Help Me, Black Poop Not Related?

[brendab]

I was talking to a family member (by marriage only) this afternoon and wanted to get her take on what is going on with my 2 year old son and his GI issues that seem to fit Celiac. I told her I trialed Barley (as he's allergic to wheat) to see if it was gluten related (his is a loooooooong story) and sure enough, he had a BIG, mothball smelling, pale yellow with undigested food, "fluffy" poop that burned his skin in his diaper. The next day or so his poop turned pitch black. I thought it was odd and looked it up and he's not eating a ton of blueberries or spinach nor is he taking extra iron and this family member said that celiac doesn't cause bleeding like that but that something was up.

Now I am confused, what could cause black poop?

[precious831]

Does he drink any hypoallergenic formula at all? Someone told me that could cause it. My DD is gluten-intolerant(not sure if she has celiac) and she gets mucusy stools w/ gluten and it's foul-smelling as well. It's sometimes really very dark and then sometimes green. I sound confusing, sorry!

[ravenwoodglass]

Black tarry stools can be a sign of bleeding in the GI tract. Is his stool still black? If it is please get him in to the doctor along with a stool sample. If it was just that one time and it has resolved just ask your doctor for input at his next appointment.

Causes of Black Stool

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A black stool caused by food, supplements, medication, or minerals is known as "false melena." Iron supplements, taken alone or as part of a multivitamin for iron-deficient anemia, may cause stools to be black or even greenish in color. Foods that are dark blue or black in color may also cause black stools. Substances that can cause false melena are:

[scarlett77]

To add black bowels typically mean that blood is present. It could be caused by constipation which can be from a number of issues including Celiac and thyroid hormone issues. Go to the doc.

[brendab]

This was a one time deal, he's not on formula, iron, any medications nor did he eat lots of blueberries or such. The next bowel movement was gray in fact and that one shocked me!

[precious831]

The next time it happens, take it to the doc to be checked. We had my DD's checked several times, her stools are very dark, almost black most of the time. One GI we saw said it was from the hypoallergenic formula, the way it's being digested. Also I was told that being constipated can darken stools too. I do notice when she's constipated, her stools are very, very dark. I worry too, so like I said the GI checks her stool for blood every so often just to make sure.

When she was an infant, she had the actual bloody stools/diarrhea. It was very scary, it went on for a while and she lost weight. We figured out she had MSPI(milk/soy protein intolerance. The GI put her on hypoallergenic formula and it went away but since then the stools are just very dark. It took about 4 weeks or so for the blood to go away. After we could no longer see the blood in the stools, the GI tested her stools to make sure there were no blood invisible to the eye and there weren't any.

I hope this helps, keep us posted.

[brendab]

The next time it happens, take it to the doc to be checked. We had my DD's checked several times, her stools are very dark, almost black most of the time. One GI we saw said it was from the hypoallergenic formula, the way it's being digested. Also I was told that being constipated can darken stools too. I do notice when she's constipated, her stools are very, very dark. I worry too, so like I said the GI checks her stool for blood every so often just to make sure.

When she was an infant, she had the actual bloody stools/diarrhea. It was very scary, it went on for a while and she lost weight. We figured out she had MSPI(milk/soy protein intolerance. The GI put her on hypoallergenic formula and it went away but since then the stools are just very dark. It took about 4 weeks or so for the blood to go away. After we could no longer see the blood in the stools, the GI tested her stools to make sure there were no blood invisible to the eye and there weren't any.

I hope this helps, keep us posted.

He's not on any formula and the only supplements he takes is a vitamin C but that isn't everyday either. He's only had the one black poop and it was BLACK! Not just dark, very weird! He also was not constipated so that isn't it but I don't plan to give him gluten again as it seems to have been from that exposure. He also is allergic to dairy and soy but we avoid both and we don't bring them into the house.

I cannot wait to get something figured out!

[TrickyMama]

Sounds a lot like my son at that age and while I don't want to scare you, the purpose of being here is to share info, right? In addition to gluten issues, my son also has crohn's. You need to find a GOOD pediatric GI. We travel five hours to see ours. I know how hard this is and I hope it was just fluke and not something more serious.

[scarlett77]

I agree with the PP...go to the doc. Black stool can mean a number of things medically and is usually a symptom of something else. As PP said that symptom led them to a diagnosis of crohn's. My son had the dark hard stool (along with some constipation) because of low thyroid. He's now on medication for it.

[precious831]

He's not on any formula and the only supplements he takes is a vitamin C but that isn't everyday either. He's only had the one black poop and it was BLACK! Not just dark, very weird! He also was not constipated so that isn't it but I don't plan to give him gluten again as it seems to have been from that exposure. He also is allergic to dairy and soy but we avoid both and we don't bring them into the house.

I cannot wait to get something figured out!

I realize he wasn't on any formula, you already said that after I replied to you the 1st time. I was basically sharing about my DD, she was on hypoallergenic formula.

Anyway, good luck and hope you find out what's wrong.