[richka]

A friend has stomach pains and nausea constantly. Then he started having black stools.
At the moment he has taken to bed and can't get up without stomach pain.
The thing is, he has a gastrointerologist who has done an endoscopy as well as a colonoscopy. He also swallowed a camera and the usual MRI and Cat scans. All these tests show nothing. He was in hospital for 2 days and all they did was stop the intestinal bleeding, then released him without knowing what was wrong. And this was the University of Arizona medical center, known as a leading medical establishment. I don't understand it and it's heartbreaking to see him slowly dying.
Will this pass or is it terminal? Is there anything I can do to help?

[Synntiera00]

This happened to my ex and he was supposed to get surgery, but before he could it went away on it's own, but everyone's body works differently. The only advice I could give you is to have your friend see another doctor... I wish your friend the best of luck!

[boron]

Black (tarry?) stools are symptom of the bleeding from the stomach (ulcus, cancer) or upper (esophageal varrices, esophageal cancer, mouth... ). The acid in the stomach changes blood color into black.

Endoscopy and camera (Pillcam) can show bleeding only when bleeding is actually happening. Pillcam, as I know, shows only changes from the small intestine, and not from the stomach.

It is endoscopy, which should show a probable lesion in either esophageal or stomach mucosa. If bleeding will continue, another endoscopy will be needed. CT, MRI, Pillcam, x-ray with barrium cannot show bleeding from the stomach.

[inthebox]

Upper endoscopy and capsule endoscopy will show ACTIVE gastric bleeding.

Other causes of black stool other than melena, include iron and peptobismol.

http://www.aafp.org/afp/20071001/1005.html

Check table 3

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If your friend is dizzy or faint, due to low blood pressure from gi bleeding, he needs to go to the er.

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How old is your friend?

Does he drink alcohol - this can cause bleeding and alcohol related liver disease can cause gi bleeding for a number of reasons.

Does he smoke - bad for the stomach lining and healing

Does he use NSAIDs like aspirin, ibuprofen, aleve, naproxen, motrin - these can cause ulcers.

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You did not mention if he had a bleeding scan, or a family history of peptic ulcers, crohns or ulcerative colitis.