Would it be completely inappropriate to post a poo picture?!

[Nogodsnomasters]

Quick background: I've been having problems with my stools and digestion for a while, I already have another thread on here about it. I do have IBS. I have had all the stool samples done and blood tests done and rectal exam and stomach felt/listened to and all told to be normal.

Anyway, this morning I had a poo which was brown but had a few small pieces of black mixed in, (I have health anxiety and tend to over react to any bodily things). I've had a think about what I've eaten because I do occasionally see undigested food in my stool usually vegetables. The only things I've eaten that it MAY be was rocket/baby leaf salad.
I then had a second bowel movement and it also had some small black segments, so this time in true health anxiety mode I decided to fish it out and photograph it. Would it be massively disgusting and inappropriate to ask total strangers to look at the photo and see what they think? I realise this is a new low in my anxiety.

Seeking reassurance from unqualified strangers isn’t a good way to tackle this anxiety. If you genuinely think something might be wrong, then you need to sit with the anxiety while you organise an appointment to talk to a medic about it. The opinion of unqualified people on the internet isn’t worth anything medically, and if people say it’s nothing you’ll only get a short term sticking plaster over your anxiety. Treating the anxiety is just as important as treating any sort of medical problem. Please make steps on both fronts today. I hope you feel better soon.

Yes, we don't need to see it. If you have black in your poo then speak to your doctor.

You are better off going to the doctors

Go to your doctor.

The way my doctor works is you must call between 8.30-10am to request a telephone consultation where the doctor will chat to you and decide if you need a face to face appointment. Unfortunately I've missed that window today and won't be able to speak to a GP until tomorrow. I'm in Northern Ireland so we don't have the walk in clinics or 111 service here. Just GP or a&e.
Thank you for your responses.

Yes, it would definitely be inappropriate and disgusting, etc. Also, if your anxiety is severe enough to lead you to think about doing this, it will certainly be severe enough to prevent you from being adequately reassured by an bunch of inexpert randomers' responses to an image.

Anxiety craves reassurance but is never satisfied with it. The more you give into the need for reassurance the more you feed your craving for it.

In case it is helpful, though, rocket, spinach, etc could give the appearance you describe

That’s a good system, because you will be triaged by a doctor. Tomorrow is plenty of time - it’s not an emergency. So make a plan to be on the phone at 8.30 tomorrow, have all your notes ready to talk over with them - and in the meantime, you just have to carry on and forget about it.

Thank you for your reply. I definitely understand how reassurance/anxiety works and I know this post is my anxiety speaking for me - I've just seen these stools and totally lost all rational functioning, I'm sorry.

Don't apologise. I can imagine how distressing this might be. I don't have health anxiety myself but I am hideously anxious in general and I know how obsessive it can become xx

Thank you. Obsessive is definitely the word for health anxiety, it's horrible. I've cried about 4 times this morning and I know it's probably a massive over reaction.
I'm trying to hold on to the fact that the entire stool isn't black just portions of it and that it didn't have an overly offensive smell which apparently GI bleeding does. It's just I've never experienced this before and because I am already having on-going bowel issues I'm just on such high alert.