Occasional Yellow Stool

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A pale stool can be the result of eating foods you don’t normally eat or when you’re taking a course of medications. In cases like these a change in stool color should be temporary. If you're pale stools continue for more than 3 weeks it may indicate an underlying health problem and a visit to the doctor would be in order. Choose a symptom; Selected Select related factors; View possible causes; Blood in stool in adults. Find possible causes of blood in stool based on specific factors. Check one or more factors on this page that apply to your symptom. Occasional yellow stool: See also some of these symptoms or medical conditions for possibly related medical information (note that there may be other causes or relevant symptoms so always see your doctor): yellow stool; stool symptoms. Occasional yellow stool: Related Medical Topics. Research related medical symptoms or conditions such as. Severe joint pain, abdominal pain, occasional blood or mucus in stool. Sometimes yellow loose stool. Ronald Krauser answered 51 years experience Rheumatology See details: One of the more likely causes is inflammatory bowel disease. Ingestion of very high fat foods also can cause yellow, soft, and foul smelling stools. Weight loss medications such as orlistat (Xenical, alli) work by limiting the amount of fat absorbed by the intestines. This can lead to bulky, yellow, and greasy stools. However, stool can be gray or clay-colored if it contains little or no bile.

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by Wendy M Yoder, Ph.D. and Micah Abraham, BSc

Last updated November 25, 2020

Those with anxiety are prone to health concerns. So it's no wonder that many people worry when they see that their stool has changed color. It's well-known that human feces can be one of the first indicators of a health disorder, so those that see that their stool has changed color often become immediately concerned.

There's good news and bad news. The bad news is that no one can diagnose the cause of your stool color without looking at it directly and testing your blood for any common health issues. Yellow stool is linked to many common health conditions, such as pancreatic failure, cirrhosis, digestion issues, and a myriad of other conditions. It is important to see a doctor to rule out these issues.

Yet the color of your stool can also be affected by anxiety. Yellow stool may be due to your mental health.

Child Yellow Stool

Yellow Feces and Related Anxiety

Yellow stool could represent a serious health problem. Or it could have a cause that is generally harmless - something that just accelerated your digestive system temporarily. Some people have different colored stool at random without any indication that something is wrong. Foods and medications can change stool color as well.

Only a doctor can diagnose the cause of any stool color change. But if they rule out other medical issues, it is possible that your yellow stool may be linked to anxiety.

How Anxiety Causes Yellow Stool

Anxiety may contribute to yellow stool color in a variety of ways. What yellow stool traditionally means is that food passed through your digestive tract too quickly. Yellow is often the color of diarrhea, because diarrhea often (although not always) implies that the digestive system was 'too quick' in passing the food through.

The yellow color itself is due to a combination of bilirubin (a chemical inside the body created by the liver) and fat. Undigested fat and bilirubin that hasn't been adequately altered through the natural digestive process both increase the risk of feces becoming a type of yellow or yellowish green.

Bilirubin colors your urine and your bruises as well, and is responsible for the brown pigment in stool - but only after it is converted to stercoblin - a process that doesn't occur fully if food passes through the digestive system too quickly.

Numerous studies have shown that those with anxiety and stress suffer from faster intestinal transit.

The most likely cause is the distribution of fluids during anxiety, and the activation of the fight or flight response. It's likely that stress also changes metabolism and hormone balance in a way that makes the intensities function erratically. In addition, studies have shown that the part of the brain that controls digestion slows down during anxiety, so that mental resources can be used elsewhere.

Finally, yellow stool has been linked to alcohol use and alcoholism. Some of those with anxiety try to self-medicate with alcohol to relieve the symptoms. Though alcohol is the primary cause of yellow stool in these situations, anxiety still plays a contributory role.

All of these problems will speed up digestion and possibly lead to yellow stool.

Anxiety and IBS

Anxiety is also a contributing factor - and possibly even a cause - of irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS. IBS is a bowel disorder that causes diarrhea, pain, and discomfort during times of stress. IBS is also known to cause yellow stool. It is considered a separate issue from anxiety, but the two have been linked in many studies and many of those with IBS appear to have developed some type of anxiety disorder.

