I am passing maroon colored stools. Could it be due to stomach bleeding?

Question

Hi doctor,

I am a 23 year old female of 5'6" and weighs 250 lbs. Currently, I am on an antibiotic for tooth abscess. I have been taking Ibuprofen and Tylenol for the pain. Now, I believe that I may have stomach bleeding due to a maroonish colored stool. I just need to know if I should visit the ER right now.

Kindly help.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

You might be having gastritis because of Ibuprofen, resulting in maroonish stools. Are you having that more than once for a couple of days? In the case of stomach bleeding, the stools are very dark and more blackish like tar rather than maroonish. If you are feeling weak and looking pale, then you should visit the Emergency Room as soon as possible. A single episode of maroonish stools could be due to other causes as well, such as edible colors in food, antibiotics, etc. Currently, you can get a basic test, such as a stool routine examination, and look for occult blood in it. If detected, then you might need an upper GI endoscopy to determine the source of bleeding.

I hope it helps.

Thank you.