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What Causes Dark, Hard And Different Smell In Stool?
Question: For a few weeks I've been noticing that my feces are darker than normal and are smelling different. Also the outside area around the anus is itchy probably because of the contact with the feces. I don't feel any symptoms other than that. The only things that I've changed in my diet were:
I started eating more healthy fat foods (coconut oil, organic butter, cashews, organic eggs) and it's low in carbs. Around 50% of diet is healthy fat. 20% carbs and 30% protein. Eating around 1200-1300 calories a day to lose weight. I usually drink 8 or more cups of water a day. I'm 5 ft 7 165 pounds. I usually have a healthy diet the only things that I changed was the percentage of healthy fats and carbs.
I rarely eat red meat but right before it started I ate pretty much only read meat in a high quantity sometimes for around 2 weeks. Now I'm not doing it anymore.
It never happened before. I would like to know if the dark feces might be blood due to an infection caused by a bacteria, contaminated meat or something else in the stomach or intestine and what should I do. Thank you.
I started eating more healthy fat foods (coconut oil, organic butter, cashews, organic eggs) and it's low in carbs. Around 50% of diet is healthy fat. 20% carbs and 30% protein. Eating around 1200-1300 calories a day to lose weight. I usually drink 8 or more cups of water a day. I'm 5 ft 7 165 pounds. I usually have a healthy diet the only things that I changed was the percentage of healthy fats and carbs.
I rarely eat red meat but right before it started I ate pretty much only read meat in a high quantity sometimes for around 2 weeks. Now I'm not doing it anymore.
It never happened before. I would like to know if the dark feces might be blood due to an infection caused by a bacteria, contaminated meat or something else in the stomach or intestine and what should I do. Thank you.
Brief Answer:
Please follow...
Detailed Answer:
Hi and thank you for asking on HCM!
You are reporting to have had darker feces than normal.
The main causes of darker feces are :
- hard stools and low fiber diet(bowel movements more rarely than normal)
- spinach use
Otherwise at your case I would suggest to do fecal exams like:
- fecal test for ova and parasites (since you have anal itching too )
- fecal candida test
- stool culture test
Meantime I would suggest to continue with healthy diet and increase physical activity.
Otherwise to get a more accurate opinion it would be better to sendme a photos of your stools.
Hope it was helpful to you.
Dr.Klerida
Please follow...
Detailed Answer:
Hi and thank you for asking on HCM!
You are reporting to have had darker feces than normal.
The main causes of darker feces are :
- hard stools and low fiber diet(bowel movements more rarely than normal)
- spinach use
Otherwise at your case I would suggest to do fecal exams like:
- fecal test for ova and parasites (since you have anal itching too )
- fecal candida test
- stool culture test
Meantime I would suggest to continue with healthy diet and increase physical activity.
Otherwise to get a more accurate opinion it would be better to sendme a photos of your stools.
Hope it was helpful to you.
Dr.Klerida
Note: For further follow up on digestive issues share your reports here and Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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