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What Causes Yellow Stool?
Question: I have been having yellow stools for about a month or two. Is this symptomatic of anything?
Brief Answer:
Questions so that I can help
Detailed Answer:
Hello Mr. XXXX,
I have a few questions for you to try to sort this out:
1. Are you having any other symptoms such as having more frequent BMs or diarrhea, abdominal pain or discomfort, indigestion"
2. Did you have a "stomach bug" that preceded this or currently have this?
3. Eating anything different?
4. Any medication changes or new medications coinciding with this new symptom?
5. Are they yellow and greasy or more of a clay color but normal consistency?
6. Other than elevated lipids, what if any, other health problems do you have?
Thanks - I will respond after hearing back from you.
Questions so that I can help
Detailed Answer:
Hello Mr. XXXX,
I have a few questions for you to try to sort this out:
1. Are you having any other symptoms such as having more frequent BMs or diarrhea, abdominal pain or discomfort, indigestion"
2. Did you have a "stomach bug" that preceded this or currently have this?
3. Eating anything different?
4. Any medication changes or new medications coinciding with this new symptom?
5. Are they yellow and greasy or more of a clay color but normal consistency?
6. Other than elevated lipids, what if any, other health problems do you have?
Thanks - I will respond after hearing back from you.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Dr. Berger-Durnbaugh,
1)Perhaps slightly more frequent bms but otherwise the answer to this question is "no".
2)No
3)No
4)Started on atorvastatin several months ago. Did not notice that the start of medication and onset of symptoms were synchronous.
5)Yellow clay color and generally looser than normal
6)None.
1)Perhaps slightly more frequent bms but otherwise the answer to this question is "no".
2)No
3)No
4)Started on atorvastatin several months ago. Did not notice that the start of medication and onset of symptoms were synchronous.
5)Yellow clay color and generally looser than normal
6)None.
Brief Answer:
Information.
Detailed Answer:
Thank you for the follow up information.
Stool color that is less brown, more towards clay color, is usually due to a lack of bile pigments getting into the intestines. Bile is made in the liver, stored in the gall bladder (if present), and is then passed into the small intestine, usually in response to food in the digestive tract. Anything along the pathway shared by the liver/gall bladder and pancreas, that blocks or interferes with the excretion of bile into the small intestine (the duodenum), can cause this to happen.
Some of the most common causes are gall stones that block the exit of the gall bladder. A recent gastroenteritis (that's why I asked about the stomach bug) can also cause this briefly. Liver inflammation/hepatitis, from any cause can too. This can be from viruses, alcohol, or medications.
So, I recommend that you go in to see your doctor, who will examine your abdomen (particularly the right upper quadrant, which is where your liver and gall bladder are, and the center and left, where your pancreas is). He/she should get a liver blood test panel to check liver enzymes. You aren't describing symptoms more specific to pancreatic problems, but your doctor may want to check pancreatic enzymes (amylase, lipase). Depending on what these things show, you may want to talk with your doctor about the role the statin you are taking may be playing in this.
Also, depending on the findings of all of this, your doctor may want to order an abdominal ultrasound. This is a non-invasive test, and can give a lot of information about the status of your liver and gall bladder.
I hope this information helps. Please let me know if I can provide further information.
Information.
Detailed Answer:
Thank you for the follow up information.
Stool color that is less brown, more towards clay color, is usually due to a lack of bile pigments getting into the intestines. Bile is made in the liver, stored in the gall bladder (if present), and is then passed into the small intestine, usually in response to food in the digestive tract. Anything along the pathway shared by the liver/gall bladder and pancreas, that blocks or interferes with the excretion of bile into the small intestine (the duodenum), can cause this to happen.
Some of the most common causes are gall stones that block the exit of the gall bladder. A recent gastroenteritis (that's why I asked about the stomach bug) can also cause this briefly. Liver inflammation/hepatitis, from any cause can too. This can be from viruses, alcohol, or medications.
So, I recommend that you go in to see your doctor, who will examine your abdomen (particularly the right upper quadrant, which is where your liver and gall bladder are, and the center and left, where your pancreas is). He/she should get a liver blood test panel to check liver enzymes. You aren't describing symptoms more specific to pancreatic problems, but your doctor may want to check pancreatic enzymes (amylase, lipase). Depending on what these things show, you may want to talk with your doctor about the role the statin you are taking may be playing in this.
Also, depending on the findings of all of this, your doctor may want to order an abdominal ultrasound. This is a non-invasive test, and can give a lot of information about the status of your liver and gall bladder.
I hope this information helps. Please let me know if I can provide further information.
Note: For further follow up on digestive issues share your reports here and Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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