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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Suggest Treatment For Stomach Pain And Black Colored Stools

Hey, I m 20 years old, for the last few days my stomach has been bubbly, I took pepto and I read that it is supposed to make my stool black but I didn t know it was going to be smelly also. I eat a lot of spicy foods and drink alchol too. My stomach hurts every now and then so I ll go use the bathroom but nothing really comes out. I also took some Polyethylene Glycol. I don t know what do and I m pretty worried. What should I do?
Wed, 6 Feb 2019
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Internal Medicine Specialist 's  Response
Hi,

Pepto contains bismuth subsalicylate which is an antacid and causes black stools in about 3 percent of the patients.

I would like to switch you to better antacids like Omeprazole once daily before meals in the morning daily for 2 weeks or Ranitidine twice a day before meals.

This will control your stomach pain and at the same time avoid having dark stools.

If symptoms do not improve despite the change in medications, I would suggest you meet your gastroenterologist to rule out stomach ulcers by upper GI endoscopy.

I would also advise you to always consult your doctor before starting or changing your medications.

Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.

Take care

Regards,
Dr Muhammad Zahir Shah, Internal Medicine Specialist
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Suggest Treatment For Stomach Pain And Black Colored Stools

Hi, Pepto contains bismuth subsalicylate which is an antacid and causes black stools in about 3 percent of the patients. I would like to switch you to better antacids like Omeprazole once daily before meals in the morning daily for 2 weeks or Ranitidine twice a day before meals. This will control your stomach pain and at the same time avoid having dark stools. If symptoms do not improve despite the change in medications, I would suggest you meet your gastroenterologist to rule out stomach ulcers by upper GI endoscopy. I would also advise you to always consult your doctor before starting or changing your medications. Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further. Take care Regards, Dr Muhammad Zahir Shah, Internal Medicine Specialist