I Have Diarrhea and Blood in My Stool - What's Going On?

Published: April 27, 2017
Dear TeenHealthFX,
I'm 21 years old and I recently had diarrhea that was normal twice but then I woke up in the middle of the night to go again and it was like pure blood. I eat a lot of spicy food and earlier in the night i had flamin hot cheetos. I wiped and there was no blood on the tissue. What's going on?
Signed: I Have Diarrhea and Blood in My Stool - What's Going On?

Dear I Have Diarrhea and Blood in My Stool - What's Going On?,

Doctors have found that the snack Flamin’ Hot Cheetos can cause various gastrointestinal problems, including stool that looks like it has blood in it because of the coloring used to make these particular Cheetos.

Your diarrhea could be a result of eating a lot of spicy foods and then the Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. It could also be some kind of bacterial infection that was then exacerbated by eating foods that can already be tough on the digestive system. TeenHealthFX cannot know the exact cause of the diarrhea so we do recommend that you meet with a doctor to find out what is going on. FX would also encourage you to talk about your eating habits with your doctor so that he/she can advise you on whether any of the foods you tend to eat are taking too much of a toll on your digestive system.

Finally, you said your stool was “like” pure blood, which sounds like it was very watery and reddish in color. Since there was no blood on the toilet paper when you wiped, FX is assuming the color was due to the Cheetos and there was no actual rectal bleeding. However, if you ever experience rectal bleeding it is important to know what level of medical care is needed depending on the symptoms you are experiencing. You can refer to information provided by the Mayo Clinic to know when to seek emergency medical assistance, when to seek immediate medical attention and when to schedule a visit with your doctor when there is rectal bleeding.

If you don't have a doctor and live in northern New Jersey, you can call the Adolescent/Young Adult Center for Health at 973-971-5199 for an appointment with an adolescent medicine specialist or contact your local teen health center. You can also contact your insurance company for a list of in-network providers.

Signed: TeenHealthFX

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