causes of diarrhea after alcohol include the following:

Intoxication of the body. Due to the large number of substances that have antiseptic properties, alcohol destroys a significant part of not only harmful, but also beneficial microflora of the gastrointestinal tract. The digestion process slows down, and food in the intestines begins to ferment. This releases a large number of toxic compounds. As a result, diarrhea occurs, which helps to neutralize and remove harmful substances.
Increased fluid content in stool. Part of the liquid entering the body is absorbed by the intestine itself. Ethanol negatively affects the condition of the walls of the stomach and intestines and inhibits the absorption process. The liquid remains in the stool and is excreted from the body along with it.
Metabolic disease. With regular consumption of alcoholic beverages, ethanol is gradually included in metabolic processes. Alcoholics have toxins in their bodies almost constantly. The work of all organs is disrupted, in particular the digestive organs cease to function fully. Food is not digested properly, resulting in loose stools.
Burns to the mucous membranes of the stomach and digestive tract provoke digestive disorders.

Exacerbation of existing diseases is the most dangerous cause of stomach upset after drinking alcohol. Among the pathologies that cause this condition:

gastritis;
peptic ulcer;
enterocolitis;
pancreatitis.

Black diarrhea is especially dangerous. It indicates the presence of internal bleeding, which requires immediate medical attention.

Diagnostic measures

If you experience diarrhea with black mucus, you should immediately consult a doctor. He will listen carefully to the symptoms, study the outpatient card and prescribe an examination.

To clarify the cause of the pathology, the following procedures are prescribed:

FGDS;
colonoscopy;
blood analysis;
stool analysis.

What do these medical studies provide?

FGDS

FGDS is esophagogastroduodenoscopy. A procedure in which a person swallows a thin tube with a miniature video camera attached to the end. The research method allows you to see exactly what caused the internal bleeding.

Using FGDS, you can examine the condition of the stomach, esophagus and duodenum. Although the procedure is unpleasant, it gives the doctor complete information about the state of the gastrointestinal tract.

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Colonoscopy

This is a procedure in which a probe is inserted through the anus and makes it possible to examine the lower gastrointestinal tract.

Conducting laboratory tests

Laboratory analysis allows the doctor to see whether there are intestinal infections in the body and at what level of hemoglobin. These data allow you to get a complete picture of the state of the body and not make mistakes when making a diagnosis.

How do different types of alcohol affect the stomach and gastrointestinal tract?

Any alcoholic drinks have a negative effect on the gastrointestinal tract. Once in the stomach, alcohol provokes excessive acid secretion, which in turn causes irritation, damaging the walls of the stomach and then the intestines. As a result, the organs gradually atrophy, the process of digestion, as well as the absorption of liquids and nutrients, is disrupted. In addition, ethanol has a detrimental effect on the intestinal microflora.

The effect of the drink depends on its strength, degree of carbonation, and concentration of chemical additives.

Stop drinking alcohol immediately.
Empty the stomach by inducing vomiting.
Take a sorbent (activated carbon, Polysorb, Enterosgel, Smecta).
Maintain the balance of water and salts, for example, with Regidron.
To restore microflora, you can take prebiotics and probiotics (Linex, Hilak Forte).
Imodium or Lomeramide can help reduce the number of bowel movements.

Causes and help for dark brown loose stools

When inflammatory processes are observed in the intestines (for example, colitis), the stool becomes much more intense, as if dark in color, and diarrhea is possible. There is no longer any need to talk about normal digestion. Colitis often occurs not alone, but occurs with the presence of intestinal ulcers, possibly not only with loose stools, but also, conversely, with constipation. As a result, the mechanism of normal movement of feces is disrupted, and food begins to settle in the intestines for a long time. In such cases, the color of the diarrhea also becomes dark brown. However, a different picture may also be observed, in which case the color of the stool becomes lighter. The reason is usually that there is no high-quality digestion process, after which the feces do not contain the necessary composition of bile enzymes. For vegetarians, light brown stool is considered normal, given their eating style.

