# why are my stools pale



## nic d (Dec 3, 2002)

when i have a bm it is quitre pale in colour, the test for coeliac disease came back negative so i was just wondering if anyone else has trhis and what it might be? I also have a fissure if that may be causing it?


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## BQ (May 22, 2000)

Could it be that you have eaten foods that are a bit lighter in color? I find if I am eating like chicken and rice, my stool will be lighter in color. I know that may sound a bit over-simplified, but it could just be what you are eating. And with IBS, one never knows..... I have learned to not overlook the obvious or simple explanations cause sometimes, just sometimes, they are right on.







BQ


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## leslie204 (Feb 1, 2003)

What do you mean exactly by "pale"??? I have always heard that liver problems can cause pale feces... IE: Clay or light colored and I don't even know what that means. So do you mean beige, or off-white or what?Leslie


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## nic d (Dec 3, 2002)

leslie204when i say pale i mean beige, i dont think its something ive eaten as i have the same diet all the time, i hope its not liver trouble as i have enough to deal with with this damn illness. anybody else get beige stools?


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## cgika (May 9, 2003)

I know this might sound a bit odd but have you cleaned anything with bleach? I mean have you inhaled bleach in some way. Once I had cleaned my whole bathroom with bleach and my bm was very very pale! I was shocked!!


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## flux (Dec 13, 1998)

> quote:Once I had cleaned my whole bathroom with bleach and my bm was very very pale! I was shocked!!


I don't think it was connected.


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## loulou (Jan 18, 2001)

Hi nic d,I just found this info. Here's the link I got it from. http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW...ml?d=dmtContent Unusually light-colored stool Pale, greasy, usually foul-smelling stool is often indicative of digestive and absorption problems. The appearance is due to undigested fats that remain in the stool, as well as to lack of bilirubin in the intestines. Disorders that may cause this type of stool include:Acute viral hepatitisAlcohol and drug-induced hepatitisBile-duct diseaseCancer of gallbladder and bile ductsCeliac diseaseChronic pancreatitisChronic hepatitisCirrhosisCrohn's diseaseDiverticulosisLactose intoleranceSurgical removal of the small intestine


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## Bewitched (Jul 24, 2002)

My stools are almost always light in color,unless i eat chocolate.


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## NHow (Mar 10, 2003)

If you have had your gall bladder removed (or have gall bladder disease) you may be getting pale, putty-coloured stools due to excess bile salts in the intestine. Just a possibility. I'm sure there are many other causes.


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## LNAPE (Feb 9, 1999)

I agree with NHow, No gall bladder of one that is not functioning well gave me very pale yellow or beige color stools.Linda


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## Juliet (Nov 16, 2004)

Also, can't increased transit time make stools lighter? The worse the D, the lighter it is, as a general rule with me.


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## crankypants (Aug 25, 2002)

I have a similar concern, stools lighter than they used to be. I had some of those really scary clay-colored ones for a while after my gastroenteritis (and fluoroquinolone antibiotic disaster) this summer. Haven't seen that for a while but stools are either light-medium brown or greenish brown, rarely dark brown any more.How much do you all think coffee influences the color of stool? I gave up all forms of coffee when I got sick in July and ever since. I'm wondering if that alone might explain the change.


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## Juliet (Nov 16, 2004)

I really think that in most cases it's increased transit time. The more they stick around in there, the darker they get.Of course, there are loads of other reasons, but this benign one is, I think, what made mine that way for a while.


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## crankypants (Aug 25, 2002)

That might explain it for me nowadays, you're right. For a couple of years I was having more difficulty with C (perimenopausal follies, maybe). The worst was after the Cipro/Levaquin, I've never been so dry or strained so much in my life, for about a month. But then things started to swing back, and now I go every day, sometimes more than once, and on days like today, too damned often!







I attribute some of that change to decaffeinating myself, I think I don't spaz up as much now and things move along better. Sure do miss that good decaf java I used to fix myself on weekends but I guess it's worth it <sigh>.


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