i am a 31 year old female and for the past 3 days, i have had black, tarrystools. i have no pain and no history of stomach problems. i have not takenany medication or vitamins/supplements and i have not eaten anything differentthan i normally eat. any

	Asked by reese4183 (Female; 31; endometriosis; Relevant drugs:none ) on Fri 20, Nov 2009 01:29pm
	i am a 31 year old female and for the past 3 days, i have had black, tarry stools. i have no pain and no history of stomach problems. i have not taken any medication or vitamins/supplements and i have not eaten anything different than i normally eat. any ideas on what could be causing this? i am really freaking out. please help. thank you!
	Actions: | Forward |
	Answer by Dr. Rajgopal, MBBS (doctor) on Sat 21, Nov 2009 06:49pm: Hi, A black stool means bleeding from upper part of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. It includes the esophagus, stomach, and first part of the small intestine. Blood looks like tar after being exposed to the digestive juices. Stomach ulcers or inflammation are the most common causes of upper GI bleeding. Other causes are- Abnormal blood vessels (vascular malformation), Esophageal tear, Gastritis or inflammation of the stomach lining, lack of proper blood flow to the intestines (bowel ischemia), Esophageal and stomach varices. Please go for a USG of the abdomen and consult a gastroenterologist for diagnosis and treatment. Hope this helps you. Take care and regards!
	Please rate my answer (select the stars, no need to log in.)
	This questions is open for comments. Please share your opinion. Comments Enter your comments here Name Email Enter the text as shown above E-Mail me when someone replies to this post
	Other medical questions you might be interested in. Please rate doctor’s answers.
	vsd repair patient and type I dibetic wants medical alert tatoo  (Answered) - Viewed 705 times   I have a 20 year old son. He has had a ventricular septal defect repaired when he was 5 years old. Has had no other problems w... im i pregant ornotor should u go se i doctor in person  (Answered) - Viewed 1373 times   i usually have my period twice a month now it only came on once in te lat two months yes iam sexually active but i dont think im... I have pain in my lower back and lower stomach and pain going down my legs. What can cause this type of pain?  (Answered) - Viewed 4356 times   I have pain in my lower back and lower stomach and pain going down my legs. What can cause this type of pain?... what if i don't follow up with an abnormal pap smear?  (Answered) - Viewed 1914 times   I had an abnormal pap smear eight years ago, i ended up having to have a cone biopsy "leep procedure" done. i had normal pap's f... LIVER CANCER - Spots on liver and is in secondary stage  (Answered) - Viewed 1308 times   FRIEND HAS STOMACH CANCER WHICH HAS BEEN REDUCED BY 30% WITH CHEMO HE HAS NOW BEEN TOLD HE HAS SPOTS ON THE LIVER IS THE SECONDA... nonfat milk and prostate cancer - Non fat milk and cancer risk  (Answered) - Viewed 373 times   Dear Sir: I'm a 57 year old white male. There is a history of prostate cancer in my family. My concern is with the relatio... enlarged liver and elevated liver enzymes   (Answered) - Viewed 5904 times   Over the last few years I have had assortment of health problems with the latest being a elevated liver enzyme count, enlarged l... Stomach problems  (Answered) - Viewed 2845 times   I've been gaining weight, mainly in stomach,pains,but not all the time not always in the same place. I have frequent heartburn a... SPN with family history of lung cancer -Diagnosed with a solitary pulmonary nodule in right upper lobe  (Answered) - Viewed 741 times   I am a 50 year old female non-smoker. I have been diagnosed with a solitary pulmonary nodule in my right upper lobe. It is des... lung nodule - Scan found lung nodule, no indicate of calcification.  (Answered) - Viewed 850 times   Last week I underwent a CT scan to R/O a kidney stone, due to right flank pain. No kidney stone but the scan revealed an "incide... lung cancer - Gripping feeling in upper rear area of right lung  (Answered) - Viewed 574 times   34 male smoker of 16 years(ave 15 per day), long history of cancer in family, mother died aged 34 of lung cancer(eight of her b... lung - Tigth gripping feeling in upper area of right lung  (Answered) - Viewed 580 times   34, male, ciggarette fan of 15 a day for fifteen years, long family cancer history, mother died aged 34(lung C) and nine of her ... lung cancer - Long history of lung cancer  (Answered) - Viewed 181 times   thanks for your reply. there has been such a long history of the disease i feel i am just waitin for my turn(ps mother was non ... PROSTATE CANCER - PSA and Gleason score doesnt reveal spread of cancer to bones  (Answered) - Viewed 3401 times   I WENT TO MY DOCTOR APPROX 5-6 MONTHS AGO BECAUSE MY LEFT SIDE NECK AND ARM WAS STIFF. MY DOCTOR SAID I HAD A PINCHED NERVE AND ... husband was told pancreatic cancer - Pet scan found 12-15 ulcers  (Answered) - Viewed 826 times   my husband has lost 55 pds since last april. he has bad painin his stomach and has to go to emergency room to get shot of morphi... RECENT DIAGNOSED 24ML LUMP IN LEFT BREAST - Am I a victim of HRT?  (Answered) - Viewed 1762 times   I am 63 this year and was menopausal at age 42. At this time my gynaecologist prescribed progesterone and oestrogen tablets whic... Stomach cancer cells - Is there a treatement for cancer cells in stomach?  (Answered) - Viewed 942 times   I was told I have cancer cells in my stomach what does this mean? And she also mentioned something about H Pylori are all these... ovarian cancer - Ovarian cyst on right ovary  (Answered) - Viewed 1124 times   i was diagnosed with an ovarian cyst on my right ovary a little over 3 years ago. i was 6 months pregnant at the time. the docto... Hyaluronic Acid Supplements - Are hyaluronic oral supplements considered safe?   (Answered) - Viewed 1485 times   Are low molecular weight hyaluronic acid oral supplements considered safe to take? I read a report that indicated high HA levels... family history of breast cancer - Younger sister, mother and myself have invasive breast cancer. Is this considered strong family history of cancer?  (Answered) - Viewed 240 times   i have invasive breast cancer .55mm and having a lumpectomy. My younger sis 53 (lobular) had cancer and my mother (ductal) had ...