Active therapeutic intervention is required when detecting not only dark brown stool, but also intestinal diseases. Of course, to clarify the diagnosis, they rely not only on clinical symptoms, but also on data from a scatological examination of stool. In the case of intestinal inflammatory processes, a sequence of anti-inflammatory therapy is carried out (ideally within the walls of a specialized department). Herbal and dietary therapy also provides visible improvements. It is important to note that diet and eating habits clearly affect the ongoing processes of the gastrointestinal tract. During an exacerbation, it is better to avoid any provoking food (excessively fatty, spicy, salty and smoked foods). After suffering from an intestinal disease (for example, diarrhea), it is necessary to carry out both antibacterial therapy and restoration of the disturbed intestinal microflora after this.

Treatment of black diarrhea in adults

Not all stools may be black, but only black spots in it. Sometimes these can be banal particles of food that for one reason or another could not be digested, for example, this is what seeds or scraps of the peel of berries and fruits can look like. Often, ordinary bananas can be to blame. In case of such detections, experts advise listening to your well-being. If foods and medications are to blame for the black spots, the person usually does not complain of pain. If he begins to be overcome by accompanying symptoms, it is necessary to look for an answer to the question of why this is happening, since the cause may be serious diseases of the stomach or duodenum. Such symptoms include, in particular, heartburn and bloating, pain, vomiting, fever, anemia, coupled with constipation or diarrhea. Of course, in such a case only a doctor can help.

We recommend reading: Malignancy of stomach ulcers: causes, symptoms and treatment

When loose stools are completely black, you need to pull yourself together and analyze your diet in recent days: perhaps some of the foods or medications made it look like this. In such a case, it is advised to monitor the color and consistency of the stool for several days: most likely, the condition will normalize if such coloring substances are excluded from the menu. In addition, in this case the person feels cheerful and energetic, then there is no reason to worry.

If, during diarrhea, the stool suddenly begins to turn black, and additional symptoms are observed in the form of massive vomiting, an increase in body temperature, this is a reason to immediately seek qualified help to get an answer to the question of why this could happen. This is associated with quite serious diseases that can be hidden behind seemingly ordinary diarrhea. These may include diseases such as intestinal cancer, cirrhosis of the liver, chronic hepatitis, peptic ulcer and others. So, the more significant volume of blood flows into the lumen of the stomach, the more liquid the black stool will become.

Thus, normally formed black feces, as a single manifestation, do not pose a danger. If the situation is aggravated by incipient diarrhea, when loose stools darken or turn black, and more serious accompanying symptoms appear, you must urgently contact a medical facility for help (it is better to immediately call an ambulance). Such symptoms include weakness, apathy, fainting, dizziness, confusion, and a sharp decrease in blood pressure. The more pronounced these and other clinical manifestations are, the greater the volume of blood loss that has occurred and the longer the diseased state of the body. Independent steps can only be replenishing the water-salt balance (drinking plenty of fluids) and a specific diet, which, as a rule, are the first actions for diarrhea of any color in principle.

Possible reasons

With normal functionality of the gastrointestinal tract, stool has a dense consistency and a brown tint. Under the influence of internal or external factors, changes may occur leading to diarrhea and discoloration of stool.

Causes of liquid black stool in adults. The most common of them are shown in the table.

Causes	Peculiarities
Wrong diet	Eating unhealthy foods can lead to diarrhea, and eating prunes, black currants, tomato juice, beets or blueberries changes the color of stool to dark.
Alcohol	Drinking alcoholic beverages (especially low-quality ones) leads to the production of a large amount of toxins, some of which are excreted along with feces, changing their color.
Medications	A number of medications contain substances that color stool (for example, preparations containing iron and bismuth).
Gastrointestinal pathologies	Black stool can be a symptom of an ulcer, cancer, gastritis, dilation of venous vessels, and the formation of polyps.

Attention!!! Dark stool in 30% of cases is a sign of bleeding in the stomach or intestines.

In order for treatment to give positive results, it is necessary to identify why the diarrhea is black.

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The video explains the possible causes of black diarrhea:

How to get rid of diarrhea caused by drinking alcohol?

Stomach upset is a common unpleasant consequence that occurs against the background of heavy drinking. Therefore, you need to have an idea of how to treat diarrhea after alcohol.

Before choosing a method to eliminate a gastric disorder, it is necessary to correctly assess the person’s condition. If the body is healthy and diarrhea was caused by a large dose of alcohol, the following steps must be taken:

immediately stop drinking alcoholic beverages;
try to empty the stomach by artificially inducing vomiting. To do this, you need to immediately drink cool water (3 glasses) and press on the root of the tongue with two fingers or a spoon. This technique is suitable if the alcohol was drunk about 3 hours ago;
take a medication with adsorbent action. This can be activated carbon, Smecta, Polysorb;
Since diarrhea dehydrates body tissues, water losses need to be restored. You can take Regidron. You also need to drink a lot. Herbal decoctions of chamomile, St. John's wort, green tea and plain water are suitable.

