Black diarrhea in an adult: causes of black diarrhea after alcohol, during pregnancy.

The color, smell and consistency of stool can tell a lot about the state of the human body. All doctors pay attention to this sign when diagnosing diseases. Therefore, if suddenly the stool changes its usual shade and turns black, this is a reason to go to a medical facility. The causes of black diarrhea in adults are conventionally divided into physiological and pathological.

Black diarrhea can be triggered by natural and “harmless” factors - the use of certain foods and medications. But this sign may also indicate the development of a dangerous disease in the human body that requires immediate medical attention. Black diarrhea is one of the symptoms of stomach bleeding. With this pathology, it is necessary to act quickly, because it can lead to serious complications and even death.

Several doctors are involved in the diagnosis and treatment of problems of this kind - a therapist, a gastroenterologist, a proctologist, and a surgeon. To make a correct diagnosis, laboratory and instrumental techniques are used. FGDS and colonoscopy have diagnostic value. With their help, it is possible to examine all parts of the gastrointestinal tract and identify the site of bleeding, the presence of other injuries, neoplasms and other pathological elements. Treatment tactics are determined based on the reason why an adult developed black diarrhea. Both conservative methods (diet, medications) and surgical intervention can be used. With timely diagnosis and treatment, the prognosis is favorable.

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.

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.

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.

Dark stool due to medication use

A similar effect can be caused by medications with iron, systemic drugs (for example, dietary supplements), as well as bismuth-containing drugs (usually used to defeat intestinal ulcers and diseases of the duodenum). Activated carbon, as you know, is widely used for poisoning, and in the process of removing it and associated toxins from the body, pigmentation occurs in such a dark or even black color. Certain anti-inflammatory drugs (for example, Ibuprofen or Nimestil) when used for a long period of time in the treatment of colds and flu cause severe darkening of the stool. It is important to know that medications containing a significant amount of acetylsalicylic acid do not directly cause darkening of stool, but they can have a detrimental effect on the circulatory system, causing internal bleeding. So, if a person who is faced with dark-colored stool (not diarrhea) reads in detail the description of the medications taken the day before and finds the indicated side effect there, you can rest assured.

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.

Interpretation of adult stool color

The consistency and shape of feces depend mainly on the content and amount of liquid (water). The usual brown color is due to the presence of stercobilin, one of the products of bile metabolism. Other shades, under normal conditions, appear only in the case of a shift in eating habits in one direction or another, as well as when using specific medications. When an adult begins to use a lot of milk for food, the stool turns yellow and becomes a lighter shade of brown. With a passion for plant products, the color can change right up to the border of the green or red spectrum. But when eating excess meat, it becomes darker, even dark brown in color. The latter can also be caused by various diseases of the large intestine or stomach. Stool can become dark, almost black, for example, as a result of taking bismuth.

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.

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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.

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.

Black color of diarrhea due to diseases of the body

If black stool (diarrhea) suddenly appears, you can begin to look for the etiology of this condition in disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, since such a clinical marker often indicates possible bleeding starting in its upper parts. Such dark, loose stools can be a companion to ulcerative manifestations, the location of which is noted in the duodenum (possibly in the intestine itself). The growth of various tumors of the stomach, a change in the condition of varicose veins in it can also cause the described illness. Periodically, black diarrhea indicates difficult situations, such as the development of inflammation of the gastric mucosa, colon, and histoplasmosis. If the pathogenic focus causing bleeding is located under the cecum, the stool turns redder. But in a situation where peristalsis is very weak, black feces are also released, because dark coloring is carried out with the help of hydrochloric acid, which accumulates in the stomach fluid and converts red hemoglobin into black hemin.

It is important to know that in addition to black stool, when bleeding inside the body, diarrhea will be accompanied by other serious manifestations. If the pathogenic focus is located in the stomach, you should expect bloody vomiting, similar in appearance to coffee grounds of a very dark spectrum due to the influence of gastric juice on vomiting. After this, the person will most likely have both general weakness and severe dizziness, coupled with hypotension. During a personal examination, the doctor will pay attention to light-colored skin, pale mucous membranes, and tachycardia. And acute heart failure, which is a frequent accompaniment of severe bleeding, will in any case require surgical medical intervention. When black feces are adequately formed and do not cause painful symptoms, then there is no need to look for specific causes. However, if it is accompanied by pain in the lower abdomen, if a person feels very nauseous or vomits, if the right or left hypochondrium is bothered, if pain in the stomach interferes, or the temperature rises, it is extremely important to understand why this is happening. Thus, black loose stools are observed in various more or less severe conditions.

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.

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.

Prevention measures

The cause of loose stools can be any pathology of the gastrointestinal tract, or even the patient’s elementary failure to comply with generally accepted rules.

To prevent dark-colored diarrhea, it is necessary to follow the recommendations of doctors.

It is necessary to minimize the consumption of foods high in iron or completely remove them from the diet. These include beets, prunes, etc.

Avoid alcoholic beverages, because alcohol abuse can cause not only loose stools, but also black stools..

Overeating should not be allowed, because this often provokes diarrhea, and if there are health problems, the stool often darkens.

For even minor changes in bowel function, you should consult your doctor.

An effective preventive measure is regular medical examinations and annual medical examinations.

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.

Causes of the disease

When the balance in the intestines is disturbed, diarrhea begins. The color and consistency of stool is influenced by a variety of factors. In a healthy person, stool with a dense brown consistency is considered normal. For various reasons, the color of the discharge may change.

Black loose stools may appear for the following reasons:

poor nutrition;
alcoholic drinks;
taking certain medications;
inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal system.

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.

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:

What do these medical studies provide?

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.

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.

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.