# Yellow loose stools no matter what I eat



## sartre1243 (Dec 22, 2006)

I was diagnosed with IBS-D when I was 14, I'm now 25.I am dairy free, corn syrup free, and gluten free as well as other known trigger foods. My diet has been consistent for the last year and is primarily rice and protein based. I take supplements to make sure I'm properly nourished since I can't eat a lot of foods. When I do eat meat it is either fish, chicken, or turkey and I only eat antibiotic and hormone free meat. I take probiotics, calcium carbonate, Symax Duo tabs the antispasmodic, a supplement for IBS with peppermint and some other calming herbs, and avoid caffeine and alcohol.Through diet, meds (Remeron, Symax Duotabs, and Seroquel for bipolar-nos) I had my IBS completely under control for the first time in my life a year ago. I went months without taking Imodium, and could finally stop thinking or worrying about my IBS. I was putting weight on and things were good.In April I got very sick and had to be hospitalized for acute bronchitiss and lost nearly 10lbs while I was sick. I've not been able to put weight back on since then, and my IBS has been completely unstable since then. I saw my GI doctor and he tried me on Rifaximin which did not help (it almost made things worse to be honest). In the last two months I've lost an additional 6lbs, and my IBS has become nearly unmanageable. I have to take 2-4 Imodium just to leave the house, but then I'm constipated for days. These constipated days are usually symptom free, which is great, but when I finally have a day where I don't have to go out and I don't take Imodium then I typically end up using the bathroom 3-6 times a day, and the looser the stools become with each bowel movement.In mid August I had the worst IBS attack I've had in years, it was completely liquid and yellow burning diarrhea. Nothing in my diet could have caused an attack like this, and there was no other known factors that could cause such an IBS attack. Since then every bowel movement I've had is yellow, loose, and smells unlike bowel movements of the past. I've tried swapping foods in and out of my diet, and seen my GI doctor again as well as several other doctors and no one has an answer for what is going on.No matter what I eat my bowel movements are yellow in color. I'm worried something else is wrong? I'm worried I may have a parasite, or something worse and I'm wondering if anyone else may have some insight into this?The only other thing that has changes is in July I had to get off Seroquel because it was causing me to clench my jaw in my sleep causing headaches. My psychiatrist has since moved me to Lamictal and Ativan, and I am unsure if this has had an impact on my IBS or not.I'm the lowest I've weighed since 2005, and feel like everything I'm doing is futile in controlling my IBS.I've been tested for crohns, celiacs, and just about everything else they can test for with blood. I am gluten free but did not test positive for celiacs. I tried a gluten free diet out of desperation and it worked. I don't know if i I have gluten intolerance or what but I just feel better gluten free.Anyone experienced anything similar? Thoughts?


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## BQ (May 22, 2000)

This is severe. I'd like to see you try taking the imodium WITH your meals. Keep your fluids up! And you need to call your Dr. Diarrhea and weightloss IS a side effect of Lamictal. See this:http://www.drugs.com/cdi/lamictal.htmlPlease discuss this with your Dr as soon as you can. Let us know how you do.


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## sartre1243 (Dec 22, 2006)

BQ said:


> This is severe. I'd like to see you try taking the imodium WITH your meals. Keep your fluids up! And you need to call your Dr. Diarrhea and weightloss IS a side effect of Lamictal. See this:http://www.drugs.com/cdi/lamictal.htmlPlease discuss this with your Dr as soon as you can. Let us know how you do.


I am slowly lowering the dose of the Lamictal, and I'm down to 50mg a day right now. I'm aware of the possibility it may have something to do with my recent IBS issues, but even so doesn't explain the yellow stools.


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## BQ (May 22, 2000)

I would sincerely hope you are doing the lowering the dose under a Dr's supervision. I would NOT do that on your own.Yes it can explain them hon. If you were in flare to start off with.... then you add the Lamictal... you could have ONE ticked off gut. Yellow just means it is going through your system too fast. Please talk to your Dr.ETA: Any number of things could be causing that speed through your system. Your Dr needs to do some testing to find out why.


