Re: Weird Poop

[Guest guest]

Light BMs like that could indicate low bile, often from liver or gall bladder

problems. Some medicines can cause problems like this so it would probably

be a good idea to ask the doc to run some tests to check her liver.

Gaylen

[Guest guest]

Are they frothy? I'm not a doctor or anything, but I

wonder if it could be steatorrhea, caused by

insufficient enzymes to metabolize fats.

--- and Daron Freedberg

<mdfreedberg@...> wrote:

> I'm so sorry, I don't mean to be disgusting, but I

> don't know who else to

> ask. My daughter's poops are so light, almost

> whitish tan. I don't think

> she is eating anything new but here are the things

> that have changed

> recently. We changed her probiotic from

> jerrodophillus to kyodophillus on

> 9/10. We upped her zoloft from 12 mg to 19 mg on

> 9/17. We haven't noticed

> any real behavior changes so the poop thing is

> really it. She is eating

> fine, nothing new. Help!! She told me she had a

> tummy ache on Thursday of

> last week but her activity level and comfort seem

> fine.

> Any insight is appreciated, as always!

>

>

>

Barb Katsaros

barbkatsaros@...

[Guest guest]

Barb,

I'm not really sure what a frothy poop would look like. Over the weekend

it was a little loose but not like diarrhea, just not as formed, kind of

thin. This morning it looked more normal as far as size and thickness but

not as firm as usual. Does this sound like steatorrhea? This is a new

word for me so I need to google and get some info!

At 10:08 AM 9/19/2005, you wrote:

>Are they frothy? I'm not a doctor or anything, but I

>wonder if it could be steatorrhea, caused by

>insufficient enzymes to metabolize fats.

>

>

> > I'm so sorry, I don't mean to be disgusting, but I

> > don't know who else to

> > ask. My daughter's poops are so light, almost

> > whitish tan. I don't think

> > she is eating anything new but here are the things

> > that have changed

> > recently. We changed her probiotic from

> > jerrodophillus to kyodophillus on

> > 9/10. We upped her zoloft from 12 mg to 19 mg on

> > 9/17. We haven't noticed

> > any real behavior changes so the poop thing is

> > really it. She is eating

> > fine, nothing new. Help!! She told me she had a

> > tummy ache on Thursday of

> > last week but her activity level and comfort seem

> > fine.

> > Any insight is appreciated, as always!

> >

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

No, steatorrhea is looser. There is something else

that can cause a light formed poop, and now i've

forgotten what it is. I'm sure one of the other

listmates will think of it. Barb

--- and Daron Freedberg

<mdfreedberg@...> wrote:

> Barb,

> I'm not really sure what a frothy poop would look

> like. Over the weekend

> it was a little loose but not like diarrhea, just

> not as formed, kind of

> thin. This morning it looked more normal as far as

> size and thickness but

> not as firm as usual. Does this sound like

> steatorrhea? This is a new

> word for me so I need to google and get some info!

>

>

>

> At 10:08 AM 9/19/2005, you wrote:

> >Are they frothy? I'm not a doctor or anything, but

> I

> >wonder if it could be steatorrhea, caused by

> >insufficient enzymes to metabolize fats.

> >

> >

> > > I'm so sorry, I don't mean to be disgusting, but

> I

> > > don't know who else to

> > > ask. My daughter's poops are so light, almost

> > > whitish tan. I don't think

> > > she is eating anything new but here are the

> things

> > > that have changed

> > > recently. We changed her probiotic from

> > > jerrodophillus to kyodophillus on

> > > 9/10. We upped her zoloft from 12 mg to 19 mg

> on

> > > 9/17. We haven't noticed

> > > any real behavior changes so the poop thing is

> > > really it. She is eating

> > > fine, nothing new. Help!! She told me she had

> a

> > > tummy ache on Thursday of

> > > last week but her activity level and comfort

> seem

> > > fine.

> > > Any insight is appreciated, as always!

> > >

> > >

> > >

>

>

> [Non-text portions of this message have been

> removed]

>

>

Barb Katsaros

barbkatsaros@...

[Guest guest]

Someone posted this a while back & I saved it - unsure

if it contains what you were asking - didn't have a

chance to review it first... but hope it helps.

Studying Stools

Copyright 2002. DeFelice.

Note: Digestive enzymes may have a significant

positive impact on regulating stools and elimination.

The Enzymes for Digestive Health and Nutritional

Wealth book discusses how and why in detail.

A lot of information can be gathered from just

observing stools. Color, texture, consistency, and

other 'properties' can give clues to what is happening

in digestion.

