Black Poo - sorry.....

[Andrea73]

Sorry for this I know its too much information.

Anyway I am on 200mg iron , twice daily and have been for 2 weeks. However I am really bunged up and am struggling to go to the loo. I managed tody and the whole toilet was black!!! Does this mean I have too much iron in me??

Any advice would be really appreciated.

 

[Grace]

No Andrea. Iron often makes you constipated and almost always makes the stools black. Totally normal, just not very nice!

 

[Chuffy_29]

Charis is right, totally normal...but a real pain in the a**e literally! You can get your GP to give you something or (and this is a better way imho) drinks lots of water and as much fruit and veg as you can without compromising your protein...the water really helps

 

[cherry]

very normal sweetpea! its just side effects form the iron tablets nowt to worry about x

 

[gaelic girl]

As others have said its not a mad Scottish disease ha ha! Its all the effects of the iron, i've actually cut my iron back to one a day as the effects are too painful otherwise. I still have to use Movicol every so often to stay regular x

 

[zns]

As they say totally normal, ask for something to help with constipation and drink as much water as you can

 

[Andrea73]

oh crikey wasn't expecting that. It is agony to go to toilet - oh well just need to keep taking the dulcoease!!!

 

[gaelic girl]

Fraid so Andrea you could look at cutting down on your iron if its ok with your gp and your blood levels are fine xx

 

[claudia24]

totally normal, but for me its was causing problems, i hated the feeling and especially at work, so i spoke to my doctor and he changed my tablet and has been fine ever since, but like the otherposter above i cut back to one a day.

 

[Andrea73]

Claudia I find it really uncomfortable too, to the point that all my clothes are cutting into to me. My stomach is really swollen.

 

[gaelic girl]

Have you tried Movicol Andrea if you take it every day for the first while it does seem to work in regulating and making it easier to go xx

 

[jaynefrances]

I can't cut back on my iron as i already had problems with anaemia occasionally pre op, so its even worse now. I get terrible constipation and found that using stuff like senna caused me bad stomach cramps. My doc prescribed Movicol and thats been a godsend, i used it intensively when i was prescribed it as i was very very constipated at the time but have found that since then i only need it every now and again, and one sachet does the trick.
I never get used to the blackness though !! its not pleasant lol !!!

 

[Andrea73]

I've tried Movicol and just couldn't drink it. Was disgusting and made me gag

 

[gaelic girl]

Lol my mum is the same it isn't the nicest but i'm not too bad with it lucky enough x

 

[zns]

You can have other stuff as well as movicol, I cant stand that either.

 

[IRJ]

Yep i agree with everything above my poo is still very black.

 

[hsmel]

Do you know if you can take anything like Fybogel sachets or does that get stuck in the system? I had to take these after a previous op when I got constipated. Not having had my bypass yet - I am trying to get an idea of possible problems ahead . . and this is one that does slightly concern me!

 

[Andrea73]

Well I phoned my GP today who told me to stop all iron meds for 2 weeks. I explained that I was really bloated, felt sick and horrible pains when trying to go to toilet. I was also getting pains after eating. Anyway I have to go back in 2 weeks to make sure all my symptoms are away before he gives me another kind of iron meds.

 

[gaelic girl]

Hope it helps Andrea its such a painful thing x