White Diarrhea

[Angelika_23]

Sorry, I know, TMI...

I am starting on a crash and this is just the latest symptom. I started almost two weeks ago with low heart rates (when I am normally high). Then, I started having pain in my lower left side. Next came the nausea. And intermittent loss of bladder control. And muscle cramping and jumping. Now I'm having white mucousy diarrhea.

My PCP is not being helpful. He said my bloodwork came back just fine. I am not pregnant. (We were worried about ectopic pregnancy) I have a 24 hour holter on from the cardio. He's trying to catch the low HR.

Can someone tell me what that might mean?

Angela

[cardiactec]

first question - are you on inderal? i was taking that and started in with white stools. it was causing liver problems so i had to stop it. same symptoms as you describe. white stools can be a sign of other things aside from meds. some of these things include gallbladder issues.

i would get in to a doc stat or e.r. if severe pain and white stool persists.

hope you start feeling better.

[Sophia3]

Ok..clarification.

Do you mean you have normal colored stool with lots of white mucous? that can be from IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) can also cause abdominal pains.

i have never heard of white diarrhea but stool can turn very pale or gray but usually indicates liver problems that can often show up on blood tests (checking liver enzymes and such)

So that's all I know..but your title made me thinks came out white like this box I am typing in on this message board.

But mucous can be a common thing and or intermittent thing..just depends.

[Angelika_23]

No, I am not on Inderal Cardiactec.

Sophia, it is all white. Like globs of mucous. Yuck.

The pain was actually worse last week. It is still a constant throbbing ache, but not so sharp anymore. Did you have the muscle spasms, too, Cardiactec?

[cardiactec]

I didnt have the muscle spasm, just horrible pain and literally white, all white, stool. it wasnt mucous, was all stool.

not sure what your symptoms could be from. bizarre. ever have this happened before?

are you/have you been on any long term antibiotic use? I also had an issue with white mucus discharge that smelled foul foul foul (sorry for such not so pleasant specifics) after taking antibiotics to try and treat acne issues - was on the antibiotics for close to 10 months and then started in with lower abdominal pain and white mucous foul smelling discharge (also felt like i had to go to the bathroom, but all that would come out would be white mucous globs) -- the doc had me go see a GI and they did a sigmoidoscopy and found that i had acute colitis from, what they believe, taking antibiotics for too long -- the "white globs" were actually dead white blood cells from the infection inside my colon, from the overuse of antibiotics killing off all the "good" bacteria.

has your doc ordered a stool culture? that would probably be the next best step.

[mom4cem]

What about seeing a gi doc? I'd persist to have it checked it can be from a number of causes.

[pat57]

Answer

White stool at any age is not normal and should be evaluated promptly by a doctor. White stool is caused by a lack of bile, which may indicate a serious underlying problem in the liver or biliary tract.

Bile is a digestive fluid produced by the liver and stored in the gallbladder. Stool gets its normal brownish color from bile, which is excreted from the liver into the small intestine during the digestive process. If the liver doesn't produce bile or if bile is obstructed from leaving the liver, stool will be white.

Medical conditions that may cause light-colored or white stool include:

* Liver infections, such as hepatitis

* Biliary cirrhosis

* Gallstones

* Anatomic abnormalities of the intestines or bile ducts present at birth (congenital)

* Inborn errors of metabolism

* Sclerosing cholangitis

* Narrowing (strictures) of bile ducts

* Cysts

* Tumors

* A side effect of certain medications, such as some antibiotics, antifungal drugs and antacids

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/white-stool/AN01724

[Angelika_23]

ok, got copy of bloodwork. All is okay except for slightly elevated Segs. Does anyone know what this is or what it means?

Thanks,

Angela

[juliegee]

Sorry, I don't know what "Segs" are. Pat57 has given you a great synopsis of pale poop. Something is definately going on.

I have had intermittent white/pale poops off and on for years. My liver enzymes were often elevated and I also had lots of upper abdominal pain that I ignored. I had my gallbladder out in 2007 (it was covered in layers of adhesions) and it's never happened since.

I'd guess your bile's being constricted somehow. Keep following up with your doc. Bring a stool sample.

Best of luck. Let us know what you find out.

Julie

[flop]

Did your blood work include liver function? (Ususally has results including: bilirubin, ALT, AST, gamma-GT, Alk Phos, Protein, Albumin).

Take the doctor a sample - maybe if they see how abnormal it looks they will be more inclined to investigate.

Can only think of one time I've seen white stools and that was someone who'd had to drink a load of barium for a scan - I guess that doesn't apply to you?

Flop