In the menu, in the process of troubleshooting the problem, there should be:

porridge made from rice, buckwheat or semolina;
you can eat lean meat. This is rabbit, chicken, turkey;
You can't eat fresh bread. You can use slightly stale bread, or replace it with unsweetened cookies in the form of biscuits;
Jelly made from fruit or starch helps calm the stomach.

It is advisable that all cooked food be ground, without solid particles.

Important: on the first day of a gastric upset, it is recommended to fast, waiting 12 hours before eating.

Intestinal infection

Another cause of black loose stool is an infectious intestinal disease (dysentery, salmonellosis and others). Most often, the appearance of blood indicates damage to the organ by bacteria. What other symptoms are present in this case:

increased body temperature;
nausea, vomiting;
cramps and abdominal pain;
foul odor of stool;
frequent bowel movements up to 20 times a day;
mucus, greens, pieces of undigested food in the stool;
black-green diarrhea.

If we talk about treatment, it is based on taking antibacterial drugs (Enterofuril and its analogues), as well as removing toxins from the body using sorbents (Polysorb, activated carbon, Smecta). However, with such symptoms you should not self-medicate. Some intestinal infections are quite dangerous and can be fatal.

Important! If you have diarrhea with black stool, it is strictly forbidden to take aspirin, analgin, antidiarrheal drugs “Imodium”, “Loperamide” and antibiotics without a doctor’s prescription.

So, the causes of black diarrhea in an adult can be very different. The most harmless is the excessive consumption of beets, blueberries, prunes or other coloring products. What is noteworthy is that the general well-being in this case does not deteriorate, and the stool returns to normal on its own if you follow a diet. But if there are complaints of pain, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, etc., we are talking about more serious reasons. In this case, you should definitely consult a doctor. Do not be ill!

Features of diarrhea after drinking alcohol

If you experience a one-time stomach upset caused by alcohol-containing products, do not panic. If the body has coped with the problem on its own, then there is no reason to go to the doctor. When every drinking alcohol ends in diarrhea, you need to pay attention to the following features:

the amount of liquid feces, their color;
duration of diarrhea;
Are there any additional sensations besides diarrhea: pain, nausea, vomiting, fever;
the presence of any pathologies, especially chronic ones.

It is important to pay attention to the color of liquid stool:

So, if there is diarrhea after alcohol with blood, this may indicate the presence or development of hemorrhoids, fissures or fistula in the anus. The cause of blood in diarrhea may be capillaries destroyed due to frequent alcohol consumption. Diarrhea may be accompanied not only by bloody discharge, but also by vomiting;
Black diarrhea in an adult after drinking alcohol is dangerous. This is how the body can signal internal bleeding. If you have such symptoms, you should seek medical help as soon as possible. The black color of liquid feces in combination with an intolerable odor may indicate the beginning of liver destruction and a change in blood composition;
diarrhea with bile after alcohol is considered one of the first signs of pathology of the liver or pancreas. Without medical help, you will not be able to solve the problem on your own. On the other hand, if diarrhea with bile has a yellowish tint, then in this way the body is trying to independently and quickly get rid of toxic substances;
green diarrhea after alcohol is a symptom of severe intoxication. This reaction indicates the accumulation of leukocytes in the intestines and viral tissue damage.

In mild forms of intoxication, diarrhea usually has a clear consistency and is disturbing immediately after waking up.

Feasts with alcohol do not always bring positive emotions. If you drink too much, hangover symptoms appear within a few hours. And one of the most unpleasant is loose stools. Let's figure out why diarrhea occurs after alcohol and how to eliminate the problem.

Physiological causes of black stool

A change in the color of stool indicates problems with the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.

Feces, as you know, have shades of brown, which is associated with bile, which, after passing through the intestines, acquires this color. A change in the color and consistency of stool indicates a disturbance in the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.

The color of stool is directly affected by diet. It can darken when consuming coloring foods, such as boiled beets, prunes, blueberries, black currants, and blood sausage.