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## sartre1243 (Dec 22, 2006)

BQ said:


> I would sincerely hope you are doing the lowering the dose under a Dr's supervision. I would NOT do that on your own.Yes it can explain them hon. If you were in flare to start off with.... then you add the Lamictal... you could have ONE ticked off gut. Yellow just means it is going through your system too fast. Please talk to your Dr.


Don't worry, I am working with my doctors. Even had a second opinion from another psychiatrist on Friday (he suggested getting off the Lamictal for varying other reasons as well), and seeing my regular MD again this Thursday.


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## BQ (May 22, 2000)

Ok good! Like I said, ANY number of things could be causing it.. so.. at least rule ONE thing out by ruling out the Lamictal. In the meantime.... take the imodium WITH your meals. Could take a day or so to make a difference but try it. If you get cramping from the imodium.. take an anti-gas product with it.I know you are miserable hon... and I feel for you. Keep in mind... better days are coming! ((((hugs))))


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## sartre1243 (Dec 22, 2006)

BQ said:


> Ok good! Like I said, ANY number of things could be causing it.. so.. at least rule ONE thing out by ruling out the Lamictal. In the meantime.... take the imodium WITH your meals. Could take a day or so to make a difference but try it. If you get cramping from the imodium.. take an anti-gas product with it.I know you are miserable hon... and I feel for you. Keep in mind... better days are coming! ((((hugs))))


True enough.Thank you for the support.


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## spackle (Jul 5, 2009)

I dont know if this is any help but I have IBS-C/D. When I am in D mode my stools are almost always consitantly loose and yellow/gold in color. Almost like mustard! And sometimes I feel like I am passing battery acid! And the odor? Dont get me started. Just glad I live alone. There was a point there as well where I went down from my normal 172lbs to 158lbs in a very short time. I eventually stabilised to about 162 which ironically is a perfect weight for my height according to my doc. I too was really scared by the weight loss as they could find no real good reason for it.


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## onyx (Jan 13, 2006)

spackle said:


> I dont know if this is any help but I have IBS-C/D. When I am in D mode my stools are almost always consitantly loose and yellow/gold in color. Almost like mustard! And sometimes I feel like I am passing battery acid! And the odor? Dont get me started.


Just had to reply to this as this is *exactly* what I've had for 9 years. I have tried many different things e.g. Imodium, cholestyramine, calcium, gluten-free, dairy-free, hypnosis, acupuncture, probiotics, supplements, etc. and I have not found any help. It's always this strange yellow color, loose, and smells unnaturally bad. I cramp up real bad before my D and sometimes it feels like I'm passing pure hydrochloric acid out my system. Very painful - it actually burns the skin on the outside as well.It's pretty much ruined my life, like so many others. If anyone has ANY other suggestions how to control this, please let me know.


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## PD85 (Aug 19, 2010)

I had yellow loose stools for about a year and a half, which was the first year and a half of my IBS. I can't really pinpoint what was causing it because I was trying so many different things to fix the IBS. That means taking more supps, stopping other supps, eating different things, eating less of other things.. But two of the biggest things that I THINK helped stop my yellow stools were stopping multivitamin pills and stopping coffee. When things are really out of hand and I don't know what's causing it, my plan is always to start at square one. This means REALLY looking at your diet, every piece of food, and ask yourself, "is this causing my problem?" Then stopping supplements one by one over time until you notice a difference or not. As for medications, that's up to you and like others have said, talk to your doc.Anyways, that's my advice/experience.


