Very light colour stool matter of concern or comon

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Jimbo1968
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Very light colour stool matter of concern or comon

Post by Jimbo1968 »

I'm sorry if I'm covering old ground again it's just that I'm getting very concerned about the very light brown stools I'm producing , I haven't got any Diarrhea and haven't had for nearly 5 days, but my stools have gradually migrated from dark (about 6 weeks ago and before) to medium brown then to light brown/ yellow. It appears that I am taking approx 18hrs to digest food so cannot find any rational reason for the lightness of the stool unless an inflamed bowel on its own can produce this. Sorry if my knowledge of this is not great but I have only been suffering for about 6 weeks now.
Chemgirl
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Post by Chemgirl »

I had this for a few months and it really freaked me out. Everything was solid, but it was a very lite yellow color. I mentioned it to my doctor who didn't seem overly concerned because liver panel was fine. It eventually went away on it's own.

We stare at the toilet way more than a normal person would. You may have had changes like this in the past and not noticed. Have you taken antibiotics lately? Maybe the color change is due to a shift in your microbiome.

Clay colored, white, extremely pale stool is a reason to go to the doctor. If it's causing you concern, best to get it checked out.
Jimbo1968
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Post by Jimbo1968 »

Hi thanks for response, I am waiting for referral to G I doctor , you are so right about becoming overly concerned about what's happening with BM's. I'm filled with dread when I go to the toilet, will it be watery diarrhea, will it have lots of mucus or just be mucus, will it be even paler than yesterday . All questions which have scared the life out of me.

Thanks Jim
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Post by Jude »

Oh but who else but the amazing people on this site would understand our preoccupation with poo colour, texture, size, shape etc. When I was really ill with the big d all day and night I would dream and visualise going to the loo and producing a perfect poo. The day it happened I was euphoric. Good luck with everything. Jude :😆
Never heard of Microscopic Colitis until yesterday when consultant advised me that my chronic, 3 month long, diarrhea indicated this diagnosis (though not confirmed). Shocked, stunned and reeling a bit, although part of me is pleased to be alive.
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tex
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Post by tex »

Jim,

When old red blood cells are taken out of circulation and discarded by the liver, this is the source for what is known as bilirubin, which then passes into the bile, and subsequently passes into the duodenum along with bile (bile is used in the digestion of fat). Bilirubin is an orange-yellow color. As stool ages during it's roughly 16 to 20-something hour passage through the colon, the bilirubin slowly changes the stool color from either a green color (due to bile) or the light straw color you are describing, to the normal brown color.

Usually, such a change in stool color in an IBD patient is nothing to get excited about, because disrupted digestive system operation is the norm with active IBDs. And diet or meds can affect stool color. The antibiotic Ciprofloxacin for example, will typically change stool color to a light yellow.

Have you had a liver test panel lately? If your bilirubin test level is normal, then there shouldn't be any reason to be concerned. And even if it isn't normal, that may be simply due to a transient issue that will soon pass. If I had worried about stool color when I was reacting and recovering, I would have been a nervous wreck, because it was a common issue for me. My symptoms were so severe that I considered stool color to be a moot point — it was the least of my worries.

Tex
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It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Jimbo1968
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Post by Jimbo1968 »

Tex Your very knowledgeable. Yes I did have a Bilirubin blood test at 27th July which was exactly a month before the beginning of my first outbreak of Diarrhea and some 10 days after the first time I felt unwell and lost my appetite (i've kept a diary), the result was completely normal. Thank You So Much For Taking Time To Reply. Jim
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