This article is intended to help with stool detective

work by parents and is only given as a guide. Visually

inspecting stools alone are not diagnostic of

anything. Other symptoms and signs are generally

present. Please consult a health care professional

with further concerns.You will see there is some

overlap and what comes out one day may be due to

someone that happened on previous days due to transit

time in the gut.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1. Dark-colored stools may be seen in platelet

function disorders,

iron deficiency anemia, cirrhosis, colorectal cancer,

disseminated

intravascular coagulation, peptic ulcer, or stomach

cancer. Liver

disease may include a yellow tone to the skin and

whites of eyes

(jaundice) and brownish urine.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2. Black or tarry stools (Melena) - the passage of

black, tarry and foul-smelling stools; can be an

indication of digested blood in the stool. Other

causes are, iron deficiency anemia, cirrhosis,

colorectal cancer, disseminated intravascular

coagulation, peptic ulcer, or stomach cancer. In

advanced cirrhosis (liver disease), the abdomen

becomes distended with fluid and ruptured blood

vessels in the stomach and esophagus cause bleeding.

The person may vomit blood or pass black stools. Very

dark stools, for example, may indicate an

ulcerative lesion in the higher digestive tract.

Note: The ingestion of black licorice, lead, iron

pills, Pepto- Bismol, or blueberries can all cause

black stools or false melena. Stools should be tested

for the presence of hidden blood.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

3. Blood in the stool (Hematochezia) - the passage of

red, or maroon- colored stools. Red or " frank " blood

in the stool could be caused by hemorrhoids. Bloody

stools can also be seen in amebiasis, anal fissures,

or colorectal cancer. Bright red bleeding with bowel

movements may be due to hemorrhoids; however, other

conditions such as colonic polyps or tumors,

diverticulosis, and abnormal small vessels called AVMs

also may cause bleeding. Unusually, the bleeding is

coming from the upper intestine or stomach. Bleeding

such as you describe usually is evaluated by

colonoscopy. Blood, as seen in the stool, can

originate anywhere along the intestinal tract. A black

stool usually means that the blood is coming from the

upper part of the GI tract. At least 6 Tablespoons (or

200 milliliters) of blood must have been lost in order

to cause passage of melena. Maroon-colored stools or

bright red blood usually suggest that the blood is

coming from large bowel or rectum. However, sometimes

can be caused by massive upper GI tract bleeding. Some

upper GI causes of bloody stools can also cause

vomiting blood such as in peptic ulcer disease. The

color of the stool can suggest the location of the

bleeding however this is not reliable. A definitive

diagnosis will require radiographic and/or endoscopic

investigation.

Black color -

- bleeding ulcer

- gastritis

- esophageal varices

- a tear in the esophagus from violent vomiting

Maroon color -

- all the causes of black color stool

- diverticular bleeding

- vascular malformation

- intestinal infection (such as bacterial

enterocolitis)

- inflammatory bowel disease

- tumor

- colon polyps or colon cancer

Bright red color -

- all the causes of black or maroon color stool

- hemorrhoids

- anal fissures ( " cracks " in the anal area)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

4. Gray stools, pale stools, putty or clay colored

stools may be seen in hepatitis, gallbladder

disorders, or malabsorption conditions. Bile salts in

the stool excreted by the liver give it a normal brown

color. Obstruction to bile flow out of the liver (you

may see the word " cholestasis " ), or liver infections

like viral hepatitis (A, B, C, etc.), may produce clay

colored stools. Possible causes for clay colored stool

result from problems in the biliary

system (the drainage system of the gallbladder, liver,

and pancreas): Malabsorption problems can cause

undigested fat in the stool (steatorrhea) which is

characterized by foul smelling, light yellow to gray,

greasy or frothy stools. This may also be caused by

low

bile output.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

5. Heavy, fat-rich stools can indicate various

intestinal and pancreatic disorders, and so forth. Can

also be due to malabsorption or insufficient fat

breakdown.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

6. Diarrhea - The passage of an increased amount of

stool. This is frequently considered to be 3 or more

stools per day, or excessively watery and unformed

stool. Chronic diarrhea occurs when loose or more

frequent stools persist for longer than two weeks.

Diarrhea causes can be grouped into several general

categories.

a.. Infections - viruses, bacteria, parasites

b.. Toxins - often referred to as 'food poisoning.'

Toxins may be produced in foods as bacteria grow.

