Coffee Ground Looking Stool

Nurses General Nursing Nursing Q/A

Okay, here is the question. I am a nursing student, I graduate in May but I haven't really had to deal with this. My own husband, who is 29, has been having some abdominal pain and this evening he asked me to look at his stool which looked very much like coffee grounds and there was a very large amount with no form to the stool at all. I know that a bleeding ulcer can cause you to have coffee ground looking material in your stool but what else can do it? Also, any suggestions on how to make a "big, tough man" go to the doctor to have this checked out??? Please try to help me if you can. Thanks.

As already stated this IS SERIOUS.

Tell him.

Then remember he is a big boy. Even though you love him with all your heart. He ultimately has a right to make his own decisions on this, no matter how wrong.

do what you can to get him to go. Then you have to let it go, and take care of him if he refuses and you end up with a very sick cookie on your hands.

I would be insistant. But you can't force him.

Of course he needs to be checked asap by an md.....you mentioned he had been complaining of abd discomfort, did he take anything like Pepto by any chance? silly me didn't know until a few years back that Pepto makes your stools dark..thought I was having a GI bleed..turned out was just the Pepto I was chuggin for heartburn :/

As MandtInMs said, that Pepto is not a good choice. Pepto, Kaopectate both have ASA products in them and can cause more bleeding. I know many people use these products and do not know that. Working in a Pedi Call Center for triage, we caution parents to not give either of them to their children because if they also have a virus, they can develop something called "Reyes syndrome" and that can be fatal. :o

Either way, I would say no more Pepto for your husband and a really good exam ASAP.

Hey...how is he????

Actually, he is feeling a little better. Took him to the ER Monday and doctor the on Tuesday and the doc says that he just has a bad stomach virus that is going around. Luckily, myself and our kids haven't gotten it and hopefully won't but the doc did tell him that it takes about 5 days to start to clear up. He actually went back to work today, spoke with him an hour ago and he is feeling weak but he is better. So, keep your fingers crossed that all will be well. Thank you all for your feedback on this situation.

Cyndi

Really??? wow...I'm glad he is one the mend.....

Welcome to the wonderful world of nursing.....let's all scare ourselves to death ....

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