Red wine and black stool: what to know

Melaena is usually black, sticky or tar-like and may have a strong smell. It can happen when bleeding higher in the digestive tract is changed as it passes through the bowel. Red wine may look dark in a glass, but it should not be used to dismiss genuinely black stool.

Possible causes include gastritis, a peptic ulcer or Helicobacter Pylori Infection. Iron tablets and some other products can also darken stool, so tell the clinician everything you take and describe the colour and texture accurately.

If the stool is black or tarry, contact a healthcare service promptly for advice, particularly if it has happened more than once. Do not take anti-inflammatory painkillers such as ibuprofen or aspirin for this symptom unless a clinician has told you to. Keep a list of medicines, supplements and recent alcohol use, and do not delay assessment to see whether the colour clears.

Seek emergency care for black stool with dizziness, fainting, unusual weakness, confusion, vomiting blood or material that looks like coffee grounds, severe abdominal pain, a racing heartbeat or breathlessness. These can accompany significant gastrointestinal bleeding and require immediate evaluation.

Ask whether the stool appearance could represent bleeding, whether blood tests or other investigations are needed, and whether medicines such as anti-inflammatory painkillers or iron could be affecting the colour. Mention any burning upper-abdominal pain or nausea.