However, such food, as a rule, does not affect the consistency, so diarrhea should not occur. Some foods, such as prunes, lead to diarrhea if consumed in excess.

You can talk about diarrhea if you have frequent and watery stools. If diarrhea does not stop, it can lead to dehydration, so it is important to find and treat the cause of this condition.

Black diarrhea in an adult may occur after taking activated charcoal. The charcoal itself should not lead to diarrhea, but if diarrhea has already occurred and the patient decides to take activated charcoal to eliminate toxins, the diarrhea will turn black.

Activated carbon has the property of not being absorbed in the intestines, but of absorbing various harmful substances and being excreted from the body in feces, as a result of which it turns black.

Black stools that occur for physiological reasons are usually safe for the body. It does not require any treatment; it is enough to change the diet or stop taking a certain drug, and the stool will return to normal.

However, even some physiological reasons can be dangerous. For example, taking aspirin can not only lead to black stool, but also disrupt the functioning of blood vessels, which is dangerous due to internal bleeding.

Read: Diarrhea during pregnancy, is it dangerous?

Physiological black stools are always temporary and pass quickly. If black diarrhea is chronic and lasts more than one day or appears regularly, you should consult a doctor and undergo a thorough examination.

In any case, diarrhea is a pathological condition that indicates a disruption of the gastrointestinal tract. It can only coincide with a change in color. For example, diarrhea occurs chronically, but the color changes when taking certain medications, vitamins, and foods.

Ignoring the occurrence of regular diarrhea, especially black diarrhea, is dangerous.

Is it possible to drink alcohol if you have diarrhea?

If we talk about the compatibility of diarrhea and alcohol, then both concepts are closely related. Diarrhea is caused by irritation of the gastric mucosa, which can be caused by drinking alcoholic beverages. With existing gastric pathologies, alcohol only aggravates the course of pathologies.

From all of the above, we can conclude whether it is possible to drink alcohol with diarrhea. The answer, of course, is negative. Even in a healthy person, a single dose of alcohol can cause stomach upset. If each dose of alcohol taken ends in diarrhea, then only those who do not care about their own health can continue to drink alcohol-containing drinks.

Diarrhea can be caused not only by alcohol. The cause of constant gastric upset is various internal pathologies. And if you do not pay attention to such signals from the body, then coping with an old problem will not be so easy.

In any case, all alcohol-containing products are perceived by the body as poison. There is a misconception that you can drink alcohol when you have diarrhea to stop stomach upset. Such behavior can only give the opposite result. Ethanol can destroy beneficial intestinal bacteria, causing an imbalance in the digestive system, accompanied by the following symptoms:

pain during defecation;
secretions of various contents that come out along with feces.

You should not treat diarrhea with alcohol, but seek medical help in time.

With timely medical assistance, the problem can be eliminated without consequences.

Self-diagnosis and accompanying symptoms

When black diarrhea occurs, you should not always sound the alarm. We need to think about what could cause black diarrhea. Often such an unpleasant phenomenon is accompanied by other symptoms, the presence of which should cause concern in an adult. Among these signs are:

heat;
chills;
bloody discharge in feces;
nausea, vomiting;
pain in the abdomen;
weakness;
confusion
mucous streaks in stool.

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The temperature can reach 37.5 °C or higher. If vomiting occurs, the consistency of which is similar to coffee grounds, you must urgently call an ambulance. The same should be done if there is blood or mucus in the feces.

There are some signs of internal bleeding, which should not be delayed in calling a medical team, these include:

General weakness, excessive drowsiness. A person's vision may become dark.
Dizziness, cold sweat, loss of coordination and even consciousness.
Dry mouth. The patient is thirsty, and the desire to urinate disappears.
Shortness of breath and vomiting with blood. Hands, feet and face may turn blue.

If you have these symptoms, you should not move or speak until medical professionals arrive. The patient must be laid down, the window opened and freed from clothing squeezing the chest.

Problems in the body that cause black diarrhea

If an adult has permanent black diarrhea, then it is necessary to visit a doctor for diagnosis. The patient must tell doctors about the accompanying symptoms and undergo the necessary tests and tests. Only after making a diagnosis will the doctor be able to prescribe therapy.

The causes of black diarrhea can be different. The most common causes of black diarrhea include:

internal bleeding;
histoplasmosis (Darling pathology) is an infectious disease caused by fungi;
the presence of neoplasms in the duodenum or stomach;
hepatitis;
polyps in the stomach, intestines;
bleeding from the vessels of the esophagus;
gastritis;
Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract;
esophagitis.

