Get Virtual Care
  • Primary Care
  • Urgent Care
  • FAQs
  • Support Center
For Businesses
  • Direct Primary Care for Organizations
  • For DMEs and Pharmacies
  • For Health Plans
  • For Providers
About Us
  • Who We Are
  • Why HealthTap
  • Our Standards
  • Contact
Log in
Book a video appointment
Book now
  • Get Virtual Care

    • Primary Care
    • Urgent Care
    • FAQs
    • Support Center
  • For Businesses

    • Direct Primary Care for Organizations
    • For DMEs and Pharmacies
    • For Health Plans
    • For Providers
  • About Us

    • Who We Are
    • Why HealthTap
    • Our Standards
    • Contact
Log in to HealthTap
HealthTap Online Primary Care Doctors Accepting New Patients
Book a video visit
Overview
Is Symptom of
Is a Side Effect of
Related questions
HealthTap Online Primary Care Doctors Accepting New Patients
Book a video visit
Symptoms
Black tarry stools

Black tarry stools

Share

Link copied

Black stool is a symptom in which a person's stool (poop) has a black color, or sometimes a very dark red color. Black stools are usually due to old blood (fresh bleeding is red in color).

Dr. Keegan Duchicela reviewed this

14 year experience in family medicine

How long it usually lasts:

Medium-term (lasts weeks to months)

How common it is:

Common

Body locations

Buttock, Lower abdomen

Is Symptom of

Gastritis
Condition
Colon polyps
Condition
Rotavirus infection
Condition
Ischemic bowel disease
Condition
Cirrhosis (liver)
Condition
Load more

Is a Side Effect of

Bismuth subsalicylate
Helidac
Diamox
Pepto bismol
Methazolamide
Load more

Related questions

A 34-year old asked:

what do I do if i have black tarry stools?

1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in

A 48-year old asked:

I have black tarry stools after a night of partying?

1 doctor answer • 3 doctors weighed in

A 40-year old female asked:

My four month old baby has smelly black tarry stools. She has recently started formula fully. Very fussy and crying. Any ideas?

1 doctor answer • 3 doctors weighed in

A member asked:

what causes black tarry stools, I always heard it was cancer?

1 doctor answer • 3 doctors weighed in

A 30-year old asked:

Can drinking red wine cause you to have black tarry stools?

1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in

A 47-year old asked:

Do iron supplements cause black tarry stools?

1 doctor answer • 2 doctors weighed in

A 19-year old male asked:

I have had a pain in the left side of my stomach since last night. No black tarry stools, no signs of GI bleeding. What could be the cause? Is it gas?

1 doctor answer • 2 doctors weighed in

A 37-year old asked:

What can cause black tarry stool with occasional sharp stomach cramps?

1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in

A 51-year old male asked:

Not much of an appetite hardly eaten much in last 3 days. sleeping a lot, black tarry stools what is the next step. Cirrhosis with inguinal hernia.

1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in

A 24-year old female asked:

Severe stomach burning and feeling of bad heartburn for 6 days. Black tarry stool now. Stomach is worse when laying down. Suggestions? I take nexium (esomeprazole).

2 doctor answers • 2 doctors weighed in

A 32-year old female asked:

I was diagnosed with gastritis and hiatal hernia on February 2012. During that time I had black, tarry stools and was placed on Omezaprole than changed to Nexium (esomeprazole). My upper abdomen area pains or becoming more severe and comes and goes. It

2 doctor answers • 6 doctors weighed in

A 17-year old male asked:

I get heartburns randomly, I burp a lot, and sometimes feel nauseous. But no stomach pain or passing out black tarry stools. Is it cancer? I'm scared.

1 doctor answer • 2 doctors weighed in

A 18-year old female asked:

Bloated,nausea, occasional black and tarry stool,light color stool that makes toilet bowl water cloudy,lower left abdominal pain What could be wrong?

1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in

A 25-year old female asked:

Is black and tarry stool and abdominal distention following a epidural steroid injection signs of gastric bleeding?

2 doctor answers • 3 doctors weighed in

A member asked:

What to do if I have recently gone to the bathroom and have seen black tarry, oily lookin stools that were moving weirdly i'm the toilet?

1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in

A 35-year old asked:

I have tarry black stools which looked like clotted blood. can celiac disease be a cause?

1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in

A 29-year old female asked:

With kidney stones can it cause chest pain? Also is it normal to have tarry or black stool with 800 MG Ibuprofin?

2 doctor answers • 3 doctors weighed in

A 45-year old asked:

What could cause my stool to be black and tarry?

1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in

A 20-year old male asked:

I've been diagnosed with gastritis about 4 months ago and now my stool is black and tarry again. I'm not feeling like I have an ulcer but could I?

1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in

A 21-year old female asked:

Diagnosed w gallstones a month ago, now nagging pain on upper left abdom with pale/yellow stool. Now black and tarry. What should I do?

1 doctor answer • 4 doctors weighed in

A 22-year old male asked:

what kind of black stool is a indicator of colon cancer? smelly and tarry? I had dark leafy specks on my stool im 22

1 doctor answer • 2 doctors weighed in

A 21-year old female asked:

Diagnosed w/ gallstones a month ago, now having nagging upper left abdom pain, pale/yellow stool and now black tarry. What should I do? On ranitidine

2 doctor answers • 5 doctors weighed in

A 24-year old female asked:

Why is my stool black and watery?

1 doctor answer • 2 doctors weighed in

A member asked:

What is the cause of black slimy stool?

1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in

A 57-year old female asked:

What is are causes of black, grainy stool?

1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in

A 33-year old asked:

Black specks in stool, should I be worried?

1 doctor answer • 3 doctors weighed in

A 38-year old asked:

What do tarry stools mean?

1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in

A 34-year old asked:

Could red wine turn stools black?

1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in

A 43-year old male asked:

Do black spots in stool mean blood?

1 doctor answer • 3 doctors weighed in

A 24-year old asked:

Is tarry stools a sign of some disease?

1 doctor answer • 2 doctors weighed in

HealthTap
HIPAA logo
HIPAASecure
Soc 2 Type 2 logo
SOC 2 Type 2Certified
JCAHO Accredited
JCAHOAccredited

For Businesses

Direct Primary Care for OrganizationsFor DMEs and PharmaciesFor Health PlansFor Providers

Company

About UsSupport CenterContact Us

Health Content

Health TopicsDoctor Q&A by Specialty

Join Us

For DoctorsJobs
Member App

Download HealthTap

Video visit and message your doctor

Member App QR Code
Play Store Member LinkApp Store Member Link

Questions?

+1 (888) 828-0841support@healthtap.com
LinkedInTwitter
HomeTermsPrivacyCookiesDMCAHealth TopicsDoctors DirectoryDoctor Q&A by Specialty
Copyright 2026 HealthTap, Inc.