How to Treat Yellow Stool From Anxiety

Assuming you've been to the doctor and ruled out any health issues, the reality is that yellow stool that only occurs once, or rarely, may not require any treatment. If you have yellow stool often, it may be a good idea to drink more water and consider healthier foods or supplementation to ensure that you’re getting the right amount of vitamins and minerals.

Those that find that the color of their stool causes them too much distress can try eating more whole grains and fiber with fewer fats in their diet, as fat may be one of the factors that causes stool to become yellow. Cutting out alcohol and getting a full night's rest also appears to have an effect on stool color as well.

But if your doctor has ruled out most other health issues, you may want to explore treating your anxiety.

Yellow Stool Mayo

Once you begin to manage anxiety, you should be able to start seeing a difference with your yellow stool.

To treat anxiety, look into the most common and effective mental health treatments, such as:

• Therapy and Counseling
• Medications
• Self-Help
• Lifestyle Changes and Exercise

Begin researching anxiety treatments, and find the ones that will work best for you and what you’re struggling with. That is the best way to address anxiety related yellow stool.

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© Peter Dazeley/Getty ImagesIt may be alarming to see green poop in your toilet bowl, but it isn't necessarily a cause for concern. All stool starts out as greenish-yellow, says Baltimore colon and rectal surgeon, Jeffery Nelson, MD, the surgical director at The Center for Inflammatory Bowel and Colorectal Diseases at Mercy Hospital in Baltimore.

Greenish-yellow is the color of bile, a fluid made by the liver that aids in the digestion process by breaking down fats into fatty acids for absorption and use by the body. As food makes its way down the digestive tract, it is stained by bile, which constantly drains into the gut. The liver makes bile and stores it in the gallbladder, the tiny sac that releases bile as it is needed. (Here are the signs your gut bacteria are unhealthy.)

During digestion, the greenish-yellow color becomes increasingly brown. But, there are factors that can interfere with that process. Here's a closer look at the underlying reasons why your poop is sometimes green.

You have a foodborne infection

When food moves faster than usual through your gastrointestinal (GI) tract, it's more likely to come out on the other end with a yellow to greenish tinge. Foods move faster through your GI tract when your gut is in some form of distress—such as when you have a foodborne infection, according to Kumar Desai, MD, gastroenterologist, hepatologist, and pancreaticobiliary specialist in Thousand Oaks, California.

Foodborne infections are caused by a variety of bacteria, viruses, and parasites. Some foodborne infections, such as Salmonella, are transmitted by ingesting contaminated food (or the droppings of infected animals), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Others, such as norovirus, can be transmitted both by ingesting contaminated food and through direct contact with another person who has been infected. One way you'll know if your poop is green due to a foodborne infection is if you have other symptoms like diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach cramping. (Check out the 7 signs of food poisoning you should know.)

You have an intestinal parasite

An intestinal parasite is an actual organism living in your intestinal tract. Many intestinal parasites are transmitted via food and water, although some can be transmitted via person-to-person contact. The most common intestinal parasites in the U.S. are Giardiaand Cryptosporidium, according to the CDC.

Both of these intestinal parasites are most commonly transmitted through ingesting contaminated water, and both can cause your poop to move through your GI tract quickly enough to cause diarrhea, which can be green in color. (These are 9 signs your green poop might be caused by a parasite.)

You eat foods that are green or contain food dyes

Eating green foods can turn your poop green, according to Harry Thomas, MD, a gastroenterologist in Austin, Texas. The most obvious culprit here are foods that are naturally green, notes colorectal surgeon, Lynn O'Connor, MD, director of Colon & Rectal Surgery of New York and section chief of colon and rectal surgery at Mercy Medical Center and St. Joseph Hospital in New York.

These include green vegetables (e.g. broccoli, asparagus, brussels sprouts, and leafy greens such as spinach, kale, and watercress), green herbs (such as parsley, basil, and cilantro), pistachio nuts, hemp seeds, matcha tea, and avocado.

The more green food you eat, the more likely it is your stool will appear green. (Don't let that stop you from including these healthiest vegetables in your diet.)

