Why Is My Poop Black? Causes, What It Means, and When to Get Treatment
Key takeaways:
Normal poop colors include most shades of brown. If you have black poop or any other changes in your bowel habits, you should let your primary care provider know.
Black poop can sometimes be a result of something you ate or medications you’re taking. It can also be a sign of something more serious, like bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract.
Treatment for black stool will depend on the cause. Your healthcare team will look at your medical history and run some tests to figure out what’s causing your black poop and the best way to treat it.
Table of contents
You might not know that poop color and consistency can offer clues about the health of your diet and digestive system. So it’s important to pay attention to any changes.
Sometimes, a change in poop color can point to a serious underlying problem, like stomach or intestinal bleeding — and even cancer. Here, we’ll outline some common reasons for black poop, including when you should see a healthcare professional.
What color of poop is normal and healthy?
Any shade of brown is normal for poop. Even a greenish tinge can be normal for some people on some days. You’re the best expert on what’s normal for you.
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It’s very normal for the color of your poop to change depending on what you eat or the medications you’re taking.
The amount of bile in the stool also affects the color. Bile is a yellow-green digestive fluid made by the liver and stored in the gallbladder. It’s released into the gastrointestinal (GI) tract when you eat to help digest food. It mixes with food waste to produce the classic brownish-green, healthy poop color.
What are some causes of black poop?
There are many things that can change the color of your poop, some more serious than others. Certain foods, medications, and serious medical conditions can all cause black poop.
Bleeding in the GI tract
One of the most serious causes of black poop is bleeding in the GI tract. This type of black poop is known as melena. It can often be very sticky with a foul-smelling odor, and it can also be referred to as “tarry” or tar-like stool.
Melena can be the result of bleeding in the upper part of the GI tract from conditions like:
Peptic ulcer: This is a sore in the lining of your stomach or upper intestines. Peptic ulcers often cause a burning, painful sensation in your stomach.
Varices: When veins in the esophagus — the tube carrying food from the mouth to the stomach — become enlarged, they can rupture and bleed. This often happens if you have liver problems, like cirrhosis.
Esophagitis: This is inflammation and swelling in the esophagus lining. You might feel pain from swallowing. It’s typically due to too much acid within the esophagus and stomach.
Gastritis: This is inflammation of the stomach lining. You might have stomach pain, nausea, and vomiting. It’s also caused by too much acid production in the stomach.
Arteriovenous malformation (AVM): An abnormal grouping of blood vessels, AVMs can weaken and rupture easily, causing bleeding. This can occur anywhere in the GI tract.
Mallory-Weiss tear: The tissue of your esophagus can tear, especially after periods of forceful coughing or vomiting. This can also cause stomach pain and vomiting blood.
What if your poop is green, not black? Learn more about the foods, medications, and medical conditions that can turn your poop green.
Understanding the shape of your poop: The Bristol Stool Chart can help you track your bowel habits and what they mean for your digestive health.
A bleeding peptic ulcer is a common cause of black poop. Treatment with medication decreases stomach acid and helps the ulcer heal.
GI cancers
Cancer can happen in different parts of your GI tract. In some cases, black poop might be a sign of bleeding from a type of cancer, such as:
Gastric cancer: This cancer grows in the stomach. Other signs of stomach cancer can include nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting, always feeling full (early satiety), and weight loss.
Esophageal cancer: This cancer affects the esophagus. You might also have problems with swallowing, eating, weight loss, a hoarse voice, or cough that won’t go away.
Colorectal cancer: This cancer is from tumors in the colon and rectum. It doesn’t cause symptoms in early stages. But it can cause changes in bowel habits, shape, and color, including black and/or bloody stools.
Medications that can cause black poop
There are a few medications that cause your poop to turn black. This is usually harmless and temporary. But it can last for a few days after taking the medicine. The most well-known include:
Stomach-upset medicines that contain bismuth salicylate (like Kaopectate and Pepto- Bismol)
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Foods that can cause black poop
Naturally occurring dark-colored foods or foods with dark food coloring can cause the color of your poop to change.
The foods that most often cause your poop to turn black include:
Blueberries
Blood sausage
When should you see a healthcare professional about black poop?
Fortunately, a medical problem isn’t always the reason for black poop. But it’s potentially serious. So you should get medical attention first, before assuming it’s due to something you ate.
A few signs that can signal your black poop could be something more serious:
Black poop that won’t go away
Changes in poop shape or consistency
Changes in bowel habits
Feeling dizzy or lightheaded
Abdominal pain
Indigestion or heartburn
Nausea and/or loss of appetite
Vomiting blood or material with a coffee-ground texture
If you experience any of these, it’s best to notify your healthcare team sooner versus later.
Are there any black stool treatments?
There isn’t a treatment for black poop, per se. Rather, treatment will be based on what caused your stool to have a change in color. Your medical team will have to take a close look at your medical history and run some tests to figure out why you’ve developed black stools.
If you have black stool from medication or food, it should return to normal once you stop taking or eating it. If your stools are black due to bleeding from an ulcer or inflammation, you’ll likely take medication to treat those conditions. Black stool treatments for bleeding due to blood vessel problems or cancers may require procedures or surgery to treat.
Frequently asked questions
Not necessarily. Iron tablets can change the color of your poop, but it’s not a guarantee that they’re working. The best way to know if iron supplements are “working” is to get your blood checked. Your healthcare team can discuss with you how often you’ll need to have this done while taking supplements.
It’s possible. Red wine contains some compounds that can turn your poop black, although there’s very little research on this question. When in doubt, stop the wine. If your poop stays black, it’s best to get it checked out.
The bottom line
The color of your poop can frequently change depending on what you eat or if you take certain medications. Most of the time, this won’t last for very long. But if you have black poop — or other symptoms that don’t go away like stomach pain, trouble swallowing, or dizziness — the safest thing to do is get medical attention.
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References
American Cancer Society. (2020). Signs and symptoms of esophageal cancer.
American Cancer Society. (2021). What is stomach cancer?
American Recovery Center. (2024). Why is black stool after drinking a cause for concern?
Antunes, C., et al. (2023). Esophagitis. StatPearls.
LaFee, S. (2018). End results: What color is your poop and other pressing fecal matters. UC San Diego Health.
Liu, J. F., et al. (2010). Black licorice ingestion: Yet another confounding agent in patients with melena. World Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery.
MedlinePlus. (2022). Mallory-Weiss tear.
MedlinePlus. (2023). Bleeding esophageal varices.
MedlinePlus. (2023). Gastritis.
MedlinePlus. (2024). Bile.
MedlinePlus. (2024). Black or tarry stools.
Saltzman, J. R., et al. (2012). Small bowel bleeding: Overview. American College of Gastroenterology.
