Why Do I Have Diarrhea With Dark-Colored Stool?

Some people experience diarrhea, a common condition with many potential causes. For example, eating stale food can lead to diarrhea, possibly due to food poisoning, and it may also be caused by gastrointestinal issues. Some people experience diarrhea along with dark-colored stool. It is important to identify the cause of diarrhea and dark stool in order to treat it effectively. Patients should consume fresh food and avoid cold foods.

1. Diet or certain medications: Eating a large amount of pig blood, duck blood, or pork liver recently, or taking medications such as ferrous sulfate, can stimulate the gastrointestinal tract and cause diarrhea, leading to dark and loose stool. This condition does not require special medication, and symptoms can disappear by improving diet.

2. Digestive diseases: Dark stool during diarrhea may be caused by digestive diseases. When organs such as the stomach, duodenum, esophagus, pancreas, and biliary tract experience bleeding, the iron in hemoglobin reacts with sulfides to form iron sulfides, resulting in dark stool. Additionally, acute gastritis, gastric ulcer, esophageal varices, intestinal polyps, and intussusception can also cause diarrhea with dark stool.

3. Liver disease: Dark stool during diarrhea may also be related to liver disease. If a person has liver cirrhosis, it can easily lead to gastrointestinal bleeding, resulting in dark stool. Dark stool during diarrhea indicates a serious condition and may suggest severe bleeding within the body. Therefore, patients with liver cirrhosis who experience dark stool during diarrhea should seek medical attention promptly.