These toxins are responsible for the associated

vomiting and diarrhea.

c.. Malabsorption - lactose intolerance, celiac

disease (sprue) or gluten malabsorption, cystic

fibrosis, cows milk protein intolerance, intolerance

to specific foods (beans, fruit, etc.) There are other

less frequently encountered causes of malabsorption.

d.. Inflammatory Diseases of the Bowel - Crohn's

disease, ulcerative colitis

e.. Immune deficiency

f.. M edications - antibiotics, laxatives

(especially those containing Magnesium), chemotherapy

g.. Other

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

7. Floating stools

Stools that float are generally associated with some

degree of malabsorption of foods or excessive

flatus/gas. Floating stool is seen is a variety of

different situations, the

majority being diet-related or in association with

episodes of diarrhea caused by an acute

gastrointestinal infection. A change in dietary habits

can lead to an increase in the amount of gas produced

by bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract. Similarly,

acute gastrointestinal infections can result in

increased air/gas content from rapid movement of food

through the GI tract. One misconception is that

floating stools are caused by an increase in the fat

content of the stool. In fact, increased air/gas

levels in the stool make it less dense and allow it to

float. Another cause of floating stools is

malabsorption. More than two weeks of diarrhea with

floating stools is often seen in people suffering from

malabsorption, a dysfunction in the GI tract that

affects the body's ability to digest and absorb fat

and other food. Increased levels of nutrients in the

stool (those not absorbed by the GI tract) are

supplied to the normal bacteria that live in the gut,

which in turn produce more gas. This results in more

air/gas- rich stool that floats. Dietary changes,

diarrhea, and malabsorption can cause floating stools.

Most causes are benign and will resolve when the

infection

ends or the bacteria in the GI tract become accustomed

to the changes in your diet.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

8. Stinky stools - normally has an unpleasant odor,

but one that is recognized as fairly common. Stools

that have an extremely bad, out- of-the-ordinary odor

may be associated with certain medical conditions.

Foul-smelling stools also have normal causes, most

notably diet. Foul smelling stools may occur in

conjunction with floating stools.

Foul smelling stools can be due to bacteria

overgrowth. Ammonia smelling stools can be attributed

to bacteria overgrowth or nitrogen being improperly

metabolized.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

9. Yeasty stools - " yeasty " stools indicate the

presence of yeast, but are not the only indication of

yeast. These may appear during either yeast growth or

die-off. Possible yeast-looking stools include:

a.. cottage-cheese looking stools

b.. frothy stools.like yeast bread rising

c.. yeasty smell to stools

d.. stringy-ness to stools.like cheese strings

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

10. White specs in stools:

1. Rice (may cannot even digest rice)

2. They've been eating paper

3. or, something else they can't break down. For my

daughter this would include any kind of bean, nut,

seed, grain, vegetable, popcorn, etc. She initially

was ok with rice but later on (about 10 mos.) stopped

being able to digest pretty much anything. Eventually

found white little seeds from the Mesa Sunrise

Waffles.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

11. Black specks may be seeds, foods, or from die off

of yeast or bacteria.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

12. Severe constipation, or alternative constipation

and 'diarrhea' (or loose stools) This could be

encopresis.

see Encopresis

--- Barb Katsaros <barbkatsaros@...> wrote:

> Are they frothy? I'm not a doctor or anything, but

> I

> wonder if it could be steatorrhea, caused by

> insufficient enzymes to metabolize fats.

>

> --- and Daron Freedberg

> <mdfreedberg@...> wrote:

>

> > I'm so sorry, I don't mean to be disgusting, but I

> > don't know who else to

> > ask. My daughter's poops are so light, almost

> > whitish tan. I don't think

> > she is eating anything new but here are the things

> > that have changed

> > recently. We changed her probiotic from

> > jerrodophillus to kyodophillus on

> > 9/10. We upped her zoloft from 12 mg to 19 mg on

> > 9/17. We haven't noticed

> > any real behavior changes so the poop thing is

> > really it. She is eating

> > fine, nothing new. Help!! She told me she had a

> > tummy ache on Thursday of

> > last week but her activity level and comfort seem

> > fine.

> > Any insight is appreciated, as always!

> >

> >

> >

>

>

> Barb Katsaros

> barbkatsaros@...

>

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Picked this from a website too -

" Pale or clay colored stools. Stools that appear pale

or look like clay could be the result of lack of bile

salt (which gives stool a brownish color), antacids,

barium from recent barium enema test, or hepatitis. "

As mentioned in other posts, seems like it's

associated with liver. But don't freak out on that.