People with a peptic ulcer should pay great attention to all changes in stool, especially if it turns black. This condition can occur due to erosion of the walls of the vessels of the stomach and duodenum.

The causes of black diarrhea in adults are not always the result of diseases. This condition is possible in the following cases:

consumption of beets or other products that cause stool to turn black;
strict diet;
alcohol abuse;
taking vitamins.

Taking certain medications, for example, activated carbon, De-Nol, Actiferrin, causes this symptom.

What diseases does it indicate?

Dark diarrhea in an adult causes heavy bleeding in the digestive organs. Bleeding consequence:

varicose veins of the gastric veins,
erosive gastritis,
aneurysms in the small intestine,
peptic ulcer of the duodenum, stomach,
oncological diseases of the gastrointestinal tract,
benign diseases of the digestive system (polyps in the stomach, esophagus).

Bleeding in the lower intestines does not turn the stool dark. Before blood leaves the body through the rectum, it does not have time to enter into a chemical reaction with enzymes and bile, which changes the color of feces to a dark color. In feces that have a normal brown tint, there are clots of scarlet blood and blood streaks, indicating anal fissures, hemorrhoids, and other violations of the integrity of the rectum. Red blood in the stool appears due to chronic constipation, when a bolus of food hardens in the lower intestines, stretches, and damages the walls.

Traditional methods of treatment

Folk medicine for black diarrhea has been used since ancient times. They are used as an addition to the main therapy and help speed up the process of restoration of the gastrointestinal tract at home. Various herbs, decoctions, teas and tinctures help eliminate signs of black diarrhea and restore the balance of salt and water. Among these means, the most popular are:

Oak bark. It is used for prolonged diarrhea. To prepare the decoction you will need 300 ml of water and a pinch of crushed bark. The ingredients are mixed and put on fire. After boiling, the mixture remains on the gas for about ten minutes. The container is not covered with a lid. It is necessary for approximately 100 ml of liquid to evaporate. You should take this decoction three times a day, one spoon.
Bird cherry. Both the bark and berries of the plant are used in equal proportions. A spoonful of these mixed ingredients is poured with a glass of boiling water. The liquid is boiled in a water bath for 20 minutes. You should drink half a glass twice a day.
Potato starch. A spoonful of this ingredient is mixed in a glass of unboiled water and drunk in one gulp. This recipe doesn't work for everyone. Reviews about its use are completely different: for some it became much easier, for others the product did not help at all. If after the first use there is no effect, then you should not take this home remedy anymore.
Pomegranate peels. Two tablespoons of dried and crushed peels are poured into a glass of boiling water, boiled for half an hour and filtered. You only need to drink liquid, do this before meals, 300 ml.
Sage. 50 grams of dry leaves of the plant are poured with 0.5 liters of boiling water. Let the product infuse for an hour, strain, and then add 500 grams of red wine (preferably dry). Every two hours you should drink 150 ml of this product.
Rowan juice. This remedy only helps if you use natural juice. You need to drink one glass (50 grams) twice a day. After drinking juice, you should not eat for half an hour.
Walnut partitions. They are taken in the amount of one spoon and poured with boiling water (0.5 l). The product is infused for 20 minutes, then filtered. You should drink this liquid in the morning in an amount of 150 ml.

In order to combat dehydration caused by prolonged black diarrhea, it is recommended to make the following solution: mix 2 grams of baking soda, 10 grams of salt and twice as much sugar in one liter of boiled water. This drink is drunk every half hour, a quarter of a glass.

Black diarrhea: what are the causes, treatment methods

The consistency and color of human stool can change under the influence of a number of factors.

Black diarrhea does not always indicate the development of pathology; sometimes darkening of feces is associated with the introduction of certain foods or medications.

The patient should be alerted to the occurrence of vomiting, dizziness, high fever, and pain in the abdominal area against the background of dark diarrhea. This often indicates internal bleeding or progression of existing gastrointestinal diseases.

What can black stool mean?

Normally, human stool is brown with a dense consistency; it is represented by formed feces. Black diarrhea in an adult or child can occur for physiological or pathological reasons. The first group includes:

Errors in nutrition.
Taking medications.
Alcohol consumption.

