# Film on toilet water after BM



## Steff007 (May 6, 2014)

Hi guys
Anyone get a clear translucent film on the toilet water after a bowel movement , stools normal colour and do not float.
Any ideas what it could be ?


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Most likely mucus. There should always be a little mucus with a stool (helps lubricate it) but IBSers often make more mucus than usual.


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## mjrueff (Jan 3, 2014)

Steff007,

A few other posters on this board (including myself) have this issue persistently. It is a very clear film that is difficult to see without close examination. I, like many on this board, am a worrier, and have been concerned that this could signify fat malabsorption, as passing of oil is a symptom. After consulting with my GI doc, doing a lot of research, and relying on others on this Board, it seems that mucus can also float on top of the toilet water and look like a film. From my understanding, the concerning malabsorption bms (known as stattoreah) are pretty easily distinguished, as they are very large, smell extremely bad, appear very greasy or oily in texture, are often white or grey in color, and stick to the toilet and require many flushes to go down. They are also usually associated with unexplained weight loss. I have none of those (other than multiple bms a day that are not always "normal" looking- but that is IBS in a nutshell).

Like I said, the film worries me- always has- to the point I insisted on a fecal fat test (negative) despite my docs assurances. When I consider the facts though, its seems that fat malabsorprtion is not the issue. It is nice to hear that other IBS folks have this: there is not much info out there on the mysterious clear film.


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## Steff007 (May 6, 2014)

Thanks for the replies I feel reassured knowing other people are experiencing the same issues


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## Inneedofadvice (May 6, 2014)

kathleen m said it shes right and this happens to me daily. dont worry about it  your ok


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## mjrueff (Jan 3, 2014)

Thanks to all of you. That is a scary symptom. Glad to hear it is somewhat normal for IBS!


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## Steff007 (May 6, 2014)

Do you find the film more noticable or just more of it with a loose bm?


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## german (Nov 22, 2010)

I also noticed this film after wife and myself had a weird stomach bug that gave both of us a lot of gas and major mucus noticable when wiping. I'm a worrier too and while she just moved on, I freaked out and wanted answers. I saw GI, was scoped, bloodwork(normal) and seen by other docs for 2nd and 3rd opinions. Doc's said wife and I likely had giardia initially and after someone has that it can take years for stool to return to normal and sometimes it never totally returns to normal.

just like mjrueff, all GI's told me film was mucus and because of the history, duration in time and no weight loss they didn't even give in to my asking for a fecal fat test( i've stayed at 210 lbs for over 6 months). Anyway all said it was uncalled for.

So over 6 months later, yes I still see it. Yes it seems more abundant with looser stool( though I don't ever have D).

All have said nothing to stress about and no one seems alarmed but me.

GI also said that the "sticking to the toilet" thing needed to be put into perspective. She said that if some "sticking" wasn't normal you wouldn't see toilet brushes next to everyones toilet. GI said that the sticking from excessive fat is very noticably different, and messier.


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## victor92 (Oct 20, 2015)

I see that film sometimes floating on the toilet water ,i can see it only with close examination, it happens unregularly and sometimes followed by either bulky movements either small ,either solid stools which sinks.

It is not greasy ,just transparent and small in length. My theory is that mucus looks like saliva which floats on water also, but that film it is not as cloudy.

It could be either unabsorbed fat either liquid coming from stools wich might depend on what you ve ate last day, either bile.


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