Polls relevant to Microscopic Colitis, and related issues, can be posted here, to allow for the collection of data that might help to shed some light on this disease, and it's treatment options.
Polly mentioned having pale stool after a mild reaction to eating goat cheese. Since I have pale stool almost all the time, I was wondering if anyone else does.
Apparently, transit time through the GI tract affects the color.
I hope nobody selects the black option -- unless, of course, you are taking iron to cause it to be that color.
I feel kind of strange posting this, but.........what the hey....
Shirley
When the eagles are silent, the parrots begin to jabber"
-- Winston Churchill
Hahahahaha. Why not? It's a valid topic for this BB.
Yes, I believe you are correct that darker stools generally represent longer transit times. For one thing, longer transit times generally reflect better digestion, and the combination results in a greater accumulation of bilirubin, which tends to darken the stool, by adding redish pigmentation.
Gluten and fat malabsorption, (two of the major causes for D among the members of this group), tend to result in lighter colored stools, and can even lean toward the greenish part of the color spectrum, in the case of a gluten reaction.
Besides iron, bismuth, (Pepto-Bismol), can turn the stool black, as can blood, if it enters the fecal stream near the upper end, so that it is partially digested.
Love,
Tex
P S Notice that I am ashamed to use my real name in a post about such a disgusting topic. LOL.
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.
I can't answer with one color either! Mine varies in color including yellow (corn) and green (lettuce/broccoli)! Oh....sorry, you asked the color of the poo, not the ingredients! LOL
I'm with Matthew - I'm a very colorful person!
"Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful." -- Buddha
I might've run through the spectrum myself until I took the cure. Now, color is consistently brown. Do you think it might be more accurate just to include those who are acutely ill, say, when they are first diagnosed, in this poll?
When I was so very ill my stools were extremely light and thin in diameter and floated. I mentioned this to my GI but he didn't ask any questions or voice any opinion as to what, if anything, that meant.
I've been in remission for 6 months and most now are medium to almost dark brown and sinkers. Still they aren't like they were before I got LC in July 2004. But I'm thankful things are going as well as they are!
You've made an interesting observation. I had forgotten that I had the same experience with both my doctor, and my GI. GI's really don't know s***, do they.
A vet can look at the manure from a cow, and tell you how well that cow's digestive system is working, and give you a pretty good idea of the cows general overall health. Show a fecal sample to a GI, and you're lucky if he or she can tell you whether or not you have diarrhea. LOL.
Love,
Wayne
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.
This is exactly why I had wondered about a poo encyclopedia/dictionary. Seems like a lot could be told about what is going on by knowing what stool color/consistancy/volume/frequency meant health wise.
Hey Wayne you're right! And GI's don't give a s*** either - at least it sure does seem that way a lot of the time. And Mike I think you're on to something. We all should go to the vet for our next opinion! Whaddya think?
Carrie,
It has been so long since I had a normal stool that I couldn't tell you if the current ones are my old normal or not. They look like what I think they should look like though. Also, I'd expect them to look a little different just based on the fact that I don't have all the gluten containing foods. Ya think that might be why yours don't look like your old normal ones before M.C.?
Mine were definitely pale at first. even tho they firmed up when I was on entocort...they were still mostly pale. In the last month being gluten free they are medium brown....not firm yet...but brown. So I hope that is a positive sign that I'm getting closer to getting well.
Shirley
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