floating stools...a big deal or not? - Bowel Disorders Message Board

singer1 · 12-19-2003, 01:38 PM

I was just wondering is someone's stools normally didn't float and then they started to one day and have ever since, is that a cause for concern? Most of what is eaten is junk food with the exception of some healthy stuff thrown in there now and then. what do you guys think?

bono · 12-19-2003, 06:30 PM

I thinks this is called malabsoprtion but I'm not totally sure I hope someone else might have some knowlegde and read your post to help.

eversowith · 12-19-2003, 09:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by singer1

I was just wondering is someone's stools normally didn't float and then they started to one day and have ever since, is that a cause for concern? Most of what is eaten is junk food with the exception of some healthy stuff thrown in there now and then. what do you guys think?

People with jaundice have floating clay colored stools. I picked this info up in nursing school this past semester.

carol thomas · 12-20-2003, 01:15 PM

From what I have learned over recent years, floating stools are quite normal, indicating a high fiber diet. They are only of concern when they are extremely foul smelling AND stick to the bowl, being very hard to flush away. Of course you may wish to discuss this with your doctor, but it doesn't sound like you have anything to worry about.

Quote:

Originally Posted by singer1

I was just wondering is someone's stools normally didn't float and then they started to one day and have ever since, is that a cause for concern? Most of what is eaten is junk food with the exception of some healthy stuff thrown in there now and then. what do you guys think?

butterflytrans · 12-20-2003, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carol thomas

From what I have learned over recent years, floating stools are quite normal, indicating a high fiber diet. They are only of concern when they are extremely foul smelling AND stick to the bowl, being very hard to flush away. Of course you may wish to discuss this with your doctor, but it doesn't sound like you have anything to worry about.

Carol is very correct. If the stools are floating, they're loose, very foul smelling, hard to flush, and look oily, this is a cause for concern as this is known as "steatorrhea". It means that there is a high lipid content in the stool for some reason or other--usually due to malabsorption (it can be from pancreatic insufficiency, or liver disease). The clay coloured stools that someone mentioned happen if someone has hepatic insufficiency and is not able to produce bile. Bile with its bilirubin content are what give stool its colour....if your liver it not producing bile, you will have trouble absorbing lipids properly (steatorrhea) and you will also have clay coloured stools.