Green Stool

[barbiem]

anyone ever experience green stool?? I was eating 1 avocado a day so thought maybe that was causing it but not sure.

does it mean a bile problem?
thxs

[CathyMe.]

anyone ever experience green stool?? I was eating 1 avocado a day so thought maybe that was causing it but not sure.

does it mean a bile problem?
thxs

Hi there,
When I add tons of green veggies (spinach, kale, swiss chard, etc.) to my smoothies I have green stool on the next day. Is this a new thing for you?
Cathy

[barbiem]

I cathy, no I had it a lot at the beginning of my illness so not new but the only thing green I have been eating is a bit of avocado. Will stop it for a few days and see if anything changes. If it doesn't does that mean it is bile related? bacteria related?

[tex]

Barb,

If the green color is not caused by the foods in your diet, then it is almost surely a sign of rapid transit. Stool color starts out green (from bile added in the duodenum), and slowly turns straw-colored, and eventually (if the motility rate is normal) it becomes the traditional brown color. If stool does not remain in the colon long enough to allow for the complete color conversion, then it will display the color of an intermediate stage (depending on the elapsed time), and it may be a shade of yellow, or even green.

One of the classic markers of untreated celiac disease, for example, is greenish (or yellowish), vile-smelling, gassy stool.

Tex

[barbiem]

thanks tex - so does that mean I need bile salts? it has been yellow up until this point although I had 2 days of a bit darker. Now it is green which I had way back in the beginning of my diagnosis. I guess will wait to see after stopping the avocado for a few days. I didn't have any yesterday and it is still green this morning. What does one do to slow down motility and is this a bad thing?

[tex]

thanks tex - so does that mean I need bile salts?

No, it most likely simply means that everything is going through you too rapidly.

Normal transit time in the colon is about 24 to 30 hours, but this can vary depending on the individual and diet. Rapid transit is a common symptom of MC, and it's usually caused by the inflammation, which prevents the proper absorption of electrolytes, and that triggers D.

Most of us eliminate from our diet the foods that cause inflammation, and as the inflammation subsides, digestion will improve, the gut will begin to heal, and motility will return to normal.

But if you are low on stomach acid, that's still going to prevent your digestive process from working normally, so you will probably still have a rapid transit problem even if all the foods in your diet are safe.

The safest way to slow down motility (without decreasing stomach acid) is to take Imodium (loperamide), which is available OTC (in the U. S.), or Lomitil (Diphenoxylate and atropine), which is available by prescription only (in the U. S.).

You can slow down motility by taking an antispasmodic drug such as Levsin (hyosyamine), but that will reduce stomach acid even further, so if you happen to be low on stomach acid to begin with, that could handicap your already-compromised digestive ability even more.

Tex

[barbiem]

ok thanks - was actually at the drugstore looking at immodium but too much stuff in it I can't have. Will have to bite the bullet and order the stool testing for food intolerances I guess. UGH! But it will be worth it in the end!

I will also stop the yogurt for a few days and see if any improvement. Hate to have to give it up as its the only food I look forward to!