Question 1

lately i've been taking iron supplements, is it normal to have black stool?

Accepted Answer

Yes...: Oral iron supplements commonly cause stools to become black.

Question 2

help, i have black stool, but i do take iron supplements, should i be worried?

Accepted Answer

Check up: Iron will cause black stools which is likely to be the culprit here. But at 49 you are ready for your first colonoscopy so I would see your MD and discuss this with them . A simple test will rule out blood in the stool but since you are just about due for a GI workup ...

Question 3

i was on 65mg iron supplements and had black stool. suddenly my stool is no longer black. does that mean i am no longer absorbing it all & take more?

Accepted Answer

No: Black stools are a normal adverse effect from taking iron. Better if you can get retested for anemia to see if the oral iron has helped before stopping it abruptly.

Question 4

ive been having dark brown, but not black, stool the past couple weeks with sometimes visible mucus on it. i dont take any iron supplements or pepto bismol. i do suffer from chronic constipation. is this a cause for concern?

Accepted Answer

Depends: Stool color depends on diet, medications and supplements. If the dark brown is due to blood that has been degraded that may indicate Gastrointestinal bleeding which requires further evaluation. If it is not due to blood May generally reflect diet.

Question 5

do iron supplements cause black tarry stools?

Accepted Answer

Usually: You shoud check with an md, because it could be something serious, but yes, it can be from iron.

Question 6

good day, my stool is black and i have been taking iron supplements as well, my stool also smells of blood. what could be the problem?

Accepted Answer

Some thoughts: Iron supplements will darken stool color as a side effect7 may effect the smell. The only way to tell if this is due to blood would be to have the stool analyzed.

Question 7

i was taking iron supplements and my stools were black. they are suddenly back to normal. does this mean i'm no longer absorbing all of the iron?

Accepted Answer

No...: Intestinal iron absorption is poor to start with and oral iron supplements commonly discolor the stool black.  The color changes of your stool while on oral iron supplements does not correlate with the efficiency of absorption.  Your serum iron levels and hemogloblin are the most accurate markers of absorption.

Question 8

how do you know the difference between black stool from iron supplement or bleeding? normal brown stool before iron pills were started. should i worry

Accepted Answer

Black stool causes: It is likely that your black stools are from Iron supplement because you had Normal brown stools before iron pills were started.

Upper GI bleeding can have dark blood in stools.

If you have history of Ulcer, abdominal pain, vomiting, or diarrhea, please see Gastroenterologist for Diagnosis and Treatment. Discuss need for iron supplement.

Question 9

can iron supplements help stool return normal colour?

Accepted Answer

DARK STOOLS: Ironsupplements cause change in color of the stools from dark to black in most . .Actually according to universaty of maryland it is a desirable side effect, as it means that the if stool does not turn black  in color, that means the iron is not getting absorped.This often happens with coated tablets or supplement intended for long term use.If stool does not turn black ask doctor to change brand.

Question 10

had yellow stool for almost 4months with no other symptoms,it turned to dark green 3days ago,no iron supplements
should i worry ?

Accepted Answer

Define melena: Melena, by definition, is passage of dark stools stained with denatured blood.  As we established in prior healthtap answers, all dark stool is not melena. Your doctor, or even an over-the-counter test that you can purchase, can check to see if your dark stool contains blood.  Needed is for you to provide a sample of the dark stool. False positive results can occur based on diet &amp; stool additives.

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Doctor answers about:

Does iron supplements cause black stools

A member asked:

Lately i've been taking iron supplements, is it normal to have black stool?

A member asked:

Help, i have black stool, but i do take iron supplements, should i be worried?

A member asked:

I was on 65mg iron supplements and had black stool. suddenly my stool is no longer black. does that mean i am no longer absorbing it all & take more?

A member asked:

Ive been having dark brown, but not black, stool the past couple weeks with sometimes visible mucus on it. i dont take any iron supplements or pepto bismol. i do suffer from chronic constipation. is this a cause for concern?

A member asked:

Do iron supplements cause black tarry stools?

A member asked:

Good day, my stool is black and i have been taking iron supplements as well, my stool also smells of blood. what could be the problem?

A member asked:

I was taking iron supplements and my stools were black. they are suddenly back to normal. does this mean i'm no longer absorbing all of the iron?

A member asked:

How do you know the difference between black stool from iron supplement or bleeding? normal brown stool before iron pills were started. should i worry

A member asked:

Can iron supplements help stool return normal colour?

A member asked:

Had yellow stool for almost 4months with no other symptoms,it turned to dark green 3days ago,no iron supplements should i worry ?

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