to be going to the GP with what might (or might not) be nothing but beetroot poo!?

[emeraldgirl1]

I ate beetroot on Sunday (a lot) and then some again (not a lot) on Monday. On Wednesday, my poo (sorry) was purply-red. It's still purply-red two days later and I'm starting to get worried.

I do have chronic constipation (since last year) so I guess it's possible that it just takes a really REALLY long time for the beetroot to get out of my system. I have had the beetroot-poo problem in the past, but not as bad as this. But I'm worrying (because I'm a worrier) that it's nothing to do with the beetroot and that the funny-coloured poo is related to the constipation in a more sinister way... I did see the GP about the constipation 4 months ago and she did stool text etc and said everything looked fine and just prescribed Movicol.

When I get v constipated (sorry, TMI, I know it's lunchtime) my poo does go very dark, which of course I'm now worried I should have gone back to the GP about sooner...

Anyway, AIBU to be getting in a state and going back to the GP about this? If it all clears over the w/e I'm going to feel like an idiot to be getting so worried.

Any fellow beetroot poo afficionados out there? HELP ME!!

Better safe than sorry, that's what doctors are for.

I THINK If youve been eating beetroot recently they wouldnt refer you for tests just in case, so it would be pointless going until youre sure the beetroot would have passed

thanks bobbledunk - i am lucky to (finally) have a sympathetic GP, so i probably shouldnt worry about her feeling I'm wasting time. Despite my chronic health anxiety I really do try to keep bugging her to a minimum!

Did you know it has a name? Beeturia. I kid you not.

from H2G2
Beeturia (Pink Pee)

Be aware that ingestion of beetroot can colour urine red and also discolour stools, causing the unwary to hot-foot it to their GP for urgent tests. The pinkness of your pee depends on the acidity of your stomach; some people don't see pink pee afterwards and some do (approximately 10 - 14%). If you don't see pink pee then your stomach is at the strongly acidic end of the normal range - if you do see pink pee then your stomach is at the less acidic end of normal, and the colour hasn't been broken down on the way through your gut.

Beeturia is a harmless occurrence and you do not have to exclude beetroot from your diet if you are affected by it. If you don't normally have pink-stained pee after consuming beetroot, you might like to try an experiment. Try taking some antacid1 tablets, then eat beetroot. Remember to look at what you're doing the next time you visit the toilet. That should satisfy your curiosity.

The only useful advise I got given when I was pregnant with dd was ' never give a baby beetroot, for as you sow so shall you reap '

I imagine the same applies to adults

Ahem, advice

Blue Gatorade in copius quantities does exactly the same thing.