Will taking Chinese patent medicine turn your stool black?

Traditional Chinese medicine treatment is becoming more and more popular in today's society. The reason for this is the increasing exposure to the side effects of Western medicine. After all, most Chinese medicines are mainly used for physical conditioning, so the side effects are relatively lower than those of Western medicines. However, don’t think that you can take Chinese medicine recklessly under this circumstance. In fact, once Chinese medicine is taken in excess, it will also cause harm to the body. So, will taking Chinese patent medicine turn your stool black?

Yes, because Chinese medicine is black in color due to the large amount. Just like when we eat black food, our stool will also turn black. When we eat white flour and white rice, the stool will turn yellow because it will ferment in the abdomen, so it must change color. The fermentation speed of some Chinese medicines is several times that of food. After fermentation, the color will be darker than before, so Fang Xin will be fine.

Common causes of black stools include:

1. Digestive tract diseases: The most common cause of bloody stools, including esophageal varices, esophageal foreign bodies, ulcer disease, acute gastritis, gastric mucosal prolapse, intussusception, hemorrhagic necrotizing enteritis, strangulated intestinal obstruction, Meckel's diverticulum, intestinal polyps, anal fissures, etc.

2. Blood diseases: neonatal hemorrhagic disease, hemophilia, leukemia, aplastic anemia, thrombocytopenia and allergic purpura, etc.

3. Other systemic infectious diseases, such as sepsis, typhoid fever, etc., newborns swallowing blood from the mother's birth canal or ruptured nipples, swallowing of bleeding from the nose, pharynx, and gums, etc.

4. Influence of food or medicine: Certain foods and medicines can also cause changes in stool color, which can sometimes be easily confused with blood in the stool. For example, eating a lot of watermelon and tomatoes in the summer can make the stool turn red. The stool of children with anemia can turn black after taking iron supplements. The stool can also turn black after eating animal blood. These changes in stool color caused by food and medicine do not constitute bloody stools.

If you are not sure yourself, please go to the hospital for a check-up.