However, foods that contain green or blue food coloring can also turn your poop green. (The blue dye can mix with the yellowish-green bile pigments in stool and thus make it look green.) These can include flavored drink mixes, ice pops, and birthday-cake icing, which is why green poop 'isn't uncommon' in babies and kids, according to New York City pediatrician, Alison Mitzner, MD.

However, this can also happen with purple or black dye too. In the most famous example of surprisingly green poop, an all-black Halloween burger introduced by Burger King in 2015 made the news when a side effect of the black dye (a mixture of other colors, including blue) was emerald-green stool.

You're breastfeeding (and you're a baby)

Dr. Mitzner says breastfed babies will often have greenish stool (anywhere from mustardy-yellow to green) because breast milk goes through the GI tract quickly.

This is also why babies who are breastfed tend to poop after every feed. (Here are the things your child's pediatrician won't tell you.)

You're taking iron supplements

Taking iron supplements can cause your poop to appear green or even black (green stool can appear black, depending on the light). This is perfectly normal, but talk with your doctor if your poop are tarry-looking and black; they have red streaks; or if you experience any cramps or pain in the stomach. (Here are some foods you can eat to boost your iron levels.)

You're taking certain medications

Dog Yellow Stool

In addition to iron supplements, several other medications have been known to cause green poop, says Dr. Thomas. One such medication is the medroxyprogesterone (Depo-Provera), a contraceptive drug. In addition, antibiotics, which are known to affect gut flora, can cause stool to appear green, albeit primarily when the change in gut flora causes intestinal distress, according to a 2017 study in Yonsei Medical Journal.

'When we take antibiotics for an infection they have the ability to wipe out the good bacteria in the gut, explains Chicago-based family medicine physician, Kavita Shanker-Patel, MD. 'This can affect the way our food is digested and therefore change the color of the stool.' (Here are 12 side-effects of antibiotics worth knowing before you pick up that prescription.)

You've had gallbladder removal surgery

Because bile is stored in the gallbladder, removal of the gallbladder (also known as a cholecystectomy, which is usually performed due to gallstones) means your body has no place to store bile. Excess bile is excreted through stool, which can appear green as a result.

Yellow Stool Virus

In addition, since bile helps with fat digestion, the disruption of its 'supply chain' (from liver to gallbladder to its use by the intestines in digestion) can lead to intestinal distress, which speeds the movement of the bowels and, as discussed above, can be responsible for poop appearing green. (Don't miss these 9 superfoods you can eat to support a healthy gallbladder.)

Occasional Yellow Stool

You had bariatric surgery and developed 'dumping syndrome'

One in 10 people who have bariatric surgery develop dumping syndrome, a group of intestinal distress symptoms marked by rapid gastric emptying, which is when food moves too quickly through the digestive tract. As discussed above, this is a set-up for green poop.

Dumping syndrome can also be experienced by those who have had a gastrectomy (stomach removal) or esophageal surgery. (Here are 5 signs and symptoms of esophageal cancer you should be aware of.)

You have an inflammatory bowel disease

'Occasionally, when green poop is caused by rapid GI transit, the underlying cause could be an inflammatory bowel condition or disease (e.g. Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis),' according to Dr. Shanker-Patel. Inflammatory bowel conditions are autoimmune diseases where the immune system attacks and damages the digestive tract, causing pain, cramping, bleeding, malnutrition, and other serious problems.

Green stool accompanied by diarrhea and vomiting could also be an indication of another medical condition, like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). IBS is a condition marked by pain and changes in bowel function (diarrhea, constipation, or both), but without signs of damage to the intestines and no other cause that could explain the symptoms. (Here are the diseases that can start with your gut bacteria.)

The last word on green poop

Ultimately, the 'bottom' line here is that, as Dr. Shanker-Patel puts it, 'Although green stools do not typically mean that something serious is going on, if you've had them for longer than a few episodes or if they are associated with blood in the stool or black tarry stool then you need to consult with your doctor.'

The post Why Is My Poop Green? 9 Most Common Reasons appeared first on The Healthy.