In newborns, black diarrhea is considered normal, but only during the first 10–14 days. When the meconium has completely left the body, the stool should become yellowish in color. This condition accompanies the introduction of iron-containing foods to the child’s menu.

Pathological factors are most often associated with internal bleeding, formations in the gastrointestinal tract or chronic ailments in this area.

Errors in nutrition

When the causes of black diarrhea in an adult lie in poor diet, then apart from this symptom there are no other signs of the disease. The person feels as usual, the number of daily bowel movements does not exceed 5 times.

The change in color is explained by the presence of artificial or natural dyes in some dishes, which, after contact with gastric juice and enzyme structures, acquire a different shade from the original one.

The following can cause darkening of the stool:

Bloodwort.
Tomato juice.
Beet.
Black currant.
Caffeine.
Offal.
Prunes.
Blueberry.

Slight dark spots in feces are often seeds of plant products or food particles. Loose stools of a dark or black color can form after a sudden change in the usual diet.

Alcohol consumption

Low-quality alcohol-containing drinks provoke the production of toxins. The body becomes poisoned by alcohol and dark-colored diarrhea occurs as a protective reaction to this condition.

Side effects of drugs

Iron supplements cause black stools

Black diarrhea can be caused by taking certain types of medications. This category includes:

Activated carbon. It acts as a sorbent and when it is removed along with toxins, the feces become black.
Iron containing medications. When they react with enzymes and gastric juice, they color the stool dark. This is why pregnant women experience black stools during anemia treatment.
Bismuth preparations. They are most often taken to treat ulcers.
Bioadditives and vitamin complexes. B vitamins and iron can make stool darker, even black.
Anti-inflammatory drugs. With prolonged use, they cause an irritating effect on the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract due to the content of acetylsalicylic acid, which can provoke internal bleeding. This group of drugs includes Nimesil, Ibuprofen.

Internal bleeding

If no dietary changes have occurred and the patient is not taking medications, one should think about the presence of problems in the gastrointestinal tract. Most often, symptoms indicate internal bleeding.

It can open in the esophagus, stomach, and intestines.

When blood mixes with bile, a reaction occurs and the resulting liquid turns black because hydrochloric acid converts red hemoglobin into black hemin.

Bleeding occurs with diseases such as:

Ulcer. The disease causes pain in the epigastric zone and vomiting.
Gastritis. More often, bleeding is characteristic of the erosive type. The patient may complain of bitterness in the mouth, heartburn, nausea, belching, epigastric pain, and vomiting.
Stomach cancer. Pathology is rarely diagnosed in the early stages. Black diarrhea appears as the disease progresses.
Varicose veins of the esophagus. In the presence of pathology, the vessels of the organ are very fragile and can be easily damaged by ordinary food.
Polyps on the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract. The larger the formation, the easier it is to damage it with food and the greater the risk of its degeneration into cancer.

Usually, with gastrointestinal pathologies, in addition to dark diarrhea, there are other symptoms of the disease. This:

Nausea.
Vomiting.
Dizziness, lightheadedness, loss of consciousness.
Discomfort or severe pain in the epigastric region, intestines.
Blood pressure surges.
Dyspnea.
Severe weakness, fatigue.
Paleness of the skin.
Heart failure.
Temperature rise.

If black diarrhea is green, then this is a clear sign of an infectious lesion.

First aid

When dark diarrhea occurs in a child or an adult, you should carefully analyze the diet of the last days and the use of medications. If the problem does not lie in diet and medications, then the presence of internal pathologies is suspected, especially in the presence of vomiting and fever. In this case, you should call an ambulance and provide first aid to the patient.

It is not recommended to drink or eat before the doctor arrives. If the diarrhea is severe, you can drink some water. The patient must be laid down and kept at rest. When there is vomiting, it is better to take a semi-sitting position or turn your head on the side towards the container so that the vomit does not enter the respiratory system.

Until the cause of blackened stool is determined, it is prohibited to give any medications.

Diagnostics

When black diarrhea in an adult is not accompanied by additional symptoms, you can simply eliminate certain foods or medications and observe the color of the stool for several days. If the situation does not change or other signs of illness appear, then you should consult a doctor.

