# Stools Very Light Brown to Yellow?



## IvyWinter (Jun 1, 2013)

What does it mean that most of my stool tends to be very light brown to yellow (unless of course when i take imodium, it is darker obviously because things have been sitting there)? Most of my stool, no matter consistency, comes out very light brown to a pale yellow, and has not the best smell (though nothing particularly horrifying, just doesnt smell great thats for sure). I also feel like there's a lot of mucus on my TP after. Is there anyway to help this, a specific deficiency that can cause it, etc? It also burns ever so slightly upon exiting.


----------



## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

That is the color your stool normally starts out with when it enters the colon. Stool does not start out dark brown. It starts out bile colored which is either a yellow or a green color. It is slowly turned brown over time. The less time it is in the colon, or the fewer of the bacteria that change the color, the less it is changed to brown and the lighter, yellowish or greenish, the stool comes out.

I don't know of any supplement that ups the number of bacteria that change the color, but that Imodium (which slows the transit) means the stool is darker means you at least have some. Baby poop gold (or baby poop green) happens because infants don't have those bacteria that change the color at birth.

Now that it also feels a bit burning may mean you have a bit more bile than usual in there. Either reduce fat in the diet to reduce bile release or take Calcium Carbonate to help bind up some of the bile. Especially if the stools that are darker with the Imodium still burn.

No one's stool smells good.


----------



## emlica (Jul 24, 2013)

Hi - I currently find my first one of the day is dark brown in colour, fairly solid and smells... well, like stools, but not really repulsive, whereas the next one is lighter brown, looser, and smells worse. I only go in the morning, usually, so I figure the first one (the darker one) has been in the colon for longer and/or the bacteria have been too busy with that one to do as much with what comes after it - maybe I don't have enough of the good bacteria in there  And I also think there's some mucus on the paper - or at least, it's very kind of 'greasy' when I wipe.

By the way, on the 'burning' question: long shot, but have you started taking peppermint oil at all? Because I find when I take peppermint oil my stools burn a little on the way out, regardless of consistency.


----------



## IvyWinter (Jun 1, 2013)

emlica, yeah thats what im talking about. a fairly repulsive smell, worse than my normal stool. My dr didn't find any sort of malabsoprtion but im wondering whats going on. Most of my stools are a pale yellow and pass with a slight burn as of late, and of course, are the ones i have to pass with the most urgency. And no, ive never taken peppermint oil.


----------



## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Like I said, if you have the burning with it you might be releasing a bit more bile than you recycle.

Have you tried the Calcium Carbonate? That or ask the doctor for a bile binding agent like Questran.

A bit too much bile in the stool is irritating, it will move through faster, and feel kinda burny when you pass the stool.

Theoretically the release and the reabsorption of bile should be balanced properly, but it can be a bit off for some people. If you reduce fat in the diet for 3-4 days you may find it less likely to happen as you will release less bile.


----------



## IvyWinter (Jun 1, 2013)

Thanks Kathleen. I'll be mindful of fat intake the next few days and see if it helps. I am going to schedule a new appt with my dr as I was asked to post colonoscopy anyway.


----------