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## ville65 (Dec 18, 2012)

I have had similar episodes with the yellow stools, burning inside and out, irritation with cramps. Tried VSL-3, align, S. Bouchillardi, Lactobaci in many forms and strains over the years, & Cholestyrmine. I am Gluten, Lactose and Soy free diet, Taking ASACOL one of the newest things used for IBS usually used for UC or Crohns but my GI dr. is trying me on it. Also CANASA another UC med. So far no real good results. I started the IBS-D no IBS C with two infections with Tropical Sprue, parasites, G. lambia, and malabsorption, Fibro, joint pain, I have low IgA and IgM. Cannot eat outside of home with out getting sick, travel is almost impossible. I use Imodium, Levsin, Donnatal and morphine when things are very painful. I take Ca++/D, B6, B1, not sure what to try next. Had Biofeedback, relaxation and acupuncture with marginal results. Scope shows a GI tract that is inflammed but so far the reason is not clear, I have had many Bx and all are clear of UC and Crohn's. The ASACOL and CANASA may help some of the readers with IBS-D not sure but check with your GI Dr.


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## pollymolly (Jul 19, 2010)

I always get yellow, burning diarrhea when i have a flare up, i away thought it was the acid in my stomach, that caused it, so i take lansoprazole 30mg as and when need and it does help, not sure if im right.


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## Milly1 (Apr 6, 2011)

Oh this all sounds so familiar! Same probs here! I actually told my GP the other day that it was like passing battery acid to which he replied, 'that's a good graphic description!'. After years of trying just about everything, Keflex seems to be the ONLY thing that works for me. Rifaximin made a slight difference to start with but then seemed to make it worse. I am convinced that there is an infection somewhere else -gallbladder, pancreas- that is causing the problem. Have just had to really fight to get a follow up appointment with the gastro. Started back on Keflex today and within twelve hrs all symptoms gone, bliss. Celebrating with some toast!


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## Milly1 (Apr 6, 2011)

Oh, and PollyMolly, re lansoprazole; my IBS took a real turn for the worse when I took that for just two days. On the contraindications it does say that it can encourage bacterial overgrowth. Peppermint oil capsules might be worth trying instead?


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## onyx (Jan 13, 2006)

Milly1 said:


> Oh this all sounds so familiar! Same probs here! I actually told my GP the other day that it was like passing battery acid to which he replied, 'that's a good graphic description!'.


I have told multiple docs about this same symptom and they pretty much don't seem to even care. I always think to myself, if they had it, I bet they'd care in a hurry.

My understanding from others on this board is that it's probably due to some kind of "rapid transit" where stuff that's not supposed to come out yet is getting purged out before it's had a chance to get reabsorbed, namely bile and enzymes and whatever else, and that accounts for the burning yellow foul-smelling stuff.

I often find, that if I take lots of imodium, my first BM or two is not so bad (darker, firmer, less painful), but that each subsequent one gets looser, lighter, and more burning, until at some point I have a kind of final convulsion where my bowels seem to completely empty. This feeling is very similar to when I had my colonoscopy and they give you those strong laxatives and there's a point where you realize theres nothing left in you. It's almost like once the peristalsis starts, it just goes on overdrive and doesn't stop.


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## ishylynn (Jul 23, 2012)

I'm having a flare with the exact same symptoms. Usually when I eat something, the awful stomach issues and headache last a day, but this one has been going for four days now. Thankfully, the headache went away the first day, but Immodium hasn't helped the awful yellow battery acid at all so far. I've pretty much only eaten chicken, rice, and beef broth the past few days.


onyx said:


> I have told multiple docs about this same symptom and they pretty much don't seem to even care. I always think to myself, if they had it, I bet they'd care in a hurry.


THIS IS SO TRUE! (I wish we had like buttons!)


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

If you have burning (so may be more bile than usual rather than just the normal yellow everyone stools start as) you might look at the Calcium Carbonate thread or see if the doctor will give you a trial of Questran (both can bind up the excess bile).

All people start out with yellow or green stool (no one absorbs 100% of the bile) which is the color of your bile. If you don't have enough bacteria to change that color to brown the stools come out the color they start (so baby poop is often green or gold even when solid and normal transit). If the stool moves faster than the bacteria change the color it will come out yellow or green in any human.


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