It is quite common for our little one's livers to be

stressed - and is actually commonly indicative of

chronic infection - a basis for . Some of the

human herpes viruses as well as some chronic bacterial

infections can temporarily (or sometimes long term)

affect the metabolic and enzyme processes. Clay/Pale

colored stools have been discussed here before

although I don't remember major conclusions.

It is probably temporary, but this is a good time to

address lab work up with your pediatrician - getting a

thorough liver profile, B-12 & Folic Acid levels (bet

they're off a little but always test before

supplementing - sometimes it's not processed in

kids & levels are real high - and you'd never want to

supplement these without checking).

A little homemade chicken broth (bones boiled at home)

would probably get some digestive juices flowing

again. The gelatin in the cartiladge found in the

chicken (when you make if from a whole chicken) is

really good for the digestive system. It could be all

you need to get her 'going' normal again.

HTH-

__________________________________

- PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005

http://mail.

[Guest guest]

Thanks to everyone who helped me with poop problems. Dr. G thinks it may

be a virus and wants us to keep a watch and update him in few days. It

just happened so fast, I hope it's nothing serious.

Thanks for all the info.

[Guest guest]

I would faint it I could get her to eat chicken broth!! But what about

making jello gelatin? Would that work?

Thanks for your help,

>A little homemade chicken broth (bones boiled at home)

>would probably get some digestive juices flowing

>again. The gelatin in the cartiladge found in the

>chicken (when you make if from a whole chicken) is

>really good for the digestive system. It could be all

>you need to get her 'going' normal again.

>

>HTH-

>

[Guest guest]

Hi -

Well, the food coloring in Jello would likely keep her

up and make her wild, and my kids can't tolerate

anything Jello and none of the artificial sweeteners.

However, you can buy Gelatin packets at the grocery

store too, and mix them with pear juice (pear juice is

about the only one that doesn't 'feed' yeast).

Gelatin generally contains traces of MSG that I think

are developed in processing, so you'd avoid it if your

child is very very sensitive to MSG, but a mild

sensitivity probably wouldn't be aggrevated.

Fruit pectin would not be anywhere similary even

though they're side by side.

Other tummy helpers are like a tsp of coconut oil

mixed with some warm water if she'd drink that - it's

antifungal and antimicrobial, but it does come from a

tropical fruit and some people could be sensitive. I

doubt the oil would be as much of a risk of being

allergenic as the coconut milk, but I'm certainly not

promising that.

So you don't think she'd like some chicken and

dumplings? 'Cause I was having just terrible tummy/

gi yeast issues from a long period of antibiotics, and

I ate chicken soup, sometimes dumplings, for a week

and my tummy feels better than it has in two years.

I've never believed a food could actually improve a

symptom directly until this week (although I've always

known it could cause them!lol). But the canned soups

don't contain gelatin, and I'm told that was why they

never worked.

That said, I'd also faint if my oldest ate chicken

soup/broth as well.

Hope that helps. But on the other side, it'll

probably resolve on it's own. But you still want labs

with that one.

Till later-

--- and Daron Freedberg

<mdfreedberg@...> wrote:

> I would faint it I could get her to eat chicken

> broth!! But what about

> making jello gelatin? Would that work?

> Thanks for your help,

>

>

>

> >A little homemade chicken broth (bones boiled at

> home)

> >would probably get some digestive juices flowing

> >again. The gelatin in the cartiladge found in the

> >chicken (when you make if from a whole chicken) is

> >really good for the digestive system. It could be

> all

> >you need to get her 'going' normal again.

> >

> >HTH-

> >

>

>

> [Non-text portions of this message have been

> removed]

>

>

__________________________________

- PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005

http://mail.

[Guest guest]

When my son has light colored stools it turns out that it is because

he needs Taurine. When I give him some Taurine in some juice the

stools become dark again. I had to continue supplementing for several

months for a while as each time I stopped his poohs lightened again.

I forget the technical jargon about why autistic kids often need

taurine. ...But, it works.

> I'm so sorry, I don't mean to be disgusting, but I don't know who

else to

> ask. My daughter's poops are so light, almost whitish tan. I don't

think

> she is eating anything new but here are the things that have changed

> recently. We changed her probiotic from jerrodophillus to

kyodophillus on

> 9/10. We upped her zoloft from 12 mg to 19 mg on 9/17. We haven't

noticed

> any real behavior changes so the poop thing is really it. She is

eating

> fine, nothing new. Help!! She told me she had a tummy ache on

Thursday of

> last week but her activity level and comfort seem fine.

> Any insight is appreciated, as always!

>