tomato skin and other red bits

tomato skin and other red bits

Posted 01.19.2004 by Poonurse (1313)

Erf asks:

Is it normal to see bits of tomato skin in your poop on days that you've eaten some tomato? Also, reddishness in the water seeping out from the poop due to beet?

Dear Erf,

1. Yes
2. Yes, if you have recently eaten beets.

(The ex-Mr. Poonurse used to have panic attacks about this very issue. He always felt that the tomato skin was a by product of some sort of undiagnosed bowel cancer. He used to drag me in the bathroom to look at it. One time, I wasn't home, so he used a teaspoon and chunked some off and SAVED it for me to examine when I got back. Gross.)

Hope this helps.

Please be advised that I am only a Poonurse. I am NOT a medical doctor. Any advice I give should be taken moderate skepticism. Please consult a REAL medical doctor if you feel you have a serious medical condition.

-- Poonurse

Poonurse is an RN with 25 years experience in labor and delivery. Her qualifications include seeing a lot of poop, and owning a computer. Also, she works in Michigan, which she calls the asshole of the universe, so that's another bit of credibility. Got a question for her?

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The Shit Volcano (3740) -- 03.22.2004

Gross! What a thing to come home to, Poonurse! Damn, I would have barfed on the spot.

ScaredOfIBD (not verified) -- 07.08.2005

Sometiems i notice tomato in my poop but what worries me is when it smears like blood....but that could be from tinned tomatoes

barry (not verified) -- 09.11.2005

is it usual to find small bits of tomato on your toilet paper if u had tomatos the previous evening?? please reply

paula (not verified) -- 09.12.2005

Gross. I see why he's ex-Mr. Poonurse now.

The Shit Volcano (3740) -- 10.25.2005

I've noticed olives sometimes will appear in shit whole.

Anonymous Coward (not verified) -- 12.30.2005

Yeah, unfortunately I do the very same thing to my husband, and I also frequently take out pieces of it to see if the red thing I saw is indeed a tomato skin or something else. I really do try to stop, but its hard since I'm hypochondric. At least I'm not alone.

Fart Poopie (1257) -- 01.19.2006

If you think seeing tomato skins in your poop is bad, try eating 2 big bowls of lentils with corn. :)

Anonymous Coward (not verified) -- 04.02.2006

If it looks like pimentos, but smears could it be blood, or is it probably tomato? I'm asking because my two year old son has this.

Bunghole In the... (432) -- 04.02.2006

Has your son been complaining of "oowwies" or whimpers during his BM? Is his temperature elevated? Has he eaten something fiberous and red within the last 72 hours? What about outward signs--is his anus looking healthy and not distressed? Common sense will give you the answers. Signed--another Mom

GottaGoGirl (2616) -- 04.03.2006

TSV-- Only if the olives go IN whole! Are they just rolling down when you toss back the martini, or what? Wouldn't they be tastier if you CHEWED them?

Red bell pepper will sometimes, uh, reappear. I have an acquaintance who lets her kid eat "Salad Toppin's" as if it were an actual food, and it has several ingredients that look pretty much the same coming out as going in. Maybe your boy ate something like that recently.

Or maybe crayons.

Anonymous Coward (not verified) -- 08.06.2006

i ate some pasta w/ sun dried tomatoes in it...later that night when i did #2 my stool looked as if it had some redness in it...looked similar to undigested tomato skins...is this normal? thanks