Sudden black stools and constipation????

Hello!

I don't know where else to look or ask...so I came to my old comfort place. :) 

I have had diarrhea for 6 years straight, with the exception of when I was pregnant.  Once the baby was born, the loose, copious stolls returned.

I was recently diagnosed with Celiac Disease, and since going gluten-free, the diarrhea has gotten better....the stool have been formed, though covered completely in mucus, but I understand that it may be from my gut healing with no poisons coming through there anymore?

So my question....3 days ago I noticed some dark stool, and had some pain in my lower abdomen....not in my normal Celiac or Crohn's areas.  I thought maybe the pain was just my body readjusting to formed stools.  So since then, I have had nothing but black stools....the pain in the middle-left of my lower abdomen has increased, and the stool is very, very dark.  It's also very hard to have a bowel movement because it's so sore inside.  I'm not concerned so much about the soreness, it's the black stools.  I've never seen these before, and now it's the end of the third day of them, and it's starting to worry me.  I haven't noticed if they're tarry, persay, but next time I will get a closer look.  Is this something I should be worrying about?  I haven't eaten blueberries or licorice, have been taking iron long enough to know it's not from that, and haven't taken any pepto.  Nothing has changed in the last week to make my stools turn black.  Of course, you all know what my fear is.  Should I keep watch all weekend and call my GI on Monday if they're still black?  Or should I not be playing around?  Or maybe I'm just worrying about nothing!!! HELP!!!! LOL  Thank you guys so much.

Have a great holiday weekend!!!

It's definitely doctor time. Don't fool around with possible internal bleeding, trust me.

Don't bother with the pharmacy - get this looked at pronto! If you are bleeding internally you need to get it fixed.

You are probably severely anemic and may need a blood transfusion. Forget the pharmacy, please go to the hospital.

Mchick. constipation is a never gonna happen thing with me. so no. but yes if this is still going on you may want to bite the bullet and get to urgent care. i know its a holiday weekend and you will be there for hours but at least you can get checked. even a quick CBC will show your hematocrit levels

I have to agree with everyone else. This isn't something to to sit around and consider. It's something that needs to be addressed immediately. I've waited on two separate occasions when I had internal bleeding going on. The first time I WOULD have been dead and the second I was barely able to function by the time I got to the ER. Please, don't wait. Internal bleeding is not one of those things you want to take the time to think about because sometimes there really is not time.

I don't use the diagnosis from the ER doctors..you can go in and request that your GI or a GI be notified of your condition and then they will usually work with the nurses that take care of you.
The only time I ever let an ER doctor take care of my situation was the first time I went in to the hospital for the unknown affliction(my Crohn's in other words). He said I had IBS, prescribed a medication that I should not have had because of my hiatal hernia which I TOLD him I most likely had, and so I ended up having breathing problems from the pills and my boyfriend's face looked like it was melting off.

Suffice to say I request my GI when I go...

I really wish something better were done to get you better :(

Go to a different ER and tell them you need to see a GI or even a colo-rectal surgeon. This is quite serious!!

I called my GI, she happened to be on call. She said she suspected a bleed, and had me go back to the ER. Anyone I spoke to could not believe the doctor last night didn't do any bloodwork. The took 4 small vials and 2 HUGE BOTTLES, I had never seen before. The ER doc did 2 occult blood tests, both negative, tg. The GI is confused....blood count is 10, even on 2 iron pills a day and the insane amount of red meat I eat because I crave it constantly. She thinks I'm ok but I will follow up with her in the next few days. No help for the headache again, ER doc thinks they are perhaps cluster headaches and tension headaches...again, Dilaudid did nothing. He gave me oxygen and it helped marginally. So still no answers for that, just another guess....and a really witchy nurse as I was leaving made me cry. ER doc also said I need to quit smoking NOW, could be causing the headaches.....but again, just his guesses. I have an appointment with a very well recommended neuro on 9/15, the day she returns from vacation, and the GI will check me out this week. ER doc said vasovagal responses can happen for many reasons, pain being a major one....so maybe just from the belly pain and severe headaches. As for the black tarry stools, which the ER doc saw, there's no answer, he was positive it was going to be blood. So no answers....but I appreciate everyone's support soooooo much. You guys are amazing!!!!!

Must admit I would have expected occult blood, but it's good that the is none. You must be losing some blood to have a count of 10. I know I feel lightheaded with a blood count of 10 even though some docs say it's not low enough to cause symptoms. When my count was 9.4 I couldn't walk w/o being out of breath.

Hi Glad they ran some test and that your GI is going to see you this week. I know sometimes things upset us alot when we are not well hope you are starting to unwind a bit and hope you are doing better.Good for you for going back .What's important is that you were persistant and sometimes we have to be.lol gail