blackish/greenish stools

[starlight]

Hi shelley,

ok, I'm trying my hardest to not get to nervous, let me tell you what has happened. For the last few weeks, I've had lots of stomach and indigestion problems, mainly in my inestines,,,I do have IBS, well, a mild case of it, but since perimenopause really hit me FULL SWING last january, its been worse, ESPECIALLY these last few weeks. But, ok, i wwas dealing with it.

NOw, yesterday, my husband and I were out doing errands, and felt hungry, so we stopped into Boston Market. WE've been there many many times, and I really do like their food. We ordered our usual, chicken dinner, but this time for the vegetable, we both had the creamed spinach. We've had that before, with NO PROBLEM. All was well, seemingly. (although, later, my husband told me he felt weird and strange upon eating the spinach, but I was fine). Well, about an hour after we got home, he had a very soft BM, which was blackish/greenish in color. When he told me this, i became very frightened, fearing the worst. Well, within about 1/2 hr. I also had a very soft BM, and it was the SAME COLOR!
Well, at this point, i thought I must be in the twilight zone, bec. I have NEVER had this! As my heart started racing, i tried to tell myself that it msut have been the spinach. After all, BOTH of us had it, so it couldn't be anything like say, stomach or intestinal cancer, or bleeding.

OK, well, as I was waking up this morning, i noticed i was getting these little stabbing type pains all over inside my abdomen, it would move. I also felt gassy. There was this sort of "cold" feeling in my stomach too.
I should also say, that for about 2 days, a few days ago(not yesterday) i had been taking Pepto Bismol for my stomach/intestinal problems that I'd been having for the last few weeks, as i mentioned above. I never take much of that stuff though, just the 2 tablespoons, and even then, maybe only one tablespoon. I didn't take it EVERYDAY, but I had taken it for a few days prior to yesterday, also....I had been eating blueberries, which i read can also cause your BM to be black. Now, today, my husbands BM's are back to normal color, but mine ARENT'! Naturally, this gets me nervous. I also, seem to have abdominal "pains", some I can tell is gas, and some kind of feel as though they are to the left or right of the belly button, on the inside, a very annoying kind of feeling. I am not doubling over in pain, but these "pains" move around in there, and are also very low in the abdomen, on both sides. I also have that "churning" feeling, which I'm used to, having dealth with IBS before, and when that happens, you know ANOTHER BM movement is on the way. So far today, I've had another BM, and it was the same color, it's slightly harder than yesterdays, but the color is the same....hard to describe...not really JET black, but more like coal black, with a definate evergreenish tint to it. I feel a little queasy, and onece and a while, nauseas, but not much. One one hand, i feel hungry, but I'm much to afraid to eat! I don't have a fever, or vomiting. My husband said to me that he's had this on and off himself, for about 2 or 3 mos. now, which i didn't know. He attributes it to what he eats, even though, to my knowledge, he really doesn't eat a LOT of dark green veg.'s, .. he does take something called BRAIN FACTOR and FOCUS FACTOR and they are all herbs and he says that can do it too.

OK Shelly, what do you think? I read on the internet that food can take up to 3 days to really go through you, so that maybe if this continues, through today, and tomorrow (since we ate this at 3pm Sat. afternoon), I shouldn 't worry????? what do you think?


I really do appreciate any info. on this, and all opinions! If anyone has had this, please let post here.

thanks to all! sincerely, Starlight
P.S - other than perimenopause hitting me like a ton of bricks this last year, and causing all sorts of scary symptoms and pains, I'm basically in ok shape. I had my last GYN appt. a year ago, in Feb...i had bloodwork then too, and all was fine. I have another appt. coming up in a few weeks, for my yearly pelvic and bloodwork etc....

[shelley]

As always, my advice is to CHILL OUT. Nothing you've stated is out of the ordinary for the condition you're in, the foods you're eating, adding into the equation Pepto Bismol which I never recommend except for extreme cases of gastritis as a last resort. Nothing about it is weird or untoward, it's all completely normal. In fact, big deal! so please... once again this is a chicken little scenario. Did you ever start seeing a support group and work on your perspective?

[AgnesT]

Pepto Bismol turns stools (and tongues sometimes!) black.