PLEASE HELP What do I do ? GP ? NHS24 ? A&E?!

[Watercolourpencils]

Posted yesterday but posting again sorry

for the last day I’ve been passing stools that are very dark- possibly black- and extremely sticky. It started randomly yesterday (without any cramps or vomiting) and has continued again this morning and this afternoon.

I don’t have any other symptoms but for context, I have IBS and get bad diarrhoea a lot. I sometimes get bleeding but it’s usually red. I’m on the waiting list to see the hospital for this. My blood tests and poo tests and piles/fissure exams were all normal.

I very rarely get black stools but for the last day it’s been really bad. It’s extremely dark, strange looking texture (possibly gritty but im not sure) and very sticky.

I have absolutely no idea what to do. I tried to contact my GP earlier but couldn’t get through. Im worried that im starting to seem like an attention seeker with all these symptoms yet my tests are all normal, but I know im not imagining this poo. It’s definitely black.

what do I do in this situation? Do I keep trying to get through to the doctors? Or do I call NHS 24? I don’t want to make it a bigger deal than it is but im starting to get worried about it because it’s still black today and not just a one off last light.

I spoke to my parents who insisted on NHS24 but I don’t want to be a timewaster when I don’t have any other symptoms

I’ll keep trying to get through to the GP for an appointment today but im starting to get worried in case I can’t get through. It’s a good surgery but just really busy but that’s not their fault so I’ll keep trying to call.

Has anyone been in this situation before or have any advice?

This is absolutely a hospital job. Please OP, don't worry about wasting NHS time, you have a symptom that absolutely needs investigating. Go to hospital.

It's genuine concern.

OP you won't be time wasting at all.

At the very least fill in the symptoms on 111 and register for a call back. Although I can guarantee what they'll say.

Passing dark blood indicates a bleed somewhere towards the upper end of the digestive tract. When my mum had similar she ended up being hospitalised with a gastric ulcer. I would go to A and E personally.

Yes, a pharmacist told her to phone her GP.

And then a GP posted on the thread telling her to go to A&E.

The pharmacy told her, she could take Imodium if she “really wanted to”. Not great advice.

Myself, a pharmacist and a GP have both said she needs to go to A&E.

Absolutely not medically trained, but the person I know who had this had a stomach ulcer which was bleeding. He needed admitting and a blood transfusion. I don't want to worry you, but this is could be a medical emergency. You have also been taking Feminax which is either Ibuprofen or Naproxen which is an anti inflammatory and contra-indicated for someone with an ulcer. Like I said I'm not medically trained, you need to see someone who is.

Please go to A and E. You could have an internal bleed and it really needs to be investigated x

OP I hope you are arranging to see and be examined by a health care professional today - GP or A&E.

Several posters have explained that this could be melaena - bleeding from the gut.

Others have pointed out that NHS advice here is to call 111 who will direct you how to access help:

www.nhs.uk/conditions/bleeding-from-the-bottom-rectal-bleeding/

Hopefully OP has gone quiet because she has taken herself to A&E as has been suggested by so many on this thread, including medical professionals. Hope this is true and that you get better soon OP.

Hi quick update,

ive been to the toilet again and it was once again very dark. I managed to get some photos and a sample as well (got a sample bottle at the pharmacy).

it’s not as liquidey as it was earlier but it’s a bit more solid. Still extremely soft and sticky though. It looked very dark at first and it looks black in the photos. What I didn’t realise is that it’s actually not black, it’s very very dark brown and I only realised this when I took the sample. Does that change it at all? It’s very dark brown and sticky, it looked black at first but it’s only when I took the sample and saw the sample bottle under the light that I realised it’s not black and it’s actually very dark brown

I promise I’m reading everyone’s comments and taking them seriously, I was about to go to a&e before realising it was actually dark brown so I wasn’t sure if that meant it was less serious

Im a nurse and worked in the gastro dept for many years. Please got to a&e today, you’ve got a gastric bleed that needs treating. You might feel not too bad now, but things could change. You will be taken very seriously there!

Don’t take the Imodium and don’t worry too much about getting a stool sample before you go.

I hope all goes well.

It could be many things, but I would go and get checked out, particularly because you've been feeling shit (and yes, it may be nothing, and yes it may have just been to do with busy at work plus periods), but I doubt you will feel calm about it all now anyway.

You won't be seen as a time waster - you have the sample and whilst the wait may be long any decent doctor (of which there are many) will be totally understanding of why you are there.

Again, the same advice as previously mentioned, go to A&E.

You really don't need to put photos on here
op and you'd be much better off ringing 111 at the very least and having a full assessment instead of relying on strangers views on here.

That's for A&E this evening.
(A&E doctor)

Doesn’t look normal. Get some professional advice. Good luck OP. Maybe write down what you want to say before calling them if that helps.

Ffs op stop dithering about and go to a&e!!

How many more times do you want people to say "get to A+E right now". I know human nature being what it is, you are hoping that it is not what it appears to be.

It is showing all the signs of upper GI bleed. The loss of blood can be very dangerous even though it doesn't look much from the stools.

The diagnosis and treatment needs to be NOW. Then they can put you on intravenous PPI (acid blocker), and antibiotics if necessary. Haemoglobin levels may be low and a blood transfusion required, followed later by Iron Infusion if H levels are slow to go up.

They will take bloods, scan your abdomen and maybe do an endoscopy, and sometimes a colonoscopy depending on the scan results. It is not as bad as it sounds, take sedation!

I am not a medical professional, but I had exactly the same issue last year. Brought sample to GP and was sent straight to A+E. Got all the above tests and they found H Pylori which had led to a stomach perforation over time. No other symptoms prior. Had 4 units blood, and another two units next day. I was very ill and it is a medical emergency. Easily treatable though.

I am not going to say anymore.

Attention seeking or time wasting is going to A&E with a broken nail or bad hay fever. I refer to these both as they are genuine cases I have seen to in A&E.

I am a nurse. Seeking emergency advice for black, tarry stools is not attention seeking. What’s annoying is when you rock up 24 hours later in a complete heap because you wouldn’t come in to be seen. Not much a GP can do either. That stool needs to get to the lab and you need some imaging pronto

Honestly I was just about to go but as soon as I realised it’s not actually black it’s just very dark brown I wasn’t sure if it changed it or not😣 I’ve always thought black poo was bad but dark brown poo was normal so I wasn’t sure and I started over thinking it!

Ffs ,I am out of here, can't help some people 🤷

Ffs ,I am out of here, can't help some people 🤷

Please OP, people are genuinely concerned for you, you need to listen to the posters on here who are medical professionals that we insisting you get yourself to A&E, this isn’t something to ignore or to wait and see if it goes away.
Please get yourself seen.