At the appointment, the doctor examines and interviews the patient. After clarifying the details, the following is prescribed:

Complete blood count, where a decrease in hemoglobin may indicate internal bleeding.
Ultrasound, MRI, CT scan of the abdominal cavity.
Gastroscopy. A probe is used to examine the stomach and upper intestine. You can see erosions, ulcers, perforations, polyps and other formations.
Colonoscopy. Allows you to assess the condition of the intestines, identify the presence of ulcers, polyps, tumors, diverticula.
Coprogram. In a stool analysis, you can see undigested food particles, determine the presence of fibers, mucus, consistency and color.

Sometimes the problem can be identified by the smell of feces:

Putrid indicate inflammation of the large intestine or pathology in the digestive system, when the breakdown of proteins is impaired.
Rancid ones indicate a lack of bile or problems with pancreatic secretion.
Sour ones indicate the presence of dyspepsia, that is, a lack of enzymes.

Treatment

The selection of therapy begins with determining the cause of black loose stool in an adult or child. If the problem lies in foods containing pigment, or the body’s reaction to taking medications, then it is enough to adjust the diet or eliminate provoking medications.

In this case, the feces will independently return to their previous healthy color. Usually in this situation there is no pain or other symptoms of the disease. To get rid of diarrhea, you can take Loperamide and Enterosgel or Smecta sorbent.

To maintain the water-salt balance, drink Regidron and Electrolyte.

When the cause is the presence of gastrointestinal ailments or internal bleeding, it is necessary to visit a doctor. Sometimes urgent hospitalization is required. Associated symptoms may include discomfort, pain in the abdominal area, heartburn, nausea, vomiting, fever, decreased blood pressure, and fainting. Self-medication can be dangerous for the patient.

In the presence of tumors or perforation, surgical intervention is indicated. When determining cancer, surgery is advisable when metastasis has not yet occurred. After the manipulation, a course of chemotherapy and radiation is carried out.

If after the examination treatment at home is allowed, then in addition to taking appropriate medications you will need to follow a gentle diet. This usually occurs when gastritis is diagnosed due to infection with the bacterium Hilicobacter pylori. Antibiotics and agents to reduce acidity and normalize the production of hydrochloric acid are prescribed as therapy. The most popular for gastritis:

Antacids: Maalox, Gastal. They temporarily neutralize the acid and protect the mucous membranes from its effects.
Antisecretory drugs: Ranitidine, Famotidine. Reduce acid levels.
Chondrolytics: Gastrapecin. Reduce acid production.
Antibiotics: Amoxicillin, Clarithromycin, Metronidazole.

Gastritis can be acute or chronic. Moreover, darkening of stool more often occurs when the process becomes chronic.

Nutrition rules

An auxiliary method of any therapy is a balanced diet. If black diarrhea occurs, fatty, fried, salty, and smoked foods should be avoided. Marinades, canned food, soda, baked goods and seasonings are also prohibited.

Food should be light and small. It's better to steam it. The temperature of food is very important; you should not eat hot or cold. The menu should include chicken, rabbit, dairy-free rice porridge, fruits, vegetables, fermented milk products, and bran.

You need to drink often, but in small sips, 1 tbsp. spoon every 10-15 minutes. This will prevent dehydration.

Help from folk remedies

In some cases, the problem can be dealt with without the use of medications. Most often, rice water is used to stop diarrhea. To do this, take 1 liter of liquid for half a glass of preferably unpolished cereal. Cook rice for 30-40 minutes. After cooling, it must be strained and taken with meals up to 5 times a day. In addition, the following are popular:

Decoction of blueberries. For 500 ml of water take 1 tbsp. a spoonful of dried berries. Having brought to a boil, reduce the gas and simmer until the volume of liquid is reduced by half. Take the medicine once a day, 1 tbsp. spoon.
For gastritis, you can add flax seeds to your food or drink a decoction of them.
Potato juice. It is best to consume it freshly squeezed on an empty stomach.
To eliminate inflammation, a decoction of chamomile and St. John's wort is suitable.

Black, loose stools in a child and an adult can indicate the development of pathologies in the body, so this condition needs to be diagnosed by a doctor.

In other cases, you just need to adjust your diet or stop taking medications that triggered the symptom.

To prevent unpleasant consequences, you should monitor your diet, maintain hygiene, carefully process fruits and vegetables before consumption, undergo routine examinations and promptly treat gastrointestinal pathologies.

Source: https://bezponosa.ru/lechenie/chernyj-ponos.html